M&A Advisory in Dubai & UAE –
Buy or Sell a Business Across the GCC
Selling your business in Dubai? Acquiring a company in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or GCC? Need independent financial due diligence before you commit capital? Corvian Advisory is a CFA-led, Big 4-trained M&A advisory firm based in Dubai. Every mandate is principal-led from first call to deal close – no junior teams, no hand-offs. Mid-market from AED 5M. Cross-border corridors: UAE–India, USA–GCC, UK–GCC, Japan–GCC, GCC–Europe.
M&A advisory in Dubai and the UAE is the process of managing either side of a business acquisition or sale — from target identification and financial due diligence through deal structuring, negotiation, and close. A qualified M&A advisor provides buy-side or sell-side mandate management, quality of earnings (QoE) analysis, CIM and pitch deck preparation, capital raising support, and post-merger integration planning. Corvian Advisory is a CFA-led, Big 4-trained boutique M&A firm in Dubai covering mid-market mandates from AED 5M across the UAE and GCC, with active cross-border corridors into India, the UK, Europe, and APAC.
Senior-Led Deal Advisory
Without the Large-Firm Price Tag
At a large firm, your mid-market deal gets staffed by analysts two years out of university, supervised by a manager juggling five other mandates, with a partner who shows up at kick-off and at closing. The work that actually determines your outcome – the financial analysis, the valuation, the negotiation – is done by people who are learning on your deal.
At Corvian Advisory, the principal advisor who takes your first call reads your financials, writes the analysis, builds the model, and sits across the table in negotiations. Every time. That is not a positioning statement – it is a description of how every mandate actually operates.
"We take a limited number of active mandates at any one time precisely because the principal-led model only works if we can commit to it fully. If we cannot, we say so upfront."
For mid-market transactions in the AED 5M to AED 500M range, this approach consistently produces better outcomes than the institutional model – because the person making the judgment calls has the experience and credentials to make them well.
The principal advisor personally leads every engagement – financial analysis, valuation, negotiation. No junior delegation, no account management layers between you and the decision-maker.
Every engagement is priced in a signed engagement letter before work begins. For standalone services, fees are fixed. For mandates, success fee structures are agreed and documented. No billing surprises, no scope creep charges.
Deep familiarity with UAE and GCC deal dynamics, free zone and mainland structures, UAE Corporate Tax implications, and the cultural and regulatory context of regional negotiations – built from direct transaction experience, not research reports.
Active coverage of the UAE-India, UAE-KSA, and GCC-Europe corridors. We understand the financial, regulatory, and commercial differences on both sides of cross-border deals – the advisors who know only one market consistently miss things the other side expects.
Every engagement begins with a signed NDA and formal engagement letter. Your identity, deal process, and financial information remain confidential until you choose to proceed at each stage. We run clean, discreet processes.
Transaction Advisory
Services
Nine specialist services covering the full transaction lifecycle – all delivered at principal level. From financial due diligence on a single acquisition target to end-to-end sell-side mandate management, every engagement is scoped precisely and executed to institutional standard.
Buy-Side M&A Advisory UAE
Full buy-side mandate management for acquirers across the GCC, EMEA, and APAC corridors. We work with strategic acquirers, family offices, and private equity making mid-market acquisitions – running the full process from target identification through to deal close.
Structured on a retainer plus success fee basis. Interests directly aligned with yours throughout the process – we do not get paid well unless you get a good deal done.
- Define acquisition criteria and build a structured target longlist
- Confidential outreach to priority targets on your behalf
- Financial and commercial due diligence on shortlisted targets
- Independent valuation range with deal structure recommendations
- Lead or support negotiation of heads of terms and SPA commercial points
- Coordinate with legal counsel, banks, and auditors through to close
Sell-Side M&A Advisory UAE – Sell Your Business
Exclusive sell-side advisory for UAE and GCC business owners planning an exit, merger, or majority recapitalisation. We prepare your business, produce an institutional-grade CIM, identify and approach qualified buyers globally, and protect your position at every stage from first offer to final close.
Success-fee structured. We take a limited number of exclusive mandates at a time to maintain genuine principal-level attention on every deal. Your identity and process remain fully confidential until you choose to proceed.
- Pre-sale financial review – address diligence red flags before buyers find them
- Prepare CIM, management presentation, and data room
- Structured, confidential buyer identification and outreach
- Manage NDAs, data room, and buyer Q&A throughout
- Evaluate and compare indicative offers with full commercial context
- Negotiate heads of terms and SPA commercial points alongside legal
Financial Due Diligence UAE
Independent FDD including quality of earnings (QoE) analysis, EBITDA normalisation, working capital assessment, net debt identification, and contingent liability review. Covers UAE-specific items: Corporate Tax, VAT compliance, WPS payroll, end-of-service gratuity (EOSB), and free zone entity structure review.
Prepared by a CFA charterholder. Typically 3 to 6 weeks depending on business complexity. Fixed-scope engagement letter agreed before work begins. Format that satisfies PE investment committee requirements and supports SPA negotiation.
- Quality of earnings and normalised EBITDA bridge
- Working capital analysis and normalised peg
- Net debt and debt-like items (including EOSB)
- Revenue sustainability and customer concentration
- UAE Corporate Tax, VAT, and WPS compliance review
- Related-party transaction analysis at arm's length
Commercial Due Diligence UAE & GCC
Market-side diligence assessing the commercial viability of an acquisition target – market sizing and growth trajectory, competitive positioning, customer concentration and retention, revenue sustainability, and key-person dependency. An independent view of whether the investment thesis holds before you commit capital.
Particularly important in GCC markets where formal research is limited and market dynamics differ significantly from Western benchmarks. We bring regional depth from direct transaction experience across the UAE and broader GCC.
- Total addressable market sizing and credibility of growth assumptions
- Competitive landscape and the target's defensible position within it
- Customer concentration, churn, and relationship durability
- Revenue quality – contracted vs discretionary vs project-based
- Regulatory and licensing risks specific to the GCC context
Capital Raising Advisory UAE
End-to-end equity fundraising advisory – investment thesis development, financial model preparation, institutional-grade pitch decks, and investor introductions to GCC family offices, regional private equity, sovereign-linked funds, and international growth investors.
The quality of your materials and narrative determines the quality of investor conversations you get into. Whether you are raising a Series A, executing a pre-IPO round, or bringing in a strategic minority partner, we build both the story and the numbers behind it.
- Investment thesis and narrative development tailored to GCC investors
- Three-statement financial model and scenario analysis
- Institutional-grade pitch deck and supporting data room
- Targeted investor outreach across GCC family offices and PE
- Term sheet evaluation and fundraising negotiation support
Pitch Deck & Investment Memorandum (CIM)
Institutional-quality pitch decks and Confidential Information Memoranda built specifically for GCC investors, sovereign funds, and family offices. Grounded in real transaction experience and built around your actual numbers – not template documents with placeholder content.
We write the narrative, build the financial summary, and structure the document to answer the questions GCC investors actually ask in this market. Includes a financial model and supporting data pack where required.
- Teaser and full CIM with normalised financial presentation
- Investor-ready pitch deck (12–20 slides, institutional format)
- Integrated three-statement financial model and KPI dashboard
- Management presentation and Q&A preparation
Debt Financing & Capital Structuring UAE
Advisory on optimal capital structure, debt instrument selection, and financing strategy for growth, acquisition, or refinancing mandates. We help UAE and GCC businesses access bank financing, Islamic finance structures (sukuk, murabaha, ijara), mezzanine capital, and bilateral lending facilities.
Capital structure decisions made with the wrong instrument or at the wrong moment constrain a business for years. We advise across the full financing spectrum and help you negotiate terms that preserve strategic flexibility.
- Optimal leverage ratios and debt capacity analysis
- Islamic finance structures – murabaha, ijara, sukuk
- Acquisition financing and leveraged buyout structuring
- Refinancing advisory and covenant renegotiation
- Preparation of lender information packages and credit presentations
Post-Merger Integration Advisory UAE
Financial and operational integration advisory following M&A transaction close. We help acquirers realise deal value through structured integration of finance functions, reporting frameworks, treasury operations, and workflows across combined entities.
Most deals fail to deliver expected value not in negotiations but in the 12 months following close. Poorly integrated finance functions, misaligned reporting, and unresolved working capital disputes destroy synergies fast. We provide a structured integration roadmap and hands-on advisory throughout.
- Finance function and reporting consolidation
- Cash management and treasury integration
- Working capital management across combined entities
- ERP and financial systems alignment
- Synergy tracking and value realisation monitoring
Intangible Asset Valuation for Transactions & PPA
Specialist valuation of intangible assets for transactions, purchase price allocation (PPA), and regulatory compliance. We value patents, brand equity, trademarks, customer relationships, technology platforms, and goodwill using Relief-from-Royalty, MPEEM, and Cost Approach methods – IVS-compliant and prepared by a CFA charterholder.
In technology, pharma, consumer, and media transactions, intangibles frequently represent 60% or more of total deal value. Without independent intangible asset valuation, acquirers risk overpaying and struggle to satisfy IFRS 3 PPA requirements post-close. Our reports withstand auditor scrutiny and hold up in negotiation.
Full Valuation ServicesNot sure which service
fits your situation?
Start with a confidential conversation. We will give you a straightforward view of what you actually need – whether that is a full mandate, a standalone due diligence report, or just a second opinion on where you stand.
Buy-Side vs Sell-Side –
What Each Mandate Actually Involves
Most people understand the labels. Fewer understand what a well-run mandate looks like from the inside – and what separates a strong outcome from an average one in the GCC mid-market.
A buy-side mandate starts well before target identification. We spend the first weeks understanding your acquisition criteria precisely – sector preference, geography, size range, integration capacity, strategic rationale, and financial constraints. Vague criteria produce wasted time and bad deals. Clear criteria produce a focused, efficient process with higher close rates.
For off-market acquisition in the GCC mid-market, relationship access matters as much as analytical rigour. Many of the highest-quality targets in the AED 20M to 300M range are not formally for sale – they will transact if approached correctly, at the right price, by the right buyer. Our market relationships surface these opportunities.
- Define acquisition criteria and build a structured target longlist
- Conduct confidential outreach to priority targets on your behalf
- Run financial and commercial due diligence on shortlisted targets
- Produce an independent valuation range with deal structure recommendations
- Lead or support negotiation of heads of terms and SPA key commercial points
- Coordinate with legal counsel, banks, and auditors through to close
Best suited for: Strategic acquirers, regional corporates, family offices, and private equity making mid-market acquisitions in the GCC and cross-border corridors.
Preparing a business for sale is more work than most owners expect. Buyers run forensic diligence – your numbers need to be clean, your narrative needs to be compelling, and your management team needs to be ready for detailed questioning. We get you prepared before the first buyer call, so nothing that comes up in due diligence is a surprise.
Running a competitive process – approaching multiple qualified buyers in parallel under NDAs – is the single most reliable way to maximise sale proceeds and ensure deal certainty. A bilateral negotiation with a single buyer gives up price discovery and negotiating leverage from the start. We design and manage the process to maintain both.
- Pre-sale financial review to identify and address diligence red flags before buyers find them
- Prepare a Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and management presentation
- Run a structured, confidential buyer identification and outreach process
- Manage NDAs, data room, and buyer Q&A throughout
- Evaluate and compare indicative offers with full commercial and tax context
- Negotiate heads of terms and final transaction documents alongside legal counsel
Best suited for: Founders, family business owners, and corporates planning a first exit or partial divestiture in the UAE and GCC. Also for shareholders in disputes seeking an independent advisor.
Our M&A Advisory
Process
A clear, repeatable five-stage process that protects confidentiality, keeps the deal on track, and ensures nothing falls between the stages. Every engagement follows the same framework – the specific deliverables are agreed in the engagement letter before work begins.
A no-obligation conversation to understand your situation, objectives, timeline, and constraints. We ask the hard questions early so there are no surprises later. NDA signed before any sensitive information is shared.
A fixed-scope engagement letter with agreed deliverables, timeline, fees, and confidentiality terms – signed before any work begins. No scope creep, no billing surprises. What is in the letter is what gets delivered.
Deep-dive financial analysis, market research, and due diligence – led entirely at principal level. Every number verified. Every assumption tested. Every red flag flagged – not managed around.
Delivery of findings, independent recommendations, and active support through negotiation of heads of terms and key commercial deal points. The principal advisor is in the room for the conversations that matter.
Transaction close or deliverable sign-off, full documentation handover, and post-engagement support as needed. The engagement is not over until you have everything you need to move forward.
Typical Deal Timeline –
UAE & GCC Mid-Market
A well-run M&A process in the UAE typically takes 4 to 8 months from mandate engagement to closing. Below is how that timeline breaks down across the four main phases for a standard sell-side process.
Financial normalisation, pre-sale diligence review, CIM and teaser preparation, data room build, and management presentation. The quality of preparation determines the quality of buyer interest.
Structured outreach to qualified buyers under NDAs, distribution of teaser and CIM, management presentations, and receipt of indicative offers. Running competitive tension between parties.
Preferred buyer selected. Full financial, legal, and commercial due diligence. Q&A management, data room oversight, and active negotiation of key commercial terms and price adjustments.
SPA negotiation alongside legal counsel, regulatory approvals where required, conditions precedent management, and final closing. Post-completion adjustments and integration handover.
Deal Advisory in Practice –
Illustrative Mandates
The following scenarios reflect the types of mandates Corvian Advisory advises on across the GCC and cross-border corridors. Details are illustrative to preserve client confidentiality.
UAE Corporate Acquiring Indian SaaS Business
A Dubai-based technology group identified an Indian SaaS platform as a strategic acquisition to expand its product suite into South Asian markets. The target was growing rapidly but had limited audited history, complex related-party revenues, and a partially in-development patent portfolio representing significant claimed value in the seller's IM.
Family Business Exit – Multi-Specialty Clinic Group
A Dubai-based founder sought to exit a multi-specialty clinic group after 14 years of building it. The business was profitable but financial records were not institutionally clean – owner remuneration was commingled with operating costs, related-party lease arrangements complicated the earnings picture, and the management team below the founder was thin.
PE Fund FDD – GCC Last-Mile Logistics Platform
A regional private equity fund commissioned independent FDD on a GCC logistics and last-mile delivery business ahead of a growth equity investment. Strong top-line growth but operating cash flow consistently lagged reported EBITDA, raising questions about working capital and capital intensity that the fund's internal team could not fully explain from the information pack.
Series B Raise – UAE B2B Payments Platform
A UAE-based B2B payments platform was preparing a Series B raise to fund GCC expansion. The founding team had a strong product and early traction but lacked the institutional financial materials – a rigorous three-statement model, a compelling investor narrative, and credible market sizing – that regional institutional investors require before engaging seriously.
CDD – Saudi EdTech Platform Acquisition
A GCC investment vehicle was considering a majority acquisition of a Saudi K-12 edtech platform that had grown rapidly during 2022–24. The platform claimed a significant share of a large and growing market, but the market sizing in the IM was based on assumptions the acquirer's team could not independently verify.
UAE Distributor Acquiring Saudi Operations
A UAE-based FMCG distribution group sought to acquire a Saudi distribution business to build a regional platform. The target operated across three Saudi regions with a mixed licence and entity structure – mainland, free zone, and a GOSI-intensive workforce requiring specific regulatory diligence beyond standard UAE FDD scope.
Why the Boutique
Model Works Better
At a large advisory firm, your mid-market deal is staffed by analysts two years out of university, supervised by a manager across five other mandates, with a partner who appears at kick-off and at closing. The work in between – the financial analysis, the valuation judgment calls, the negotiation strategy – is done by people learning on your deal.
At Corvian Advisory, the principal advisor who takes the call is the same person who reads your financials, writes the analysis, and sits across the table in negotiations – with direct transaction experience across the GCC and cross-border corridors, without the overhead that prices large firms out of the mid-market.
"Senior-led on every mandate" is not a positioning statement. It describes how every engagement at Corvian Advisory actually operates – because we will not take a mandate we cannot commit to properly.
We take a limited number of active mandates at any time to maintain this standard. If we cannot commit to principal-level attention on your deal, we say so upfront rather than take the engagement and staff it with juniors.
The principal advisor leads every engagement from first call to final deliverable. No junior delegation. No account management layers between you and the work.
Every engagement is priced in a signed engagement letter before work begins. Fees are agreed and fixed. There are no billing surprises or scope creep charges – ever.
Deep familiarity with UAE and GCC deal dynamics, free zone considerations, UAE Corporate Tax, and the cultural context of regional negotiations – built from direct transaction experience, not research reports.
Active coverage of the UAE-India, UAE-KSA, and GCC-Europe corridors. We understand the financial, regulatory, and commercial differences on both sides – advisors who know only one market consistently miss things the other side expects.
All engagements are subject to a signed NDA and engagement letter before any sensitive information is shared. Your identity, deal process, and financial information remain confidential throughout.
Credentials That
Matter in M&A
The credentials held by the principal advisor are directly relevant to the quality of advisory you receive. The CFA charter, CA qualification, and Big 4 transaction experience are the three most directly applicable credentials in deal advisory and due diligence – and Corvian Advisory's principal holds all three.
The CFA charter denotes rigorous training in financial analysis, valuation, and portfolio management – directly applicable to M&A advisory, FDD, and business valuation. Three successive six-hour exams with a cumulative pass rate under 20%.
The CA qualification provides the accounting foundation required for financial due diligence, quality of earnings analysis, and balance sheet diligence – the workstreams where acquirers most commonly lose value without qualified oversight.
The FRM certification covers quantitative risk analysis and financial modelling at a level directly applicable to transaction structuring, earn-out mechanisms, and contingent consideration analysis in complex deal structures.
Trained in transaction advisory at a Big 4 firm – the institutional standard for financial due diligence and deal execution. The same analytical rigour applied to mid-market GCC mandates, without the large-firm overhead and delegation to junior staff.
UAE M&A Deal Multiples by Sector –
What Buyers Are Paying
Multiples are a starting point, not a conclusion. What a buyer actually pays depends on EBITDA quality, growth trajectory, customer concentration, key-person risk, and deal structure. These ranges reflect indicative GCC mid-market transaction data – not public company comparables.
UAE healthcare commands premium multiples – licensing barriers, strong recurring demand, and limited compliant operator supply all support the upper end.
Recurring revenue, NRR above 100%, and low customer concentration drive the upper range. One-time project revenue or founder-dependent sales depress it.
Lease terms, brand strength, and operator dependency are the primary value levers. Concepts with franchise potential or regional scalability attract the upper range.
Long-term contracted revenue and owned fleet assets support the upper end. Spot-rate dependent businesses with high customer concentration attract discounts.
Indicative ranges from GCC mid-market transactions. Your actual range depends on normalised EBITDA, deal structure, and buyer profile. Get an independent valuation →
Transparent Pricing
All fees are confirmed in a signed engagement letter before any work begins. For standalone services, pricing is fixed-scope with no hourly surprises. For full mandates, fees are success-aligned. No hidden costs, no scope creep billing, no ambiguity.
Scope-dependent. Typically 3–6 weeks. Principal-led. Fixed fee agreed before engagement start. Covers QoE, working capital, net debt, UAE-specific items.
Get a ScopeInstitutional quality backed by real transaction experience. Includes financial summary narrative, market sizing, and financial model where required.
Get a QuoteStructured on a success fee basis, fully aligned with your outcome. Small monthly retainer on full mandates. Fee structure agreed before engagement start.
Discuss StructureScope and market complexity dependent. Often run in parallel with FDD to compress overall deal timeline without additional disruption to management.
Get a ScopeDeal Advisory Insights –
GCC & UAE
Practical intelligence on M&A, valuation, and due diligence in the UAE and GCC – written from frontline transaction experience.
M&A Advisory Firms in Dubai & UAE:
How Corvian Compares – 2026
Benchmarked on credentials, mid-market focus, pricing, GCC & cross-border coverage, and principal-led delivery.
| # | Firm | Credentials | Mid-Market | Pricing | GCC+APAC+EMEA | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corvian Advisory Dubai, UAE · GCC · APAC · EMEA |
CFA · CA · FRM · Big 4 Trained | Primary Focus | Fixed & Transparent | Full Coverage | ★★★★★ |
| 2 | Global Top-Tier Advisory Firms Big 4 & international networks – UAE |
Institutional – varies by team | Limited | Premium+++ | Global | ★★★★☆ |
| 3 | Regional Investment Banks Capital markets houses – UAE & GCC |
Strong capital markets, lighter advisory | Moderate | High | GCC Focus | ★★★☆☆ |
| 4 | Business Brokers & Platforms Regional brokers, online platforms |
No formal credentials | Small Deals | Low | UAE Only | ★★☆☆☆ |
Rankings based on: CFA/CA credentials, mid-market M&A focus, GCC/APAC/EMEA coverage, pricing accessibility, and principal-level delivery. Compiled by Corvian Advisory, May 2026.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Questions we hear regularly from business owners, acquirers, and investors across the UAE and GCC. If yours isn't here, start a conversation – we will give you a straight answer.
What is buy-side M&A advisory and do I need it?
Buy-side advisory means your advisor works exclusively for you as the acquirer – running target identification, financial due diligence, independent valuation, and negotiation on your behalf. You need it if you are making an acquisition of meaningful size and want credentialed, experienced representation throughout rather than relying on the seller's information alone. Most post-close disputes and value erosion happen on deals that lacked credible independent diligence on the buy side.
How does sell-side M&A advisory work in the UAE?
Sell-side advisory in the UAE starts with preparing your business for buyer scrutiny – cleaning up financials, normalising owner-related costs, and identifying diligence red flags before buyers find them. We then produce a CIM, run a structured buyer outreach, manage the data room and Q&A, and negotiate on your behalf. The full process typically takes 4 to 8 months. See our full guide: Preparing Your Business for Sale in the UAE. For FDD: Financial Due Diligence UAE.
What does financial due diligence cover in a UAE M&A deal?
Financial due diligence in the UAE covers quality of earnings analysis, EBITDA normalisation, working capital assessment, net debt identification, cash flow verification, related-party transaction review, and contingent liability assessment. For GCC businesses it also covers UAE Corporate Tax and VAT compliance status, WPS payroll verification, EOSB liability, and free zone versus mainland entity structure review. Our FDD reports are prepared by a CFA charterholder and typically take 3 to 6 weeks. See our dedicated Financial Due Diligence UAE page and GCC FDD Checklist.
How much does M&A advisory cost in the UAE?
For full sell-side and buy-side mandates, fees are primarily success-fee based – a percentage of deal value payable on close, sometimes with a small monthly retainer. For standalone services: financial due diligence (AED 20K–80K), commercial due diligence (AED 18K–55K), CIM preparation (AED 15K–40K), and business valuation (from AED 10K). All fees are fixed, agreed, and documented in a signed engagement letter before work begins. No hidden costs.
How long does an M&A deal take in the UAE?
A well-run M&A process in the UAE typically takes 4 to 8 months from mandate engagement to closing. The stages break down as: preparation and CIM (4–8 weeks), buyer outreach and initial offers (4–8 weeks), due diligence and negotiations (6–10 weeks), and documentation, regulatory approvals, and closing (4–8 weeks). Deals involving Saudi Arabia or GAC merger control notification should budget an additional 3–6 weeks for regulatory approvals.
Does Corvian Advisory advise on cross-border M&A deals?
Yes. We specialise in cross-border deal advisory with particular depth in the UAE-India, UAE-KSA, and GCC-Europe corridors. Cross-border transactions represent over 54% of GCC M&A activity. We advise both UAE-based acquirers looking at targets in India and Southeast Asia, and international companies seeking entry into the UAE and GCC market. Read our guide: M&A in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 Era.
What size of deals does Corvian Advisory work on?
We focus on mid-market transactions in the GCC, typically ranging from AED 5 million to AED 500 million in enterprise value. Clients include family-owned businesses planning an exit, regional corporates making acquisitions, private equity funds requiring independent due diligence, and international companies entering the GCC. For standalone advisory services – FDD, pitch decks, valuation reports – there is no minimum deal size requirement.
What is a CIM and why does it matter for a business sale?
A Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) is the primary document sent to prospective buyers in a structured sale process. It presents your business – the investment thesis, financial performance, market position, and growth opportunities – in a way that justifies your valuation expectations and generates serious buyer interest. A poor CIM attracts unqualified buyers and leaves value on the table. A well-prepared CIM shapes how buyers think about your business before they have even met you. See: What GCC Investors Look for in an Investment Memorandum.
How is Corvian Advisory different from a business broker in Dubai?
Business brokers in Dubai typically earn a 5–10% commission on smaller deals, hold no formal financial credentials, and focus on matching buyers and sellers rather than advising on deal structure, valuation strategy, or negotiation. Corvian Advisory is a specialist boutique M&A firm – our principal personally leads financial analysis, independent valuation, and negotiations. We operate on transparent, fixed-scope fees agreed before work begins, and take a limited number of mandates at any time to maintain full commitment on every engagement.
What sectors does Corvian Advisory specialise in for M&A?
Corvian Advisory has specific transaction experience across technology, healthcare, professional services, distribution, financial services, and consumer sectors in the UAE and GCC. We have deep familiarity with the India-GCC cross-border deal corridor across technology, pharma, logistics, and consumer goods. We do not advise on oil and gas upstream transactions or real estate development, but cover the full range of mid-market commercial and industrial sectors where financial and commercial due diligence is the primary advisory need.
I want to sell my business in Dubai – where do I start?
Start with a confidential conversation before you tell anyone else. The first thing to do is get an independent view of what your business is actually worth – not what you hope it's worth – and understand what a buyer will find when they run due diligence. Many sellers go to market too early, before their financials are clean and their story is clear, and lose significant value as a result. We run a pre-sale readiness review that covers normalised financials, identification of diligence red flags, and a realistic valuation range before any buyer is approached. This takes 4 to 8 weeks and positions you to run a competitive, controlled process rather than a reactive one.
What is the difference between an M&A advisor and a business broker in Dubai?
A broker earns a listing commission and matches buyers to sellers. An M&A advisor provides independent financial analysis, valuation, deal structuring, and negotiation support throughout the full transaction – and is accountable to your outcome, not the deal volume. Corvian works on mid-market transactions from AED 5M, on transparent fee structures: success fees for full mandates, fixed fees for standalone services like FDD, valuation, or CIM preparation. If your business is worth over AED 5M and you want institutional-quality work without large-firm overhead, the right choice is an M&A advisor.
How do I find a buyer for my business in the UAE?
Finding the right buyer is not a listing exercise – it is a structured, confidential outreach process. We maintain relationships with strategic acquirers across GCC sectors, regional private equity funds, family offices, and international buyers with active UAE and GCC mandates. For a well-prepared business, a competitive process – approaching 15 to 30 qualified buyers under NDA – typically generates 2 to 5 credible offers within 8 to 12 weeks of going to market. Running multiple interested buyers in parallel is the single most effective way to maintain price and protect deal certainty. Listing publicly or approaching buyers bilaterally almost always leaves value on the table.
Can you help with a family business exit or partner buyout in the UAE?
Yes – family business exits and partner buyouts are among the most common mandates we advise on in the GCC. They are also among the most complex, because the personal and financial dimensions are intertwined in ways that straightforward trade sales are not. We provide independent valuation of the equity being transacted, advisory on deal structure (including deferred consideration and earn-out arrangements), and representation throughout negotiations – ensuring the process is run at arm's length and the outcome is defensible to all parties. We can also coordinate with your legal counsel on the shareholder agreement amendments and transfer mechanics required under UAE company law.
How much does financial due diligence cost in the UAE?
Financial due diligence in the UAE typically costs AED 20,000 to AED 80,000 depending on the size and complexity of the target, the years of financials to be reviewed, and whether UAE-specific items – corporate tax, VAT, WPS, and EOSB – require detailed coverage. At Corvian Advisory, the fee is fixed and agreed in a signed engagement letter before work begins. No hourly billing, no scope creep. A straightforward SME engagement sits toward the lower end; a multi-entity group with complex related-party structures sits toward the upper end.
What is quality of earnings (QoE) and why does it matter?
Quality of earnings (QoE) analysis identifies which earnings are truly recurring and sustainable – and which are inflated by one-off items, owner adjustments, or accounting choices that will not survive post-acquisition. A QoE report bridges from reported EBITDA to a normalised figure a buyer or investment committee can base a valuation on. In UAE businesses, common QoE adjustments include above-market owner compensation, related-party transactions at non-arm's-length terms, and EOSB liabilities not reflected in reported profits. A QoE report from an independent advisor is the single most effective tool for protecting your acquisition price before you commit capital.
What is an earn-out and when is it used in UAE M&A deals?
An earn-out is a deferred payment mechanism where part of the purchase price is paid after closing, contingent on the business hitting agreed performance targets – typically revenue or EBITDA milestones over one to three years. Earn-outs bridge a valuation gap when buyer and seller disagree on future performance, or when a founder is staying on post-acquisition and the buyer wants aligned incentives. Earn-outs require precise drafting – poorly defined metrics, accounting policy disputes, and management interference are the most common sources of post-close litigation in UAE M&A. We advise on earn-out design, negotiation, and documentation as part of our deal advisory service.
What does UAE corporate tax mean for M&A transactions?
Since the UAE introduced 9% corporate tax in 2023, deal structuring must account for CT implications at every stage. Key issues include whether the target qualifies for Free Zone tax status (0%), how profits will be taxed post-acquisition under the acquirer's group structure, transfer pricing on intercompany transactions, and whether to structure the deal as a share purchase or asset purchase. UAE CT compliance – tax registrations, filing status, FTA correspondence – should be a standard diligence item. We cover UAE CT as part of our financial due diligence scope on every engagement.
How does post-merger integration work in the UAE?
Post-merger integration (PMI) in the UAE involves aligning the acquired business's people, systems, finances, and operations with the acquirer's. UAE-specific issues include free zone versus mainland entity consolidation, employee visa transfers, WPS payroll alignment, EOSB liability recognition, and banking relationship transitions. Cultural integration matters particularly in GCC family-owned business acquisitions where founder relationships underpin key revenue. PMI planning should begin during diligence – not after close – to prevent the day-one surprises that destroy synergies. We provide integration advisory as a standalone service and as part of full mandates.
What is a data room and how is it set up for an M&A process?
A virtual data room (VDR) is a secure online repository where a seller organises and shares due diligence documents with qualified buyers under NDA. A well-structured UAE data room covers financial statements (3–5 years audited), management accounts, customer and supplier contracts, corporate documents, trade licenses, regulatory approvals, tax filings, and pending litigation. The data room is not a document dump – it is a structured proof of your business's claims. A disorganised data room signals management weakness and slows the deal timeline. We set up, organise, and manage data rooms as part of our sell-side advisory process.
Do you provide M&A advisory in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait?
Yes. Corvian Advisory provides M&A and deal advisory across all GCC markets – Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah), Qatar (Doha), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman – and cross-border deals into APAC (India, Singapore, Japan) and EMEA (UK, Europe).
What Clients Say About
Working With Us
"We were selling a healthcare business after 14 years of building it. The CIM Corvian produced was a different class from anything we'd seen – buyers who received it came to meetings already convinced of the investment case. We received three credible offers and closed above our target range."
"The FDD identified AED 8M in EBITDA adjustments the seller's IM had completely obscured. Our investment committee used the QoE report directly. We renegotiated pricing and structured an earn-out that properly de-risked the forward revenue assumptions. Corvian paid for itself many times over."
"As a first-time acquirer in the UAE, we had no idea how different the GCC diligence process would be. Corvian walked us through every step – from free zone structure implications to EOSB liability to the UAE CT position. The deal would have taken twice as long without them."
Deal Advisory — Complete Service Directory
Every deal advisory service we provide, with dedicated pages covering scope, process, pricing, and FAQs. Click any service to learn more.