Ripple Labs, with its delegation led by President Monica Long, met with United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials today as part of the Dubai Fintech Summit. During the meeting, digital payment infrastructure and accelerating financial innovation were discussed. “We continue to be impressed by Dubai’s leadership as it emerges as one of the world’s leading hubs for digital assets,” the company said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Ripple expanded its presence in the region with the office it opened in Dubai in 2020, and as of today, the Middle East region has begun to constitute 20% of its global customer base. Last year, Ripple announced a significant partnership with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The collaboration with the DIFC Innovation Hub was particularly notable. The platform currently hosts over 1,000 growth-stage technology companies, innovation-focused startups, digital labs, venture capital funds, regulators, and educational institutions. “The partnership between Ripple and the DIFC Innovation Hub will provide a foundation to drive blockchain and crypto adoption among early-stage companies,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in a statement. The collaboration will “enable greater adoption of XRPL as a leading blockchain in the region.” *This is not investment advice.