Guides on selling a business in Dubai and the UAE, covering timing, preparation, valuation, and negotiation insights from Assetica's senior advisors.
Selling a business is the moment every earlier decision gets priced. This category covers the sale itself: preparing the business so the accounts survive scrutiny, understanding which buyer pool your structure attracts, reading an offer properly, and separating the part of a price that is real from the part that is deferred, conditional or contingent on you staying. Most of the value in a sale is created in the two to three years before it rather than in the negotiation. These articles are written for owners who want to know what a buyer will actually test, and what it costs to leave those questions unanswered until diligence.
How long does it take to sell a business in the UAE?
From decision to completion, most UAE business sales take six to eighteen months. Preparation typically takes three to six months, and finding a buyer, negotiating, completing due diligence and finalising legal documentation takes a further three to twelve months depending on complexity.
What is my business actually worth to a buyer?
A buyer pays for sustainable, transferable earnings. That means normalised EBITDA, adjusted for owner remuneration and one-off items, multiplied by a sector multiple, then adjusted for net debt, working capital and any discounts for owner dependence or customer concentration.
Should I get a valuation before going to market?
Yes. An independent valuation prepared before a process sets the negotiation anchor, identifies the issues a buyer's due diligence will find, and gives you time to fix them rather than conceding on price during exclusivity.
Assetica is an independent business valuation firm in Dubai. We do not audit and we do not broker deals, so the number carries no conflict. Book a scoping call or see the core business valuation service.