Mergers & Acquisitions
Corporate Development M&A
Acquisitions as a disciplined tool of strategy.
Handle’s corporate development M&A support works with corporate development teams to identify, assess and execute transactions that serve long-term strategy — connecting deal flow, strategic planning and board oversight so that M&A is governed, not ad hoc.
When this is needed
Corporate Development M&A in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- A group strategy calls for acquisitions, but there is no pipeline or screening framework behind it.
- Opportunities arrive inbound and are assessed inconsistently across business units.
- The board wants standard evaluation and approval processes before capital is committed.
- Completed deals are not tracked against the plan, and the handover to integration is unclear.
Matters Handle leads
Corporate development mandates.
Four mandate types. One deal programme, governed from strategy to results.
Strategy & Pipeline Alignment
Strategy translated into target identification and pipeline design.
Target & Opportunity Assessment
Fit, value and feasibility evaluated.
Deal Governance & Process Design
Internal approval, review and governance set.
Post-Deal Monitoring & Review
Performance tracked after completion.
The scope
Corporate Development M&A — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with the corporate development function at the center.
Screening Frameworks
Criteria that filter targets against strategy.
Operating Model
Roles, workflows and governance for the function.
Pipeline & Reporting Systems
Deal flow tracked and reported to leadership.
Committee Materials
Standardised evaluation tools and approval papers.
Integration Handover
Clean transfer from deal team to integration team.
The mandate
A function, not a series of deals.
Corporate development connects each transaction to the portfolio and growth objectives behind it. Handle designs the function so that sourcing, evaluation and approval follow one consistent standard.
Business units bring domain insight; corporate development runs process, analysis and governance. Coordination with finance and legal is defined, and every completed deal is measured against the plan.
What the mandate delivers
- Target screening frameworks
- Corporate development operating model
- Pipeline and reporting systems
- Standardised evaluation tools
- Investment committee materials
- Deal-to-integration handover
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One governed deal programme.
Every corporate development mandate is run with strategic, process, governance and performance control.
01
Strategic Alignment
Pipeline built from the strategy, not the market.
02
Process Design
Consistent evaluation and approval workflows.
03
Governance
Board and committee oversight of capital allocation.
04
Performance Review
Value creation tracked after every deal.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The transaction 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
Deal flow with strategic discipline.
Handle builds corporate development functions that make M&A repeatable and accountable — and keeps every transaction tied to the group’s strategy and capital allocation framework.
- Operating models for corporate development
- Screening tied to strategy
- Consistent evaluation across business units
- Board-ready governance and materials
- Integration linked to the deal team
- Partner-led mandates with institutional discipline
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
Connected across the transaction practice.
Handle supports corporate development M&A for corporates, groups and family enterprises building acquisition programmes across the UAE and the wider region.
Related service lines · Mergers & Acquisitions
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Across the Handle model
Questions, answered
Corporate Development M&A — questions, answered.
How Handle approaches corporate development M&A.
What is corporate development?
The function that identifies, evaluates, executes and monitors acquisitions, divestitures and strategic investments.
How does corporate development M&A differ from investment banking?
It connects deals to long-term portfolio and growth objectives rather than individual transactions.
Who does corporate development report to?
Typically the CEO, CFO or chief strategy officer, with close links to business units and the board.
What capabilities does the function need?
Financial analysis, market insight, negotiation, project management and integration planning.
How are deals sourced?
Through market scanning, adviser networks, industry relationships and inbound approaches, guided by screening criteria.
How do business units and corporate development work together?
Business units provide domain insight, while corporate development runs process, analysis and governance.
How is corporate development M&A measured?
By the quality and fit of completed deals, value created over time and delivery against the strategic plan and capital allocation framework.
Do mid-sized companies need a corporate development function?
Yes. It can be scaled as a lean internal team supported by external advisers.
What happens without corporate development discipline?
Misaligned deals, overpayment and under-delivery on integration and synergies.
How does Handle support corporate development?
Handle designs corporate development operating models, screening frameworks, decision processes and integration linkages.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
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Work with Handle
Begin with Corporate Development M&A — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When acquisitions must follow the strategy.
Request an initial review
When a deal programme must be governed.
Set out the matter. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, strategy and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
