Fundraising — M&A Advisory
Buying or selling a business in the UAE involves far more than agreeing a price — deal structuring, financial and legal due diligence, valuation negotiation, and closing mechanics each shape whether the transaction actually delivers what both sides expect. Handled without dedicated M&A support, deals lose value in negotiation or unravel entirely during due diligence. FMCA runs the process end to end, on both the buy-side and sell-side, so the deal that closes is the deal that was actually intended.
Reviewed by FMCA's Senior Fundraising Advisory Team — supporting SME and startup capital raises across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Four areas of work, from initial structuring through to the integration that determines whether a deal actually delivers.
The transaction structured around what actually matters — asset vs. share deal, earn-outs, deferred consideration — not a generic template.
Financial, tax and operational due diligence run properly on either side of the table, surfacing what actually affects value.
The valuation defended or challenged with real analysis, not just a multiple pulled from a generic industry benchmark.
The transaction actually closed cleanly, with the post-merger integration steps that determine whether the deal delivers value.
Most failed deals don't collapse over price alone — they collapse over what price didn't account for.
Buyer and seller expectations that were never reconciled with real analysis collapse deals late, after real time and cost have already been spent.
A deal that skips proper due diligence can close on assumptions that turn out to be materially wrong.
A well-negotiated deal that isn't properly integrated afterward can still fail to deliver the value both sides expected.
M&A depends on knowing what the business is genuinely worth — see Business Valuation if that hasn't been established yet.
Both sides of the same transaction, but with entirely different objectives to protect.
Our Approach
Most M&A deals don't fail over a single dramatic issue — they lose momentum through unreconciled expectations and diligence findings nobody planned for. FMCA structures the deal around real terms from the outset, and runs diligence that surfaces what actually matters before it becomes a late-stage surprise.
How We Work
Illustrative scenarios based on the kind of work we do — not descriptions of specific named clients.
A sale was structured with a deferred consideration and consulting arrangement that let the founder remain involved through the transition, rather than exiting abruptly.
Financial due diligence uncovered a contingent liability the initial offer hadn't accounted for, leading to a renegotiated purchase price before closing.
A post-merger integration plan addressed staff retention and client communication directly, avoiding the attrition that often follows an unmanaged merger.
Related Insights
FAQ
An asset deal transfers specific assets and liabilities chosen by the buyer; a share deal transfers ownership of the whole company, including all its liabilities, known and unknown.
It varies significantly by deal size and complexity, but a straightforward SME transaction can take a few months from term sheet to close.
Yes — due diligence protects both sides from assumptions that turn out to be wrong, regardless of the relationship between the parties.
An earn-out ties part of the purchase price to the target's future performance, often used to bridge a valuation gap between buyer and seller.
Yes, though not on the same transaction — we act for one side of any given deal to avoid conflicts of interest.
Tell us where things stand and a senior consultant will get back to you directly — not a call centre.
