When you land in Abu Dhabi or pass through Dubai, something immediately stands out: here, the future isn't imagined. It's built. Skyscrapers, financial hubs, technology labs, and now, a buzz around Bitcoin that very few countries embrace with such strategic clarity.
In December, at the conference Bitcoin MENAOne message was becoming increasingly clear throughout the corridors: the Emirates do not want to be followers. They want to be leaders.
Their ambition? To become the most advanced jurisdiction in the world for Bitcoin, its industry, its infrastructure, and its energy.
A clear political vision: diversify, attract, secure
Contrary to the simplistic image of a country solely dependent on oil, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been working for over twenty years to fundamentally transform their economic model.
Their objective is clear: to break free from hydrocarbons by building an economy based on innovation, financial services, energy sovereignty… and, more recently, an entire infrastructure linked to Bitcoin, whether it be the financing of the ecosystem or the development of energy infrastructures dedicated to mining.
To become an international financial hub
With ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) et STICK (Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority) in Dubai, the Emirates have created what the European Union and the United States are still trying to imagine: ua clear, stable and pragmatic regulatory framework for Bitcoin and crypto businesses.
Here, compliance does not rhyme with excessive bureaucracy, the rules are readable, and licenses are obtained in a few months, whereas other jurisdictions require years.
From this perspective, Bitcoin is not only seen as an energy or technological innovation: it becomes a full-fledged economic pillar, integrated into the country's long-term vision.
While many Western powers are bogged down in punitive regulation and increasing geopolitical fragmentation, the Emirates are adopting the opposite strategy. Their ambition is to establish themselves in a multipolar future where Bitcoin becomes a global monetary infrastructure.
Operational mining farms in the desert ⚡
Here, mining is not seen as a problem. It is seen as an energy opportunity. Far from the cameras and in the heart of the desert, vast facilities are emerging on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi thanks to:
- surplus solar electricity
- partnerships with private actors
- favorable regulations
These farms are not anecdotal: they embody the UAE's formal entry into the global Bitcoin energy game.
Mining farms and projects in the United Arab Emirates
In the United Arab Emirates, several Bitcoin mining projects are already standing out for their ambition and technological sophistication. The most emblematic is undoubtedly the joint venture between Zero Two et Marathon Digital Holdings, who have joined forces to carry out mining operations in the country and internationally.
Together, they launched two installations totaling 250 MW, including a 200 MW farm and a 50 MW farm. These sites use immersion cooling, a technology perfectly suited to the region's extreme climate, where the scorching desert air renders conventional solutions ineffective.
Another major player is emerging through Phoenix Technology unveiled one of the first mega-mining projects in the Middle East. Already mentioned in 2021-2022, this hydro-cooled site of approximately 200 MW in Abu Dhabi marks the UAE's official entry into the large-scale mining industry and its ambition to become a regional leader.
Finally, alongside these mega-industrial structures, more discreet but equally revealing initiatives exist in the Al Dhafra region. There, an "independent" mining farm harnesses the gigantic local solar power plant to mine Bitcoin using abundant, clean, and renewable energy.
This is a perfect example of the country's energy vision: using its solar surpluses to power a global digital monetary activity.
Some crypto companies and platforms active in the United Arab Emirates
- Kraken Since 2022, Kraken MENA has held a full license through Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), making it the first major global exchange licensed in the country. It offers trading, custody, and virtual asset services, with deposit/withdrawal in dirhams (AED).
- Rain Originally based in Bahrain, Rain operates through its local subsidiary “Rain Trading Limited” in the UAE. In 2023, it obtained ADGM approval to offer regulated crypto services to residents of the Emirates.
- CoinMENA CoinMENA is a regional exchange based between Bahrain and Dubai, licensed by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai. It allows users in the Gulf region to buy, sell, and hold crypto-assets (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.).
- Binance The global crypto-trading giant is present in the UAE, with operations licensed by VARA (Dubai) and potentially ADGM, which allows it to offer a wide range of crypto services in the country.
- OK Ranked among the best exchanges in the UAE, OKX has a VARA license to offer crypto trading services, with good support for AED and local pairs.
- bybit Bybit is an international exchange headquartered in Dubai for the MENA region. Bybit is seeking a full license through VARA, which would allow it to operate legally in the emirate.
- bitoasis : A historical “local” exchange, fully licensed via VARA, which offers users services adapted to the region (transactions in dirham, local banking integration, custody services).
- DWF Labs — A Dubai-based company specializing in market making, Web3 investing, and OTC trading. It exemplifies the diversification of crypto activities beyond simple exchanges.
Conclusion: The UAE adopts Bitcoin as a national strategy
Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah…They are all moving in the same direction:
to make Bitcoin a component of their geo-energetic power.
While the West hesitates and legislates to increase taxes, the Emirates move forward and build.
And perhaps one day, we will say that the “Sound Money The “capital” of the world was not in New York, nor in Zurich… but in the heart of the desert, under the Abu Dhabi sun.
