Circle Received Full License in Abu Dhabi and Appointed Director for MEA Region

• Circle has received a full ADGM license to operate as a financial services provider.
• In addition, the company has appointed a new head of MEA.
• Saeeda Jaffar has experience working with GCC countries at Visa.

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Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, has announced that it has received a financial services permit (FSP) from the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA).

As a reminder, in April 2025, Circle received an in-principle approval from the FSRA before the issuance of a full licence.

At the same time, Circle announced the appointment of Dr. Saeeda Jaffar as the Head of Circle in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. She will join the company from Visa, where she holds the position of senior vice president and head of the GCC group.

Jaffar will be responsible for developing regional strategy, strengthening partnerships, and scaling the use of digital dollars and online payments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and MEA.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire called the new license a key step in its cooperation with the regulator:

Allaire also emphasized the importance of the new appointment:

The ADGM International Financial Centre also welcomed Circle’s arrival. Arvind Ramamurthy, Director of Market Development, said:

According to the statement, the licence gives Circle the opportunity to scale regulated payment and clearing solutions for businesses, developers and financial institutions in the UAE.

The company continues to strengthen its position in the region: earlier, the Dubai International Financial Centre recognized USDC and EURC as the first stablecoins in its regulatory regime.