Clean Financials
Audited accounts with clear, recurring EBITDA and minimal owner adjustments. Buyers pay 0.5x to 2x more EBITDA for businesses with transparent, audit-quality financials.
Exit Planning & Business Sale Preparation · Dubai, UAE & GCC · CFA-Led · Big 4-Trained
Business Exit Planning
in Dubai & UAE
Most UAE business owners leave significant value on the table because they start preparing too late. We work with you 12 to 36 months before you want to sell — optimising the business, cleaning up the financials, and positioning it for the highest price from the right buyers. CFA-led.
CFA Charterholder-Led
Big 4 (KPMG) Trained
15+ Years M&A Experience
Mid-Market UAE & GCC Focus
· Corvian Advisory FZ-LLC, Dubai, UAE
The Cost of Starting Too Late
Most business owners come to market assuming a buyer will pay a multiple of current EBITDA. They're right — but the multiple depends on factors they rarely control at the point of sale. Exit planning is about reshaping those factors in advance so the number is as large as possible.
What buyers discount heavily
- ·Owner-dependent businesses where key relationships and decisions sit with one person
- ·Customer concentration (top 3 customers representing more than 50% of revenue)
- ·Unaudited or management-prepared accounts that a buyer cannot verify
- ·Month-to-month contracts rather than multi-year agreements
- ·UAE CT or VAT compliance gaps that surface during financial due diligence
- ·High owner salary or personal expenses run through the business
What buyers pay a premium for
- ·Audited financials with clean, recurring EBITDA and low owner-specific adjustments
- ·Strong management team that can run the business without the current owner
- ·Diversified customer base with long-term contracts and recurring revenue
- ·Clean regulatory and compliance position (UAE CT, VAT, WPS, EOSB)
- ·Documented processes, systems, and IP that transfer cleanly with the business
- ·A credible, independently prepared financial model and 3-year growth plan
How We Prepare Your Business for Sale
Our exit planning engagement is structured around the four phases that have the most impact on sale price and deal certainty for UAE mid-market businesses.
01
Current Valuation and Value Gap Analysis
We start with an independent valuation of the business at its current state. This gives you a baseline — and, crucially, identifies the gap between where the business is valued today and what it could achieve with targeted improvements. We map the key value drivers and quantify the impact of addressing each one.
02
Financial Clean-Up and EBITDA Normalisation
We review the financials with a buyer's-eye view — identifying owner add-backs, personal expenses, one-time items, and related-party transactions. We advise on how to present the normalised EBITDA clearly, and what changes to make over the next 12–18 months so the audited accounts tell the right story before the sale process begins.
03
Business Optimisation Roadmap
We identify the specific operational changes — customer contract formalisation, management team strengthening, compliance clean-up (UAE CT, VAT, WPS, EOSB), IP protection, and systems documentation — that buyers will scrutinise and that directly affect the multiple they are willing to pay. We prioritise these by impact and time-to-implement.
04
Buyer Market Positioning
We analyse the UAE and GCC buyer market for your specific sector and business profile — identifying whether your natural buyers are strategic acquirers, family offices, private equity, or international corporates. We advise on how to position the business and its growth story for the buyer type most likely to pay the highest price.
What Moves the Multiple
Management Team
A business that can run without the current owner. Buyers price owner-dependency as a major risk. A capable second tier of management removes this discount.
Recurring Revenue
Long-term contracts, subscription models, and repeat customers command higher multiples than project-based or transactional revenue in the UAE market.
Regulatory Compliance
UAE CT, VAT, WPS, and EOSB compliance issues surface in every due diligence. Resolving these before the process starts avoids price chips and deal delays.
Customer Diversification
Reducing customer concentration from the top 3 representing 60% to below 40% of revenue significantly reduces buyer-perceived risk and improves the multiple.
Documented Systems
Processes, IP, contracts, and systems that are documented and transferable — rather than living in the owner's head — directly reduce execution risk in buyer eyes.
Exit Planning FAQs
What is exit planning and why does it matter for UAE business owners?
Exit planning is the process of preparing your business for a future sale — typically 12 to 36 months before you want to transact. Most UAE business owners wait until they are ready to sell before engaging an advisor. The problem is that a business that looks good to a buyer often takes 12 to 24 months to build through financial clean-up, management team strengthening, contract formalisation, and customer base diversification. Owners who plan ahead sell for materially more and on better terms than those who rush to market.
How long before a sale should I start exit planning in the UAE?
Ideally 18 to 36 months before you want to complete the sale. This gives enough time to build a full year (or two) of clean, audited financials; reduce owner dependency; formalise key customer contracts; address regulatory or compliance issues; and position the business attractively for your target buyer pool. A 12-month runway is workable but tight. Less than 12 months leaves little room to address the issues buyers will find in due diligence.
What does a business exit planning engagement involve?
A Corvian Advisory exit planning engagement covers: independent business valuation (baseline value); value gap analysis (what needs to change to reach your target); financial clean-up recommendations; management and key person dependency assessment; customer and contract risk review; regulatory and compliance check (UAE CT, VAT, WPS, EOSB); buyer market analysis; and an 18-24 month execution roadmap with clear priorities.
How does exit planning differ from sell-side advisory?
Sell-side advisory is the active process of running a sale — preparing the CIM, approaching buyers, managing due diligence, negotiating. Exit planning happens before that. It is about getting the business into the best possible shape before the sale process begins. The two are complementary: exit planning maximises the value and deal certainty you take into the sell-side process.
How much does exit planning cost in the UAE?
Exit planning engagements at Corvian Advisory are fixed-fee. A focused value gap analysis (including baseline valuation) starts from AED 15,000. A comprehensive 18-month exit planning engagement with ongoing advisory ranges from AED 30,000 to AED 60,000. All fees are agreed before engagement begins.
Ready to Plan Your Business Exit in the UAE?
Start the conversation 18–36 months before you want to sell. We'll show you what your business is worth today and what it could be worth with the right preparation.