PU Prime Secures CMA Licence in UAE, Expanding Its Global Regulatory Footprint

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Global broker PU Prime enters the UAE with a new CMA license, targeting professional and retail wealth management growth.

PU Prime Financial Services LLC has been granted CMA licence number 20200000388 to operate in the UAE.
The licence covers introduction and promotion activities only - not dealing on own account or discretionary portfolio management.
PU Prime holds licences across five jurisdictions, including ASIC in Australia and the FSCA in South Africa.
The group provides access to more than 1,000 trading instruments across forex, commodities, indices, shares, ETFs, and bonds.
PU Prime plans to host educational seminars and events in Dubai as part of its regional expansion strategy.
The UAE authorisation positions the broker as a regulated option for GCC-based retail and professional investors.

UAE Capital Markets Authority Licence Opens New Chapter for GCC Retail Investors

The UAE's financial services sector operates under a layered regulatory structure involving multiple authorities, including the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Each body governs specific activities and geographic zones within the country. For online brokers and multi-asset platforms targeting UAE-based investors, obtaining the appropriate local licence is a legal requirement - not a discretionary step.

PU Prime's entry into this landscape reflects a wider trend of international brokers formalising their UAE financial services licensing as retail investment demand grows across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The firm's CMA authorisation allows it to engage professionally with UAE clients while demonstrating compliance with local rules for financial promotion and client introduction.

What the CMA Licence Authorises

PU Prime Financial Services LLC has been granted licence number 20200000388 by the UAE's Capital Markets Authority. The authorisation falls under the Fifth Category - Arrangement and Advice - within the UAE's licensing framework. This permits the Dubai entity to market the group's products, organise client-facing events, and introduce prospective investors to PU Prime's global trading infrastructure.

The licence does not extend to discretionary portfolio management or dealing on own account. Those activities require a separate and more stringent category of authorisation under UAE rules. PU Prime's Dubai entity is therefore positioned primarily as a regulated marketing and introduction arm for the wider group.

About PU Prime and Its Global Trading Offering

PU Prime describes itself as a global fintech and multi-asset brokerage group founded in 2015. The firm offers online trading across forex, commodities, indices, shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs - pooled investment vehicles that track a market index or asset class), and bonds. Trading is primarily conducted via contracts for difference (CFDs), which are leveraged derivative instruments that allow traders to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset directly.

The group states it provides access to more than 1,000 instruments to clients in over 190 countries. Trading takes place through the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, with leverage options up to 1:500 or 1:1,000 depending on jurisdiction and product type. PU Prime also offers Islamic (swap-free) accounts for clients seeking Sharia-compliant features, which is relevant to a significant proportion of the GCC investor base.

A Multi-Jurisdiction Regulatory Footprint

Alongside the new UAE CMA licence, PU Prime group entities hold authorisations from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius, and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles. The group uses a multi-entity structure, with separate legal vehicles operating under local rules in each region. This approach is common among international retail brokers serving clients across diverse regulatory environments.

According to Finance Magnates and Yahoo Finance, PU Prime frames the UAE licence as a strategic milestone and evidence of its commitment to transparent, regulated operations. The firm notes that approval placed it among a limited group of financial institutions authorised by the CMA, and that meeting the authority's standards required satisfying capital, compliance, and governance requirements.

What This Means for UAE and GCC Investors

The UAE has seen a steady increase in digital trading platforms - both domestic and cross-border - targeting retail and professional investors. Regulatory compliance has become a key differentiator, with many investors prioritising brokers that hold local licences over those operating solely under offshore authorisations. According to PU Prime's communications cited by Daily Forex, the CMA licence enables the firm to conduct regulated marketing campaigns and legally onboard UAE clients - addressing a gap that can arise when unlicensed offshore entities approach UAE-based investors.

PU Prime has indicated it will host educational seminars and events in Dubai, focused on trading education, financial literacy, and risk management awareness. The broker markets account types including standard and raw-spread options, and offers 24/7 multilingual client support. The firm states it will continue pursuing further regulatory authorisations as it expands into new markets.

What Clients are Asking their Advisors

What activities is PU Prime licensed to conduct under its UAE CMA licence?

The CMA licence authorises PU Prime Financial Services LLC to conduct introduction and promotion activities only. This means the entity can market and introduce clients to the group's wider trading products, but it is not authorised to manage portfolios or deal on its own account in the UAE.

How do I verify that a broker is CMA-licensed in the UAE?

You can confirm a firm's licence status by requesting its licence number and checking it against the CMA's official register. PU Prime's UAE licence number is 20200000388, issued to PU Prime Financial Services LLC.

How does the UAE CMA differ from the DFSA when regulating brokers?

The CMA regulates financial services firms across the broader UAE, while the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has jurisdiction specifically within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) - a distinct legal and financial zone. Firms operating outside the DIFC are regulated by the CMA, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), or the UAE Central Bank, depending on their activity type.

What risks should UAE investors consider when trading CFDs with an online broker?

CFDs are leveraged products, meaning losses can exceed the initial amount deposited. Investors should verify a broker's local regulatory status, understand the leverage limits permitted under UAE rules, and review the firm's risk disclosures carefully before committing funds.