Kudo.com, the CFD broker formerly known as Kudotrade, said today (Friday) that it has obtained a Tier 5 license from the UAE, paving the way for a broader push across the Gulf region. The company said the license was issued on June 9.
Approval falls on the limited side of the UAE system. It allows for “pitch and pitch” activity, meaning Kudo can market its services and refer clients, rather than executing trades or keeping clients’ funds in-country.
This puts this move in a sequence that the company has been referring to for months. Kudo first mentioned the Dubai plan when it received initial approval and subsequently opened a local office Dropped the Kudotrade name in favor of Kudo.com In early June.
The company linked the license to access to a group of stocks listed in the Gulf region, which includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
What the license actually allows
Kudo described the issuer as the UAE Capital Markets Authority. The UAE’s federal securities regulator is the Securities and Commodities Authority, which grants Category 5 licenses that a number of brokers have amassed over the past year.
Differentiation matters to customers. The promotion and introduction license does not allow the company to deal on its own account or protect client funds onshore, so Kudo’s actual trading continues through its offshore arm.
This company, Kudo Trade (Mauritius) Ltd, holds a license from the Mauritius Financial Services Commission. The company has said this before It operates its CFD services through entities in Mauritius, Saint Lucia and Cyprusa common structure among brokers who sell in several regions.
Kudo is already locked Initial approval and opening of its office in Dubai Earlier this year, I acquired the Kudo.com domain at the same time.
Chief Operating Officer, Finley Wilkinson, linked the license to the wider expansion, saying it demonstrated a commitment to “…operating within reliable regulatory frameworks as we continue to expand globally”.
Crowded race for SCA approval
Kudo joins a long line of brokers chasing papers in the UAE. The regulator has automated parts of its processes and reported an 18% increase in applications, as businesses treat the Dubai license as a credential to sell across the wider region.
XM confirmed what it had done Class 5 approval from the Securities and Commodities Authority In December, while GivTrade received Category 5 authorization for “arranging and advice” in the same month, after Finalto and Exinity. PrimeX Capital obtained its license around the same time.
Not every company accepts the limited level. Plus500, XTB and RoboMarkets are among the brokers that have obtained a more comprehensive license, allowing them to offer a wider range of services directly to clients in the UAE. Kudo, for now, falls into the narrower promotion and introduction category.
Adding Gulf stocks to the playing field
A stock launch is half of consumer-facing advertising. Kudo included Emaar Properties, ADNOC Gas and E& in the UAE, Saudi Aramco, Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Telecom in Saudi Arabia, Qatar National Bank, Ooredoo and Nakilat in Qatar, and Zain in Kuwait.
As a CFD broker, Kudo offers exposure to those stocks rather than direct stock ownership. The company framed the addition as a way for clients to trade regional heavyweights from a single platform.
Gulf stocks receive constant attention from international platforms. Interactive Brokers associated with Swiss National Bank (SNB Capital) provides Saudi stock trading servicewhile regional players such as OneRoyal, Equiti and ADSS relied on it Linking Gulf sovereign stocks to global liquidity As a selling point.
From Kudotrade to Multi-Asset Batch
Kudo
She launched her CFD business in 2024 and quickly added pieces. In September 2025 Introduced Kudo Funded, a support trading product offering up to $200,000 In capital, they line up against Axi, OANDA and other funded trader programs.
It is too He appointed Stathis Vlanjovas, former CFO of Capital.com and HFM, to the position of CFO
Before that launch. Now the UAE license and GCC share listing have gone hand in hand with those moves as the company builds an offering that reaches beyond simple CFDs.
This article was written by Damian Schmil at www.financemagnates.com.
Source link
