Full-service M&A advisory for businesses buying or selling in Dubai and the UAE. We advise across all major sectors — technology, healthcare, hospitality, financial services, family business exits, and the UAE-India cross-border corridor. Every mandate is led personally by a CFA Charterholder and Chartered Accountant with 15+ years of Big 4 (KPMG) M&A experience. We understand FTA and UAE CT compliance, DIFC and ADGM structures, WPS, EOSB, and what institutional buyers in Dubai actually need to see in a data room.
M&A advisory in Dubai and the UAE covers the full range of services for buying or selling a business — independent business valuation (IVS-compliant), sell-side mandate management (CIM preparation, buyer outreach, negotiation, UAE licence transfers, close), buy-side advisory (target identification, financial due diligence including FTA/UAE CT compliance, WPS, EOSB, free zone structure analysis), and capital raising. Corvian Advisory provides CFA-led M&A advisory for UAE mid-market transactions from AED 10M enterprise value, covering mainland Dubai, DIFC, ADGM, all UAE free zones, and the active UAE-India and UAE-GCC cross-border corridors.
Whether you are selling a Dubai business, acquiring a UAE target, or need independent financial due diligence on a live transaction — we manage the full process, principal-led from start to close.
We manage the full sale process for Dubai and UAE business owners — pre-sale preparation and independent IVS valuation, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), structured confidential buyer outreach to DIFC-licensed buyers, UAE family offices, GCC PE funds, and international buyers entering the UAE. We negotiate on your behalf, manage the data room, and take the transaction through to a completed close. Every engagement is run by the principal.
We represent buyers acquiring businesses in Dubai and the UAE — from target identification through financial due diligence, independent valuation, negotiation, and close. UAE acquisitions require FTA and UAE CT compliance analysis, WPS and EOSB liability review, DIFC vs. mainland vs. free zone structure analysis, and an understanding of UAE corporate governance that generic advisors miss. We deliver this from day one, protecting your capital.
Independent financial due diligence (quality of earnings) for buyers acquiring UAE businesses. Our FDD covers FTA and UAE CT compliance, Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) status verification, WPS compliance check, EOSB re-calculation from employment records, related-party transactions, normalised EBITDA bridging, and working capital analysis — producing a number your investment committee can rely on and defend in any forum.
Corvian Advisory is a specialist M&A advisory firm based in Dubai. Every engagement is led personally by a CFA Charterholder, Chartered Accountant, and FRM with 15+ years of Big 4 (KPMG) and global consulting experience across GCC, EMEA, and APAC markets. There is no junior delegation. Ever.
In Dubai's M&A market, where institutional buyers run rigorous due diligence and international acquirers apply global standards, the quality of your advisory team directly affects whether you close at full price or leave money on the table. We apply the same analytical rigour that Big 4 transaction services teams use — without the institutional overhead and the junior analyst who runs your deal.
"We provide Big 4-quality M&A advisory to UAE mid-market businesses that deserve institutional-grade execution — without institutional-grade fees."
The sectors driving Dubai and UAE mid-market M&A activity in 2025–2026, with indicative deal volume and typical buyer profile.
| Sector | Activity | Typical UAE Buyer Profile | Key Diligence Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & SaaS | Very Active | DIFC-based PE, UAE tech strategics, Indian acquirers via CEPA | ARR quality, churn, UAE CT QFZP status, customer concentration |
| Healthcare & Clinics | Very Active | Hospital groups, GCC PE, UAE family offices | DHA/DOH licensing, insurance contracts, HAAD compliance |
| Hospitality & F&B | Active | UAE hospitality groups, GCC family offices, international chains | DTCM licensing, lease terms, seasonal EBITDA normalisation |
| Education | Active | UAE education groups, GCC PE, regional education platforms | KHDA/ADEK licensing, enrolment trend, teacher visa dependency |
| Financial Services | Growing | DIFC-licensed institutions, regional banks, international buyers | DIFC/ADGM licensing, AML compliance, UAE CT treatment |
| Logistics & Distribution | Active | UAE logistics conglomerates, Indian 3PL groups, GCC strategics | Jebel Ali proximity, customer contracts, fleet ownership |
| Real Estate Services | Growing | UAE proptech companies, regional brokerages, PE roll-up | RERA licensing, transaction volume trend, agent headcount |
| Family Business Exits | Largest Category | Strategic acquirers, UAE family offices, Indian promoter groups | Related-party clean-up, EOSB, succession narrative |
| Professional Services | Growing | PE roll-up, international service firms entering UAE | Key-person dependency, client concentration, WPS compliance |
| Manufacturing & Industrial | Strategic | GCC industrial groups, Indian manufacturers, ADIO-linked buyers | CICPA/DM licensing, government contract concentration |
Generic M&A advisors miss UAE-specific regulatory items that directly affect deal price. Corvian covers them from day one.
The UAE's regulatory landscape has evolved significantly since 2021 (Companies Law reform, 100% foreign ownership), 2023 (UAE CT at 9%), and ongoing (FTA enforcement, WPS upgrades). Each of these changes creates specific diligence exposures that buyers and sellers must address before signing.
Dubai's position as a global financial hub creates several active cross-border M&A corridors. Understanding buyer appetite by corridor is essential to maximising sale outcomes.
The most active bilateral M&A corridor in the GCC. Driven by the 3.5M+ Indian business community in the UAE, the 2022 CEPA agreement, and strong Indian corporate appetite for UAE platform acquisitions. Indian conglomerates, family offices, and PE funds regularly acquire UAE businesses in technology, healthcare, logistics, F&B, and professional services. UAE businesses with Indian promoters or customer bases are natural sell-side targets for Indian strategic buyers. Corvian Advisory has direct experience originating and executing UAE-India cross-border transactions.
Saudi Arabia is the UAE's largest trading partner and the most active bilateral M&A corridor within the GCC. UAE businesses regularly expand into KSA via acquisition, and Saudi entities acquire UAE platforms for international reach. UAE businesses with Saudi customer exposure, KSA subsidiaries, or dual-market operations are attractive to Saudi buyers benchmarking against Vision 2030 sector growth. Corvian advises on both sides of this corridor.
International buyers from Europe, the UK, US, and Asia increasingly acquire UAE platforms as a GCC entry point. The UAE's pro-business regulatory environment, zero income tax for individuals, the 2021 Companies Law reform (100% foreign ownership), and DIFC's Common Law framework make it the preferred GCC entry market. International buyers require specific data room preparation — FTA compliance, QFZP status, DIFC/mainland structure clarity, and a management team capable of operating without the founder.
The UAE-UK bilateral relationship is one of the strongest outside the GCC, supported by a large British business community in Dubai and historic trade links. British PE funds, family offices, and strategic acquirers are active buyers of UAE assets, particularly in financial services, technology, and professional services. The UAE-UK CEPA (signed 2022) has further deepened trade and investment flows. Corvian's principal brings EMEA M&A experience from Big 4 practice that directly supports UK and European buyer relationships.
Five stages from first call to completed close. Principal-led throughout. No junior hand-offs.
IVS-compliant business valuation. UAE CT, FTA, WPS, and EOSB pre-sale review. Related-party transaction clean-up. Fixed fee agreed and signed before work starts.
Professional Confidential Information Memorandum tailored to UAE and international buyer expectations — including FTA/UAE CT status, WPS compliance, EOSB schedule, free zone licence, and management structure.
Confidential outreach to 15–30 qualified buyers under NDA. UAE strategics, DIFC PE, family offices, UAE-India corridor buyers, GCC acquirers, and international buyers entering the UAE market.
Manage buyer FDD and legal due diligence. Negotiate HoT — deal structure, consideration, earn-outs, UAE CT warranty provisions, WPS/EOSB adjustments, working capital peg. Maintain competitive tension.
DED or free zone licence transfer. DIFC/ADGM transfer mechanics where applicable. Final SPA execution and close. Post-completion support for UAE CT and FTA obligations.
Illustrative examples of the types of transactions Corvian Advisory advises on in Dubai and the UAE. Details anonymised.
A founder-led Dubai-based SaaS business with AED 12M ARR and 85% recurring revenue had received informal buyer interest but no formal process had been run. Corvian was engaged to manage the sale. We prepared a CIM highlighting the UAE CT QFZP status (maintaining 0% CT eligibility), normalised the EBITDA for founder salary, and ran a competitive process targeting DIFC-based buyers and UAE-India corridor technology acquirers. Three credible offers were received within 9 weeks. The final deal was structured with an upfront consideration plus a 12-month performance earn-out.
A GCC-based PE fund engaged Corvian to perform financial due diligence on a UAE multi-specialty healthcare group ahead of an AED 120M acquisition. Our FDD identified a material EOSB under-provision (AED 4.8M) that management accounts had not captured, a WPS compliance gap affecting 22 employees, and a FTA VAT input tax recovery error creating a potential AED 3.2M reassessment exposure. These findings were used to negotiate a reduction in the purchase consideration and to structure specific warranty provisions in the SPA.
A second-generation Dubai family business in the speciality retail sector sought a full exit as the founding family relocated internationally. The business traded under the family name and had significant related-party property leases. Corvian managed the pre-sale restructuring (separating the brand IP, renegotiating the property leases to market terms), prepared the CIM with a strategy narrative for how an incoming buyer could rebrand and expand, and ran a targeted process focused on UAE retail consolidators and GCC family office buyers. The deal completed with a clean separation of family and business assets.
We publish our pricing because most advisory firms don't. Every engagement starts with a fixed scope proposal — no hourly billing, no scope creep.
"We had been speaking to buyers informally for almost a year with no real traction. Corvian rebuilt our CIM from scratch, ran a proper confidential process, and within 8 weeks we had two credible offers from DIFC-based strategic buyers. The negotiation work they did on the earn-out structure added materially to the final price."
"Corvian's FDD on our Dubai target was exactly what our investment committee needed. The UAE CT and FTA compliance review flagged a transfer pricing exposure the seller was not aware of, which allowed us to restructure the consideration. The WPS and EOSB analysis was thorough — items our legal team had missed."
"We engaged Corvian to manage the sale of our family business in Dubai. Their understanding of DIFC buyer expectations, the UAE CT implications for our structure, and how to present our family brand as an asset rather than a risk was invaluable. The whole process was managed professionally and discreetly."