How valuations are quoted locally
UAE businesses are usually priced on EBITDA, and results are reported in UAE dirham (AED).
- Mainland versus free zone licensing determines who can buy and what activities transfer.
- Receivables quality and collection cycles are a common source of valuation adjustment.
- Owner-funded working capital is often unrecorded and must be normalised.
Who buys businesses here
- Regional groups and family conglomerates
- International entrants seeking a licensed platform
- Private investors and family offices
What commonly reduces the price
- Licence transferability can be worth more or less than the trading goodwill itself.
- Corporate tax and VAT treatment should be confirmed with a local adviser.
Whichever market you are in, the underlying discipline is the same: normalise earnings, apply several methods, and weight them by how well each fits the business. See our twelve valuation methods for the full detail.