CME Group announced the opening of its first office in the Middle East, located in the Dubai International Financial Centre, as part of its ongoing global expansion strategy.
The new entity will operate under a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Julie Winkler, Chief Commercial Officer at CME Group, said: “The rise in institutional and retail participation in financial markets has increased demand for broader trading access in the Middle East.
Winkler added that the company’s new office “will accelerate our ability to help clients manage risks and pursue opportunities in some of the world’s most important benchmark products.”
Serge Marston, head of EMEA, added that the Dubai base will serve as the company’s “Middle East hub”, offering customers across the region “a higher level of service than ever before”.
Salman Jafari, Chief Business Development Officer at the DIFC Authority, welcomed the arrival of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, describing it as “a testament to Dubai’s strategic role as a global financial centre.”
The office will be headed by Sherif Jeghman, Head of the Middle East and Africa Region, who has nearly two decades of experience in the financial services industry, including senior positions at the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext.
CME Group offers futures, options and cash markets across major asset classes, including interest rates, equities, forex, energy, metals, agriculture and cryptocurrencies.
Earlier this year, the company launched trading on the USD/AED spot pair on the EBS market, reflecting growing regional demand for local currency instruments.