CFO Services in Dubai for SMEs and Growing Businesses
Senior finance leadership without a full-time hire
For owner-managed companies, start-ups and family businesses in Dubai that have outgrown basic bookkeeping but cannot yet justify a full-time finance director.
DirhamWise provides part-time, virtual CFO support: a budget you can plan against, a rolling cash-flow forecast, a monthly management pack with the KPIs that matter to your business, and the numbers a bank or investor will ask to see. We work alongside your existing accountant and systems, or run the accounting for you as well.
What's included
What an outsourced CFO does, and what it does not
Bookkeeping records what happened. Accounting turns those records into accounts and tax returns. CFO work uses the accounts to decide what happens next: how much you can spend, when cash will run short, which customers and products earn their keep, and what a bank or investor will make of your numbers.
| Role | Question it answers | Typical outputs | Rhythm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | What did we earn and spend? | Recorded transactions, reconciled bank accounts, supplier and customer ledgers | Daily or weekly |
| Accountant | Are our accounts and returns correct? | Monthly accounts, VAT returns, year-end financial statements, corporate tax return | Monthly, quarterly, annually |
| Outsourced CFO | What should we do next, and can we afford it? | Budget, cash-flow forecast, management pack, KPI dashboard, funding model, board papers | Weekly cash, monthly review, quarterly reforecast |
A part-time CFO sits on top of reliable books. If your records are behind or unreconciled, we put that right first through our accounting and bookkeeping service, because a forecast built on wrong numbers is worse than no forecast. The CFO role is also separate from your external auditor, who gives an independent opinion on the year-end accounts; see our audit and assurance page for that work.
When a Dubai business needs CFO support
Most clients do not come to us asking for a CFO. They come with a problem that turns out to be a finance leadership problem. The common ones:
- Sales are growing but cash is tight. The cause is usually slow collections, stock building up or supplier terms shorter than customer terms. A cash forecast shows where the money is stuck.
- You are applying for a bank facility or raising investment and need a model and forecast that hold up under questioning.
- Revenue is approaching a threshold that changes your obligations. For tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025, corporate tax requires audited financial statements once revenue exceeds AED 50 million in a tax period. Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more, measured on their latest financial statements, also fall into the first phase of mandatory e-invoicing for business-to-business and business-to-government invoices.
- You run several entities, such as a mainland company and a free-zone company, and nobody can see group profit and cash in one place.
- Big decisions are made without a budget to test them against: a second branch, a new product line, ten more hires.
- You plan to sell, bring in a partner or restructure, which calls for a business valuation or preparation for buyer due diligence.
- Your finance manager has left, or your team is capable at processing but needs someone to set priorities and review their work.
What our CFO service covers
Financial planning and budgeting
We build a driver-based budget: revenue by product, customer group or branch; a headcount plan; overheads; capital spending; and financing. We then run three cases (expected, cautious and stretch) so you can see what happens to profit and cash if a large contract slips or a new branch opens late. Tax sits inside the plan, not after it. Corporate tax is charged at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that. Businesses whose revenue has stayed at or below AED 3 million in the current and every earlier tax period may be able to elect Small Business Relief, now available for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029; Qualifying Free Zone Persons and members of multinational groups with consolidated revenue above AED 3.15 billion cannot. Our corporate tax team confirms how these rules apply to you.
Cash-flow forecasting
The core tool is a 13-week rolling forecast built on actual receipts and payments, updated every week. It covers expected collections by customer, supplier payment runs, payroll, post-dated rent cheques, loan instalments, VAT payments and the corporate tax payment. Alongside it we keep a 12-month monthly forecast for planning facilities and investment. Forecasting tax payments matters: late payment of corporate tax, and since 14 April 2026 of VAT, is charged at 14% a year, calculated monthly on the unpaid amount. We also look for cash the business is owed, such as VAT credit balances that have not been reclaimed.
Monthly management reporting
Each month you receive a short pack that a busy owner can read in fifteen minutes:
- Profit and loss against budget and the same month last year
- Balance sheet and cash-flow statement
- Aged receivables and payables, with the accounts that need chasing
- Gross margin by product, service line, branch or project
- A written commentary on what moved and why, and an action list
We keep monthly figures consistent with the standard your year-end accounts use for corporate tax, so the management pack reconciles to the final accounts: full IFRS by default, IFRS for SMEs where revenue is AED 50 million or less, or the cash basis where revenue is AED 3 million or less.
KPI dashboards
We agree eight to twelve measures with you, then connect a dashboard to your accounting software (for example Xero, Zoho Books, QuickBooks or Tally) so the figures update without manual re-keying.
| Business type | KPIs we typically track |
|---|---|
| Trading and distribution | Gross margin by product, stock days, debtor days, creditor days |
| Professional services | Utilisation, revenue per fee-earner, unbilled work, collection period |
| Contracting and fit-out | Margin per project, cost to complete, retentions held, billing against cost |
| E-commerce and retail | Contribution margin per order, customer acquisition cost, return rate, stock turn |
| Hospitality and food and beverage | Food and staff cost as a share of sales, revenue per cover, site-level profit |
Investor and bank readiness
Lenders in the UAE generally ask for recent audited financial statements, current management accounts, a cash-flow forecast, aged debtor and creditor listings, filed VAT and corporate tax returns, and company documents such as the trade licence and memorandum of association. We assemble that pack, check it tells a consistent story, and prepare you for the follow-up questions on margins, customer concentration and repayment capacity. For investors we build an integrated three-statement model, unit economics, a use-of-funds plan and an organised data room.
Compliance oversight
CFO oversight does not replace tax filing. It makes sure every deadline and payment is in the plan and that the right people are working on it. Filing itself is handled through our VAT services, corporate tax services and e-invoicing readiness work.
The UAE finance calendar we plan around
A good forecast accounts for the dates and rules that move cash. These are the ones we build into every client plan.
| Obligation | Rule | What it means for planning |
|---|---|---|
| VAT return and payment | Due within 28 days of the end of each tax period. Quarterly periods are standard; businesses with annual turnover of AED 150 million or more file monthly. | VAT collected is set aside, not treated as working capital. |
| Corporate tax return and payment | Due within 9 months of the end of the tax period. For a year ending 31 December 2026, that is 30 September 2027. | The liability is accrued monthly so the payment is funded when it falls due. |
| Corporate tax rate | 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000; 9% above that. | Budgets show profit after tax, not only before it. |
| Audited financial statements for corporate tax | Required where revenue exceeds AED 50 million, for every Qualifying Free Zone Person and for every tax group (tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2025). | Audit fees and a year-end timetable go into the budget. |
| E-invoicing | Revenue of AED 50 million or more: appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026 and go live by 1 January 2027. Below AED 50 million: appoint by 31 March 2027 and go live by 1 July 2027. | System, provider and process costs are planned before the deadline. |
| VAT credit balances | Since 1 January 2026, excess refundable tax must be claimed or used within 5 years of the end of the tax period it relates to. Balances whose 5-year period had already expired, or expires during 2026, can be claimed until 31 December 2026. | Older balances are identified and claimed before they lapse; see VAT refunds. |
| Cash payments and input VAT | Cabinet Decision 149 of 2026, amending the VAT Executive Regulation from 1 October 2026, provides that input VAT cannot be recovered on a supply above a value set by Ministerial decision where it is paid, or intended to be paid, in cash. That value has not yet been set. | We review payment policies and move suppliers to bank transfer where needed. |
| Record keeping | Corporate tax records must be kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period. | Document storage and system access are planned for the long term. |
For the detail on each obligation, see corporate tax registration, VAT registration and e-invoicing in the UAE.
Ways to work with us
| Engagement | What it involves | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Part-time CFO | An agreed number of days each month, a monthly pack and review meeting, a quarterly reforecast, and access between meetings for decisions that cannot wait. | SMEs with a bookkeeper or accountant already in place who need direction and oversight. |
| Virtual CFO with our accounting | We keep the books, prepare the monthly accounts and provide the CFO layer on top, so one team owns the numbers from invoice to board pack. | Businesses without an in-house finance team. |
| Project CFO | A fixed scope with a clear end: a bank facility application, a fundraising model, a first budget, an accounting system migration or a cash recovery plan. | One-off needs where a retainer is not necessary. |
| Interim cover | Finance leadership while you recruit a finance manager or during extended leave, including review of the team’s work. | Companies with a temporary gap. |
Every engagement is quoted as a fixed fee after a scoping call, so you know the cost before work starts. If you need bookkeeping as well, our monthly accounting packages are AED 950, AED 1,650 and AED 2,150, and the CFO scope is added to the package you choose. Payroll can be included through our payroll service.
How an engagement starts
- Scoping call. We discuss your goals, the entities involved, your current systems and the decisions coming up in the next twelve months.
- Document request and system access. We ask for the items listed below and read-only access to your accounting software and bank feeds.
- Baseline review. We check the quality of the books, reconcile the key balances and list what needs fixing before the numbers can be relied on.
- First outputs. The 13-week cash forecast and the agreed KPI set come first, because they give you control quickly.
- Budget and plan. We build the budget with you and agree how often it will be reforecast.
- Monthly rhythm. Month-end close, management pack, review meeting and an action list with owners and dates.
What we usually ask for at the start:
- Trade licence and memorandum of association for each entity
- The latest audited financial statements and the most recent management accounts
- Twelve months of bank statements for every account
- VAT and corporate tax registration details and the returns already filed
- Aged receivables and payables listings
- A payroll summary and headcount by department
- Key contracts: leases, loan and facility agreements, and major customer or supplier agreements
- Any existing budget, forecast or business plan
Part-time CFO or a full-time finance director?
A full-time hire makes sense once the business is large or complex enough to keep a senior finance person busy every day and to give them a team to lead. Before that point, a part-time CFO usually gives better value.
| Factor | Part-time CFO from DirhamWise | Full-time hire |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Monthly engagement that can be scaled up or down | Employment contract, notice period and end-of-service gratuity |
| Cost | Fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope | Salary plus visa, medical insurance, leave and recruitment costs |
| Expertise | Backed by colleagues in accounting, VAT, corporate tax and audit | One person’s experience |
| Availability | Agreed days, review meetings and response times | On site every working day |
| Best when | You need senior judgement but not a full week of it | You need a leader for a finance team of several people |
When you do reach the point of hiring, we help define the role, review candidates’ technical ability and hand over the models, reports and processes so nothing is lost. We also work alongside in-house accountants who stay in place: they run the day-to-day, we set priorities, review and report.
Frequently asked questions
What are CFO services?
CFO services give a business the planning, forecasting and reporting work of a chief financial officer without employing one full time. For a Dubai SME that usually means a budget, a rolling cash-flow forecast, a monthly management pack with KPIs, and support with banks, investors and major decisions. It sits above bookkeeping and accounting rather than replacing them.
What is a virtual CFO?
A virtual CFO does the same work as a part-time CFO but mainly remotely, using cloud access to your accounting software, bank feeds and shared dashboards. Review meetings can be held online, at your premises or at our office in ParkLane Tower, Business Bay. Most of our clients use a mix of both.
What does an outsourced CFO do each month?
In a typical month we update the 13-week cash forecast every week, review the month-end accounts, produce the management pack and KPI dashboard, meet you to go through the results and agree actions, and follow up on anything that affects cash, such as overdue receivables or an upcoming VAT or corporate tax payment. Each quarter the budget is reforecast.
How is a CFO different from an accountant?
An accountant makes sure the records, accounts and tax returns are correct. A CFO uses those accounts to plan: setting the budget, forecasting cash, measuring performance and advising on pricing, hiring, funding and investment. Many businesses need both, which is why we offer CFO support on its own or combined with our accounting and bookkeeping service.
Do we have to move our bookkeeping to DirhamWise?
No. If your in-house team or current provider keeps accurate, up-to-date books, we work from their numbers and review their month-end. If the records need work first, we will tell you what has to be fixed and can do it for you.
Can you help us get a bank loan or raise investment?
Yes. We prepare the model, forecast and supporting pack that lenders and investors ask for, check that the figures reconcile to your accounts, and prepare you for their questions. The funding decision always rests with the bank or investor, and we do not promise any particular outcome.
Does the CFO service include VAT and corporate tax filing?
The CFO service plans for tax payments and deadlines, but filing is a separate service. You can add VAT return filing and corporate tax services to the same engagement so one team covers both.
How much do CFO services cost in Dubai?
The fee depends on the number of entities, the state of the books and how much of the CFO’s time you need each month. We quote a fixed monthly fee after a scoping call. If you also need bookkeeping, our published accounting packages start at AED 950 a month; see our pricing page or try the cost calculator.
Get a fixed-fee CFO proposal
Tell us about your business, your entities and the decisions ahead, and we will suggest a scope and a fixed monthly fee.
+971 56 500 6694 · info@dirhamwise.com · Contact form
ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai · Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 6:00pm