Industries
Valuations for the industries that drive the UAE economy
A Dubai restaurant group, a Sharjah trading company and an Abu Dhabi oil and gas services contractor are not valued with one formula. Each sector has its own financial and operational drivers, and its own UAE considerations, from licences and agencies to retention balances and insurance contracts.
01
Hospitality, retail & consumer
Restaurants, cafés, hotels and retail businesses are valued on outlet-level performance, where leases, licences and seasonality drive much of the value.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Restaurants & cafés | Sales per outlet, food and staff cost margins, lease terms, licences and how much trade depends on the location. |
| Hotels & hospitality operators | Operating earnings, occupancy and seasonality, management agreements and brand affiliations. |
| Franchise businesses | Franchise agreement terms and duration, fees payable, territory rights and renewal risk. |
| Retail businesses | Store-level performance, inventory, mall lease terms and dependence on footfall. |
| E-commerce businesses | Online revenue quality, marketplace dependence, stock, returns and customer acquisition cost. |
02
Trading, distribution & logistics
The UAE's role as a regional trading hub makes trading and logistics companies some of the most common valuation subjects, and working capital is often the deciding factor.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Trading & general trading companies | Margins, inventory, customer concentration, agency and distribution rights, and receivable collection. |
| Distribution & wholesale | Supplier relationships, debtor days, stock turnover and exclusivity. |
| Logistics & freight | Contracts, fleet costs, freight volumes, operating margins and customer retention. |
| Food distribution | Perishability, cold-chain logistics, margins and customer contracts. |
| Shipping & maritime | Charter income, shipping cycles, operating contracts and vessel values from specialist valuers. |
03
Construction, industry & energy
Project-based and asset-intensive businesses are valued on their pipeline and contract profitability, with close attention to receivables, retentions and work in progress.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Construction & contracting | Backlog, contract profitability, work in progress, collections and retention balances. |
| Manufacturing | Capacity, customer contracts, capital expenditure and operating cash flow. |
| Oil & gas services | Contracts, customer credit risk and the energy-sector cycle. |
| Renewable energy | Project revenue, offtake contracts and long-term operating forecasts. |
| Facilities management & security services | Recurring contracts, manpower costs, licences and customer retention. |
04
Healthcare & education
Regulated businesses depend on licences, clinicians and teachers. Value reflects patient or student retention as much as current profit.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Medical clinics | Revenue mix, insurance contracts, patient retention, licensing and dependence on key doctors. |
| Dental clinics | Treatment income, patient relationships, dentist arrangements and profitability. |
| Healthcare businesses | Regulation, payer contracts, operations and financial performance. |
| Education & training | Enrolments, fee levels, regulatory approvals and contracts. |
05
Technology & digital
UAE tech companies are often loss-making while they scale, so subscription revenue, customer retention and funding runway carry more weight than this year's profit.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Software & SaaS | Recurring revenue, churn, customer growth, gross margins and the cost of acquiring customers. |
| Fintech | Regulatory status, operating model and the credibility of financial projections. |
| Digital & marketing agencies | Retainers, client concentration, staff and cash flow. |
06
Professional services
A consultancy or accounting firm is worth what its clients will keep paying after a change of partners, so we separate relationships that belong to the firm from those that belong to individuals.
| Business type | Value drivers we test |
|---|---|
| Accounting firms | Recurring fees, client retention, staff and goodwill. |
| Consultancies | Utilisation, client concentration and service contracts. |
| Recruitment & staffing | Contract base, payroll funding, receivables and client concentration. |
| Professional services firms | Client relationships, partner dependence and recurring fees. |
Property, vessels and plant
We value businesses, not physical assets. Where a logistics, shipping, energy or manufacturing company owns property, vessels or plant, a qualified asset valuer provides those figures and we build them into the business valuation.
Discuss a valuation in your sector
Send us the company or interest, the purpose and the Emirate. We will propose a scope, list the documents we need and quote a fee in writing.