Business Strategy
Turnaround & Recovery
Stabilise liquidity. Restore control. Execute recovery.
Turnaround & Recovery is a practice-led premium advisory service under Strategy & Operations. Handle leads turnarounds with disciplined execution — liquidity, cash discipline and operational stability first — then a structured recovery plan with milestones, governance and accountability.
When this is needed
Business Turnaround in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- Liquidity is tightening, covenants are under pressure or a default is approaching.
- Revenue is eroding, costs are out of control and operating discipline has broken down.
- Lenders, suppliers or counterparties are pressing, and exposure must be renegotiated before it escalates.
- Leadership needs a controlled recovery plan the board, creditors and investors can trust.
Matters Handle leads
Turnaround and recovery mandates.
Three recovery routes. One controlled timeline.
Crisis Management and Business Stabilisation
Immediate control of the situation — decisions, communication and continuity — while the recovery is built.
Distressed Operations Strategy
Operations reset around core revenue, cost discipline and the processes that protect margin.
Cash Flow and Liquidity Control
Cash position, collections, spend and near-term obligations brought under control from day one.
The scope
Turnaround & Recovery — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with liquidity, core revenue and control of the business asset at the center.
Rapid Triage
Liquidity, exposure and cash position assessed within days, not months.
Cash Discipline
Cash controls, collections focus and spend governance enforced immediately.
Recovery Plan
A structured plan with milestones, owners and accountability.
Stakeholder Negotiation
Exposure renegotiated with lenders, suppliers and counterparties.
Recovery Governance
Cadence, decision rights and escalation control that keep recovery on track.
The mandate
Stabilise liquidity. Restore control.
Turnarounds are won through speed, discipline and cash control. Handle stabilises liquidity, protects core revenue and removes drag — before the situation dictates the outcome.
Stakeholders are aligned, exposure is renegotiated and operating discipline is enforced through governance that holds — so recovery proceeds on a controlled timeline, and the business moves from recovery into sustainable performance.
What the mandate delivers
- Rapid triage of liquidity, exposure and cash position
- Cash controls, collections focus and spend governance
- Recovery plan design with milestones and accountability
- Stakeholder negotiation with lenders, suppliers and counterparties
- Operational stabilisation and cost discipline
- Governance cadence with escalation control and reporting
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One controlled recovery.
Every turnaround is run as a governed recovery — cash first, governance fixed, exposure renegotiated, operations stabilised.
01
Liquidity Control
Immediate focus on cash position, exposure and near-term obligations.
02
Recovery Governance
Clear cadence, decision rights and escalation control to keep recovery on track.
03
Stakeholder Negotiation
Exposure renegotiated with lenders, suppliers and counterparties with discipline.
04
Operating Discipline
Cost, process and performance controls enforced to restore stability and margin.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The work may begin here — it stays connected to strategy, capital and law.
Strategy & Operations
The work stays connected to market position, operating model, performance and execution governance.
M&A & Capital
The work stays aware of capital readiness, investor review, transaction logic and deployment discipline where relevant.
Legal & Regulatory
The work stays protected through structure, rights, governance, enforceability and regulatory or dispute readiness.
Why Handle
Speed, control and credibility under pressure.
Handle makes recovery decisions at partner level and stays through execution. Recovery is connected to capital restructuring and legal protection — so creditors, regulators and investors deal with one controlled position.
- Liquidity stabilisation and cash discipline from day one
- Recovery plans with milestones, owners and governance cadence
- Partner-led decisioning in high-pressure situations
- Exposure renegotiation with lenders, suppliers and counterparties
- Operational stabilisation focused on revenue protection
- Outcomes measured in restored control, reduced exposure and recovery executed
Before offering your business for M&A, you must raise it with discipline. Strengthen governance, restore financial clarity, and sharpen strategy. A parented business attracts investors with confidence, not discounts.
Mohamed abu El-MakaremManaging Partner & Chairman
Engagement paths
Where this work typically begins.
Growth & Expansion
When the asset must scale capacity, geography, capital, partnerships or market share.
Turnaround
When the asset must reset structure, capital, law, governance and operations under pressure.
Coverage
Applied across the seven priority verticals.
Handle leads turnarounds for businesses, family enterprises and investor-backed assets across the seven priority verticals — connected to capital restructuring and legal protection where distress requires it.
Priority verticals · Where Handle operates
Industry & ManufacturingInfrastructure & Strategic AssetsHealthcare & PharmaEnergyEnvironment & SustainabilityAdvanced Technology & AIFood Security & Agritech
Related service lines · Business Strategy
Across the Handle model
Questions, answered
Business Turnaround — questions, answered.
How Handle leads turnaround and recovery under pressure.
What is a business turnaround?
A structured programme to stabilise cash flow, restore operational control and rebuild stakeholder confidence.
When should Handle be engaged?
At the first sign of distress — liquidity shortfalls, covenant pressure, loan defaults or operational breakdown.
Does Handle work with creditors and regulators?
Yes. Stakeholder negotiations are coordinated to protect business continuity.
What is Handle’s approach to recovery?
Financial restructuring, operational control and leadership stabilisation integrated into one recovery plan.
Can recovery transition into growth?
Yes. Recovery frameworks are designed to move the business into sustainable growth once control is restored.
How long does a turnaround mandate run?
Typically 3 to 12 months, depending on scope and scale.
What does professional turnaround management deliver?
Speed, control and credibility with lenders, investors and the board.
Does Handle support insolvency prevention?
Yes. Structured restructuring plans are built to avoid liquidation or uncontrolled collapse.
How is recovery progress tracked?
Weekly — through cash waterfall reports, KPI scorecards and partner-led governance meetings.
Does the turnaround connect to capital and legal work?
Yes. Recapitalisation, creditor agreements and dispute exposure are handled within the same mandate where required.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
Toku Launches UAE Unit as Talabat Scales Contact-Centre Rollout Across Eight MENA Markets
Toku Launches UAE Unit as Talabat Scales Contact-Centre Rollout Across Eight MENA Markets
Majid Al Futtaim Posts Record H1 EBITDA of AED 2.5 Billion as Growth Momentum Builds
Majid Al Futtaim Posts Record H1 EBITDA of AED 2.5 Billion as Growth Momentum Builds
UAE-Germany Investment Push: Al Jaber Calls for New Council to Unlock Long-Term Capital and Tech Growth
UAE-Germany Investment Push: Al Jaber Calls for New Council to Unlock Long-Term Capital and Tech Growth
Work with Handle
Begin with Turnaround & Recovery — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When the asset is under pressure, control comes first.
Request an initial review
When recovery must begin now.
Set out the situation. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, recovery plan and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
