Cross-border valuation guides for owners relocating or valuing companies across the UAE, UK, Europe, Australia, South Africa and India.
Cross-border valuation is where two sets of rules meet and rarely agree. This category covers valuations that have to satisfy more than one authority at once: an owner leaving the UK, Europe, Australia or South Africa for the UAE and facing an exit charge at home; a buyer in Dubai assessing a target in Saudi Arabia, where valuation is a regulated profession under Taqeem; a group reporting a UAE subsidiary into a foreign parent's accounts. The recurring failure is divergence. Two reports prepared separately, on different dates or different normalised earnings, invite the first and most awkward question from whichever authority reads them second.
Which valuation do I need when leaving my country for the UAE?
Usually two things at once: a valuation dated to your departure that satisfies the exit charge in your home country, and, if you are applying for residency, one formatted for the UAE authority that will read it. The failure to avoid is divergence. Fix the valuation date, methodology and normalised earnings once, then format the output for each reader.
Can a UAE firm value a business in Saudi Arabia?
For cross-border commercial purposes, yes, and it is common when a UAE or international buyer needs a defensible view for its own investment committee. For a regulated filing inside the Kingdom, the work must be done by a valuer accredited by Taqeem, the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers. Establish which purpose applies before commissioning anything.
Why do two valuations of the same business disagree?
Most often because they answer different questions. Market value, fair value between identified parties and investment value to one specific buyer are different bases and produce different numbers. Different valuation dates and different normalisation adjustments account for most of the rest. A report that states its basis and shows its adjustments can be reconciled; one that does not cannot.
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.