// EXPERT PROFILE //

• Institutionalise their businesses in preparation for future listings or exits.

1. Patient growth capital

PE firms provide capital aligned with long-term value creation rather than short-term returns. This helps businesses avoid over-leveraging and focus instead on expansion, R & D or strategic hiring.

2. Strategic and operational guidance

Experienced PE investors offer insights that go well beyond capital. They help improve unit economics, professionalise management and refine go-to-market strategies – critical elements for scaling in a competitive regional landscape.

3. M & A and market consolidation

Many sectors in the UAE – such as logistics, HealthTech, professional services and F & B – remain fragmented. PE-backed M & A can help consolidate these markets, unlock synergies and position local firms for regional leadership.

4. Governance and institutional strength

Strong corporate governance is no longer a‘ nice to have’ – it is a prerequisite for serious growth and global competitiveness. PE firms play a vital role in implementing board structures, financial discipline, ESG frameworks and compliance practices that elevate SME credibility in the eyes of banks, regulators and future investors.

The UAE’ s untapped middle market

Despite ambitious national initiatives like Operation 300bn, which aims to increase the industrial sector’ s contribution to AED300 billion by 2031, and reforms enabling 100 % foreign ownership, the private equity ecosystem for SMEs remains nascent.

Investor appetite has historically been skewed towards:

• Large-ticket real estate or infrastructure investments

• High-risk early-stage start-ups

This has left a crucial gap in growth capital. For SMEs already demonstrating profitability and market traction, what they need most now is structured support to take the next leap – something the mature PE ecosystems in the US and Europe have been facilitating for decades.

At TIIR Investment, we recognise this gap as both a challenge and an opportunity. Our focus is on bridging it by delivering strategic capital and tailored support to growth-stage SMEs across the UAE. The time

A strategic imperative, not just a financial one

Fostering a strong private equity pipeline for SMEs is not merely a capital deployment strategy – it’ s a national imperative. At TIIR Investment, we view this as a cornerstone of sustainable economic growth. A robust SME-focused private equity ecosystem can:

• Boost innovation and diversification in line with the UAE Vision 2031

• Deepen local value chains and reduce import dependence

• Create sustainable employment across high-impact sectors

Sabir Shaikh, Chairman, TIIR Investment

FOSTERING A STRONG PRIVATE EQUITY PIPELINE FOR SMES IS NOT MERELY A CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY – IT’ S A NATIONAL IMPERATIVE.

Intelligent SME. tech

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