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Arbeat Group FZE has received a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), covering both exchange and broker-dealer services. The licence, issued 23 June 2026 according to VARA’s own public register, converts an in-principle approval Arbeat first secured back in April into full regulated status, and notably covers institutional, qualified, and retail investors, a broader scope than several other firms that have picked up VARA broker-dealer licences this year.
What the licence actually covers
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Licence type | Full VASP Licence (Reference: VL/26/07/001) |
| Authorised activities | Virtual Asset Exchange Services and Virtual Asset Broker-Dealer Services |
| Investor scope | Institutional Investors, Qualified Investors, and Retail Investors |
| Issue date | 23 June 2026, per VARA’s public register |
| Prior stage | In-principle approval, secured April 2026 |
| Other registration | CMA Registration Number CMA-VASP-1100000-0062 |
Most of the VARA broker-dealer licences that made headlines earlier this year, including Flowdesk and ARP Digital’s approvals in August, cover institutional and qualified investors only, not retail. Arbeat’s licence extending to retail investors is a meaningful scope difference worth naming rather than treating all VARA broker-dealer licence stories as interchangeable.
Also, read Dubai Duty Free Now Accepts Crypto Payments at UAE Airports
Who Arbeat actually is
Arbeat describes itself as “a UAE-born digital assets company built within the local institutional environment,” emphasising integrity, regulatory clarity and long-term alignment with the UAE’s digital economy development. The company is led by founder Khaled Guerbouz, who brings 25 years of finance and markets experience, including 17 years in FX brokerage within the GCC region, a regulated-brokerage background rather than a software-first one, which shapes Arbeat’s focus on operational infrastructure.
Why it matters
For UAE retail crypto access
Most institutional-grade VARA licensing this year has deliberately excluded retail investors; firms like Flowdesk and ARP Digital are built for institutional liquidity and corporate conversion, not individual traders. Arbeat’s retail-inclusive scope puts it in more direct competition with established retail-facing exchanges like CoinMENA and BitOasis.
For reading VARA licensing news accurately
This is also a useful correction on sourcing: some secondary coverage and even a company’s own earlier press activity can create confusion about exact licensing dates and stages, in-principle versus full, and which month a licence actually converted. VARA’s own public register, listing exact issue dates, reference numbers and authorised activities per company, is the authoritative source to check before repeating a licensing claim as current.
What’s next
Arbeat hasn’t disclosed launch timing for retail trading specifically, or which of its four service layers, exchange, broker-dealer, payment rails, or tokenisation, will scale first now that the full licence is in place. Worth tracking how quickly a retail-inclusive VASP actually opens retail access versus prioritising the institutional side of its licence first.
FAQs
What does Arbeat’s VARA licence actually authorise?
A full Virtual Asset Service Provider licence covering both Virtual Asset Exchange Services and Virtual Asset Broker-Dealer Services, serving institutional, qualified, and retail investors.
When did Arbeat receive its full VARA licence?
23 June 2026, according to VARA’s own public register, converting an in-principle approval the company first secured in April 2026.
Is Arbeat’s licence different from Flowdesk or ARP Digital’s VARA licences?
Yes, in scope. Flowdesk and ARP Digital’s broker-dealer licences cover institutional and qualified investors only. Arbeat’s licence extends to retail investors as well, and separately authorises exchange services, not just broker-dealer activity.
Who founded Arbeat?
Khaled Guerbouz, who brings 25 years of finance and markets experience, including 17 years in GCC FX brokerage, rather than a software or crypto-native background.
Does Arbeat compete with CoinMENA and BitOasis?
Its retail-inclusive licence puts it in a similar market position to those established retail-facing UAE exchanges, rather than the institutional-only infrastructure players some other recent VARA licensees are built around.