Thinking about buying a business in Dubai? The listing price is rarely the real risk – what the seller's accounts don't show you is. Corvian Advisory runs your entire acquisition as your independent advisor: finding the right business, verifying what it actually earns, valuing it properly, negotiating the price down where it deserves to come down, and getting you to a signed, licence-transferred close. We work for you, never for the seller, and never on the basis of a listing.
How do I buy a business in Dubai? Define what you can afford and which sector you understand, engage an independent advisor to search on- and off-market targets, verify the seller's real EBITDA through financial due diligence (never take management accounts at face value), get an independent valuation, negotiate price and structure, then transfer the trade licence through DET or the relevant free zone authority. Most foreign buyers can own 100% of a mainland or free zone UAE business with no local partner. A managed acquisition typically takes 8–16 weeks once a target is found.
Every acquisition mandate in Dubai is led personally by our senior team, regardless of who's buying – but the questions that matter most differ by buyer type.
Leaving a corporate career, or a Dubai resident with savings to deploy, to buy your first business rather than start one from scratch. We translate every finding into plain terms – no assumed deal experience required, and no jargon you're expected to already understand.
Dubai family offices deploying capital directly into operating businesses instead of, or alongside, real estate and public markets. We provide market screening, independent quality-of-earnings review, and structuring that protects future exit optionality.
UAE companies building market share, or expanding into Dubai from another emirate or market through acquisition rather than organic build-out. We stress-test the strategic rationale before a single target is approached.
Investors from India, the UK, Europe and APAC using a Dubai acquisition as their route into UAE residency and the wider GCC market. We bridge home-market deal expectations with how a UAE transaction actually runs.
One city, one currency, six ways to hold a Dubai business, each with different licensing, tax and trading implications. Getting this wrong costs weeks in a deal.
Mainland businesses are licensed through the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and can trade directly across the UAE and internationally. 100% foreign ownership is available in most sectors. The deepest target universe in the UAE, and the most family-owned businesses that never appear on a listings marketplace.
A common-law jurisdiction (English law, DFSA regulation) favoured for financial services, holding structures and PE funds. Approval is required for a change of control in DFSA-licensed firms, so the regulatory timetable is planned from the first conversation.
Trading, logistics and professional services businesses in the DMCC ecosystem and Jumeirah Lakes Towers. Free zone licences allow full foreign ownership and 0% tax on qualifying income, but mainland trading needs a distributor, branch or dual licence.
Industrial, logistics and freight targets in JAFZA and Dubai South. Each free zone has its own licence-transfer procedure, so asset, lease and customer contract verification is sequenced with the authority approval.
Technology, media and digital businesses in Dubai Internet City, Dubai Silicon Oasis and DAFZA. Recurring revenue, IP ownership and founder dependency drive value, and each zone applies its own transfer rules.
Healthcare, education and specialist-service businesses licensed through Dubai Healthcare City or sector authorities such as KHDA. Sector approvals and licensed-professional retention are checked before price is agreed.
Many strong Dubai targets hold licences in more than one structure, for example a mainland trading company alongside a free zone entity. We assess the licence, tax and structuring implications of that footprint as part of every acquisition, not as an afterthought post-close.
Global research consistently shows over 70% of acquisitions destroy value for the buyer. In Dubai that risk is amplified: many SME sellers run unaudited management accounts, EBITDA is routinely inflated through owner add-backs, and UAE Corporate Tax, VAT, WPS payroll and EOSB (end-of-service benefit) liabilities are poorly understood by most first-time buyers.
A buyer's advisor exists to close that gap. We work exclusively for you – never the seller, never a party earning from both sides of the table – and we're judged on the quality of the acquisition you make, not on getting a deal, any deal, over the line.
"The most expensive mistake a first-time buyer makes in Dubai isn't the price they agree to – it's discovering after the trade licence transfers what the seller's accounts chose not to show them."
We are never paid by the seller and never hold a listing on the other side of a deal we're advising you on.
Revenue quality, EBITDA add-backs, working capital, and off-balance-sheet liabilities – verified, not taken on trust from a WhatsApp PDF.
Independent DCF, comparable transactions, and EV/EBITDA modelling grounded in real Dubai deal data, not a broker's asking-price multiple.
Most strong UAE SMEs never reach a listings marketplace. Our sector network surfaces the ones that don't.
Six stages, the same senior advisor throughout – whether you're buying your first café or leading a corporate acquisition committee.
Budget, sector, and mainland, DIFC or free zone preference, agreed before any target is approached.
Confidential market screening across on-market listings and off-market targets in Dubai.
Financial and strategic screening, preliminary valuation ranges, and a shortlist of 3–5 targets worth pursuing.
Full financial and commercial diligence, EBITDA normalisation, working capital review, and UAE Corporate Tax/WPS check.
Independent multi-methodology valuation, offer strategy, and negotiation through to a signed term sheet.
SPA review, DET or free zone authority licence transfer, and a first-100-days plan built before signing.
Indicative mid-market transaction multiples based on closed Dubai and UAE deal data. Actual multiples vary by growth profile, revenue quality, licence type and deal structure.
| Sector | EV/EBITDA | Revenue Multiple | Where Buyer Demand Is Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & SaaS | 10x–18x | 2.5x–6.0x | Dubai Internet City, DIFC, DMCC |
| Healthcare & Medical | 8x–14x | 1.5x–3.0x | Dubai Healthcare City, mainland |
| Financial & Professional Services | 8x–15x | 2.0x–4.5x | DIFC, ADGM |
| Education & Training | 7x–12x | 1.2x–2.5x | Dubai (KHDA) |
| Logistics & Industrial | 6x–10x | 0.5x–1.5x | JAFZA, KIZAD |
| F&B, Retail & Hospitality | 4x–8x | 0.4x–1.2x | Dubai mainland, JLT, tourism zones |
Source: Corvian Advisory Dubai deal intelligence, 2025–2026. Transactions AED 2M–500M EV. Get an independent Dubai valuation →
First-time buyer leaving employment. Seller presented EBITDA of AED 1.4M; our review found AED 340K in owner add-backs and undisclosed WPS shortfalls.
Screened the market to shortlist an off-market target; led full diligence including customer contract and fleet asset verification.
Screened 11 businesses, shortlisted 3. Diligence revealed 41% revenue concentration in one client contract renewing quarterly.
"I had no idea what I didn't know about buying a business in Dubai. Corvian caught a WPS liability the seller never mentioned and walked me through every document in plain English."
"Their diligence found AED 8M in EBITDA adjustments that the seller's broker never disclosed. We used the report directly to renegotiate. Institutional-grade work in a market where that's rare."
"Corvian's financial due diligence identified issues the seller's accounts completely obscured. We saved more on the deal than we paid in advisory fees."
Every acquisition mandate in Dubai 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 prepared to the standard UAE banks, auditors and authorities expect.
CFA-led delivery at a fraction of Big 4 cost – no hand-offs, no hourly billing.
Ownership, licensing and cost questions from first-time buyers, family offices and corporates across the UAE.
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.
Mainland trades anywhere with no restriction. Free zones offer 0% tax on qualifying income but generally can't sell directly to the mainland without a distributor or branch.
Beyond the purchase price: licence transfer fees, legal fees, and due diligence costs. Advisory Fees typically run AED 25,000–150,000, agreed upfront.
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. We advise on the acquisition; immigration counsel confirms visa eligibility.
It's either transferred to you or reissued via DET or the relevant free zone authority, typically taking 2–6 weeks depending on activity.
Mandates typically start at AED 2M enterprise value, up to AED 500M for larger transactions. Standalone diligence is available below that.
8–16 weeks from mandate to close once a target is identified, covering screening, diligence, negotiation and licence transfer.
Yes. Since June 2021, most mainland commercial and industrial activities licensed through Dubai's DET permit 100% foreign ownership with no Emirati partner required. Free zones — DMCC, JAFZA, Dubai South and DIFC — have always allowed full foreign ownership. A short list of strategic sectors (banking, insurance, oil and gas exploration, telecom infrastructure, security) still requires Emirati participation or additional approval, worth confirming for your target activity before signing anything.
A mainland business (DET-licensed) can trade directly anywhere in the UAE and internationally without restriction. A free zone business benefits from 0% corporate tax on qualifying income and faster licensing but generally cannot sell directly to the mainland without a distributor, branch, or dual-licence arrangement. Which structure makes sense depends entirely on the target's existing customer base and where you plan to grow after acquisition.
Beyond the purchase price itself — also referred to as the acquisition pricing — budget for trade licence transfer fees, DET and free zone authority charges, legal fees for the SPA, due diligence costs, and — for mainland companies — any DLD or municipality transfer fees if real estate or specific assets are involved. Advisory fees for a fully managed acquisition mandate typically range from AED 25,000 to AED 150,000 depending on deal complexity, agreed upfront as Advisory Fees.
Yes. As a deal advisory firm, Corvian Advisory provides buy-side M&A advisory, due diligence, and fully managed acquisition mandate services for buying a business in Dubai.
Generally no, for mainland activities licensed after the 2021 ownership reform and for all free zone entities, which have never required a local partner. A limited negative list of strategic and security-linked sectors is the exception — worth confirming for your specific target activity before signing anything.
Business ownership and qualifying investment value can support UAE Golden Visa eligibility, but the visa pathway is assessed separately from the acquisition itself and depends on investment value, business activity, and the issuing authority's criteria. We structure and advise on the acquisition; we recommend UAE immigration counsel confirm visa eligibility in parallel, since criteria are updated periodically.
Depending on deal structure, either the trade licence is transferred to the new owner (asset or share transfer, processed through DET or the relevant free zone authority) or a fresh licence is issued and the old one cancelled. Timelines run 2–6 weeks depending on activity, and whether any regulatory or landlord consents are required — this is sequenced as part of our closing process, not left until after signing.
Our acquisition mandates across the UAE typically start at AED 2M enterprise value — the range most relevant to first-time individual buyers, family offices, and PE add-ons — up to AED 500M for larger corporate transactions. Standalone due diligence or valuation mandates are available below that threshold if you've already identified a target.
A managed acquisition from mandate signing to funds transfer typically takes 8–16 weeks once a target is identified: 2–3 weeks screening and preliminary valuation, 3–5 weeks financial and commercial due diligence, 2–4 weeks negotiation and SPA drafting, and 1–4 weeks for licence transfer and regulatory closing, depending on activity and free zone authority.