Exness is not regulated by the DFSA. It does not hold a DFSA licence and does not operate from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). However, Exness does hold a UAE local licence through a separate entity – Exness MENA Financial Brokers L.L.C – which is licensed by the CMA (formerly SCA) as a trading broker of OTC derivatives and currencies in the spot market, under licence CP-0001100.

This means Exness is locally regulated in the UAE, just not by the DFSA specifically. The CMA licence covers mainland UAE operations. The DFSA covers brokers operating inside the DIFC under a different, independent legal framework.

For traders who specifically need a DFSA-licenced broker – for example to benefit from DIFC court access or DFSA-specific client protections – the relevant options include Pepperstone, IG, and HFM, all of which operate directly from the DIFC under full DFSA regulation.

See our full list of best DFSA regulated brokers available to UAE traders.