Whether you're a corporate acquirer building through M&A, a private equity fund or family office deploying capital into the region, or an individual investor buying your first business, the target's asking price is rarely the real risk. What the numbers don't show you is. Corvian Advisory runs your complete acquisition – search, verification, valuation, negotiation and close – as your independent advisor, working for no one but you.
Every acquisition mandate is led personally by our senior team, regardless of who's buying – but the questions that matter most differ by buyer type.
CEOs and founders building market share, entering a new geography, or acquiring a capability you can't build fast enough organically. We stress-test the strategic rationale before a single target is searched, and structure the deal around your existing operating model.
Platform acquisitions, add-ons, and direct deployment into GCC mid-market businesses. We work alongside your investment team on deal sourcing, target origination, independent QoE, and structuring that protects exit optionality.
Buying your first business, transitioning out of employment into ownership, or deploying family capital into an operating business rather than public markets. We translate every finding into plain terms – no assumed deal experience required.
Acquirers from India, the UK, Europe, APAC and the US using the GCC as an entry point or expansion market. We bridge the gap between your home-market deal expectations and how GCC transactions actually run.
Sector-specific valuation multiples, buyer pools and diligence priorities differ significantly. We maintain dedicated coverage across:
Six foreign ownership regimes, six licensing authorities, six deal cultures – one senior team that has closed transactions in each.
Mainland, free zone, DIFC or ADGM structures each carry different tax, ownership, and trading implications. 100% foreign ownership is standard in most sectors. The deepest target universe of the six, and the most family-owned businesses that never appear on broker platforms.
MISA licensing for the acquiring entity, Vision 2030-driven localisation requirements in some sectors, and a faster-maturing but less standardised deal market than the UAE. International acquirers consistently underestimate how different the process is from a UAE transaction.
Up to 100% foreign ownership under the Foreign Investment Law, with QFC structures offering an additional route for services and holding entities. A smaller, tighter market where relationships and reputation carry disproportionate weight in getting a deal done.
KDIPA licensing under the Foreign Direct Investment Law, with 100% ownership available in eligible activities and a shorter negative list than acquirers expect. A conservative, relationship-driven market still dominated by long-established family conglomerates – provenance and introductions matter as much as price.
The GCC's most liberalised ownership regime – 100% foreign ownership has applied across most sectors longer than anywhere else in the region, coordinated through the Bahrain EDB. A compact, cost-efficient financial services base with direct causeway access into the Saudi market.
The Foreign Capital Investment Law permits up to 100% ownership in most activities via the Invest Easy licensing portal. Vision 2040 is driving real acquisition activity in logistics, tourism and industrial assets around Duqm – a smaller deal market with less competition for well-run targets.
Global research consistently shows over 70% of acquisitions destroy shareholder value. In the GCC that risk is compounded: management accounts are frequently unaudited, EBITDA is routinely inflated through owner add-backs, and UAE Corporate Tax, Saudi Zakat, EOSB and GOSI implications are poorly understood by most first-time buyers in the region.
A buy-side advisor exists to close that information gap. We work exclusively for the buyer – never the seller, never a referral fee from the other side of the table – and our success is measured by the quality of the acquisition you make, not by getting a deal, any deal, over the line.
"The most expensive mistake a first-time buyer makes in this region isn't the price they pay – it's discovering after closing what the financial statements chose not to show them."
We are never paid by the seller and never take a listing on the other side of a deal we're advising you on.
Revenue quality, EBITDA adjustments, working capital, and off-balance-sheet liabilities – verified, not taken on trust.
Independent DCF, comparable transactions, and EV/EBITDA modelling grounded in real GCC deal data, not global rules of thumb.
Most high-quality GCC mid-market businesses never appear on a broker platform. Our network surfaces the ones that don't.
Six stages, the same senior advisor throughout – whether you're a first-time individual buyer or a PE investment committee.
Acquisition rationale, criteria, size range, sector, jurisdiction, and structure preferences, agreed before the search begins.
Proprietary deal sourcing and confidential outreach across on-market and off-market targets, using sector and jurisdiction-specific networks to build an acquisition pipeline no public listing site can match.
Financial and strategic screening, preliminary valuation ranges, and a shortlist of the 3–5 targets worth pursuing.
Full financial and commercial diligence, quality of earnings, working capital normalisation, and jurisdiction-specific tax review.
Independent multi-methodology valuation, offer strategy, and negotiation through to a signed term sheet.
Regulatory filings, SPA review, and an integration roadmap built before signing, not after. See our post-merger integration advisory.
First time buying a business in the UAE? Read our buyer's playbook for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Indicative mid-market transaction multiples based on closed deal data. Actual multiples vary by growth profile, revenue quality, and deal structure.
| Sector | EV/EBITDA | Revenue Multiple | 2026 Buyer Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & SaaS | 10x–18x | 2.5x–6.0x | ▲ Very high demand |
| Healthcare & Medical | 8x–14x | 1.5x–3.0x | ▲ High demand |
| Financial Services | 8x–15x | 2.0x–4.5x | ▲ Active |
| Education & Training | 7x–12x | 1.2x–2.5x | ▲ Active |
| Logistics & Supply Chain | 6x–10x | 0.5x–1.5x | ▶ Stable |
| F&B, Retail & Hospitality | 4x–8x | 0.4x–1.2x | ▶ Selective |
Source: Corvian Advisory GCC deal intelligence, 2025–2026. Transactions AED 2M–500M EV. Get an independent valuation →
Identified an off-market target through our sector network; led full diligence including customer contract and asset verification.
Seller's EBITDA presented at AED 6.2M. Our diligence identified AED 1.8M in non-recurring add-backs, reducing normalised EBITDA to AED 4.4M.
Screened 14 businesses, shortlisted 3. Diligence revealed 34% revenue concentration in a single expiring contract, undisclosed by the seller.
"Corvian's financial diligence identified issues the seller's accounts completely obscured. We saved more on the deal than we paid in advisory fees."
"The FDD identified AED 8M in EBITDA adjustments. Our investment committee used the QoE report directly to renegotiate. Institutional-grade work."
"I'd never bought a business before. Corvian explained every finding in plain terms and never let a gap in my experience become a gap in my protection."
Every acquisition mandate is led personally by our senior team – highly qualified, Big 4-trained, and delivered to global standards at boutique pricing.
CFA, CA, ACCA and MSc Finance & Economics qualified – the analytical depth to verify a seller's numbers, not just accept them.
Senior team trained at Big 4 firms and top-tier management consultancies across the UAE and GCC.
Valuation and diligence work accepted by UAE banks, the FTA, Big 4 auditors and courts.
CFA-led delivery at a fraction of Big 4 cost – no hand-offs, no hourly billing.
Ownership, structure and process questions from corporates, funds, and individual buyers across all six GCC markets.
Yes. Most mainland activities allow 100% foreign ownership since 2021, and free zones have always allowed it. A short strategic-sector list still requires Emirati participation.
Yes, subject to MISA licensing and sector-specific rules. Most commercial and industrial sectors are open to 100% ownership; a smaller negative list restricts it.
Yes, up to 100% ownership in most sectors under Qatar's Foreign Investment Law, with QFC structures offering an additional route.
Generally no for mainland activities since 2021, and never for free zone entities. A small list of strategic sectors is the exception.
Ownership and qualifying investment thresholds can support eligibility, though the visa pathway is separate and depends on issuing-authority criteria. We advise on the acquisition; immigration counsel confirms visa eligibility.
Typically a DIFC, ADGM or comparable holding structure, layered with local operating entities as sector and emirate require, finalised alongside due diligence.
Mandates typically start at AED 2M enterprise value, up to AED 500M for larger corporate and cross-border transactions.
Yes. Standalone due diligence and valuation mandates are available without a full search retainer.
Yes. Since 2021, most mainland commercial activities in the UAE permit 100% foreign ownership without a local Emirati partner, and free zone entities have always allowed full foreign ownership. A short list of strategic sectors still requires Emirati participation, worth confirming early for your target activity.
Yes, subject to MISA (Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia) licensing for the acquiring entity and sector-specific foreign ownership rules. Most commercial and industrial sectors are open to 100% foreign ownership; a smaller negative list requires a Saudi partner or is restricted entirely. Licensing timelines and documentation differ meaningfully from the UAE process.
Yes. Qatar permits up to 100% foreign ownership in most sectors under its Foreign Investment Law, with QFC (Qatar Financial Centre) structures offering an additional route for services and holding entities. A smaller set of strategic sectors retains local ownership requirements.
Mainland companies can trade directly across the UAE and internationally without restriction. Free zone companies benefit from 0% corporate tax on qualifying income and streamlined licensing but generally cannot trade directly with the UAE mainland without a distributor or branch. The right acquisition structure depends on the target's customer base and your post-acquisition plans.
Most institutional acquirers use a holding structure in DIFC, ADGM or a comparable jurisdiction, layering in local operating entities as required by sector and emirate. Structuring decisions are driven by tax efficiency, exit optionality, and regulatory licensing, and are usually finalised alongside due diligence rather than before it.
Business ownership and qualifying investment thresholds can support UAE Golden Visa eligibility, though the visa pathway is separate from the acquisition itself and depends on investment value, business activity and issuing authority criteria. We advise on the acquisition; we recommend immigration counsel confirm visa eligibility in parallel.
Our buy-side mandates typically start at AED 2M enterprise value, covering the small-to-mid-market range most relevant to first-time individual acquirers, family businesses, and PE add-ons, up to AED 500M for larger corporate and cross-border transactions.
Yes. Most of our buy-side mandates begin before a target exists, with proprietary search and off-market origination. We also take standalone mandates for buyers who have already identified a target and need independent valuation, due diligence, and negotiation support.