‘Networking is the core of everything I do as the key driving force behind the business,’ says Arshad Gadit FCCA, global CEO of athGADLANG in the United Arab Emirates. His words capture a reality shared by many professional services leaders in the Middle East: in this fast-moving region, it is relationships – as much as technical expertise – that determine whether firms thrive.
With nations across the region actively working to create an attractive business environment for small and micro businesses – in the UAE, for example, SMEs contribute more than 60% to non-oil GDP, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has set a strategy to increase the GDP contribution of its SME sector from 30% to 35% – professional advisers are in demand. Networks offer an effect way of sustaining and scaling a business, while acting as an important risk mitigator in an evolving market.
‘You need to be able to make friends out of your clients and clients out of your friends’
Many firms find their growth is directly tied to word of mouth. Waris Izhar Khan FCCA, senior consultant at ECOVIS Al Sabti in Saudi Arabia, explains: ‘Most of our clients come via networking and the positive experiences they’ve heard from others. If you provide good services, clients will refer you. This is how you grow your business here.’
In a region where business groups and family conglomerates dominate, reputation spreads quickly. ‘People buy from people they like,’ says Gadit. ‘Networking is the best way for people to first start liking you; you need to be able to make friends out of your clients and clients out of your friends.’
For smaller or specialised firms, partnerships are critical to offering the breadth of services that clients demand. Mariam Absar FCCA and Muhammad Hassaan Bhagat ACCA, directors at Limitless Consulting in the UAE, emphasise this point. ‘Alone, you can only do so much, but if you have a network of firms that you trust, that share your values, clients remain within the ecosystem and you’re able to service them from all fronts,’ says Bhagat.
After Covid-19, the trend towards boutique advisory firms accelerated. ‘Companies used to go with the big names,’ says Absar. ‘But today they prefer boutique consulting firms that can provide individual attention and really understand their problems. This gave us a great advantage, leading us down a path of growth and expansion, supported by our strategic partners in taxation, external audit and actuarial services.’
New opportunities
Syed Haider Ali Shah FCCA, manager of business and tax advisory at Abbey Advisory Economic Vision in Oman, also underlines the role of collaboration. ‘Businesses increasingly expect integrated, end-to-end solutions, and partnerships help us meet those expectations without trying to be everything ourselves. At the same time, collaboration has opened doors to new opportunities, different markets and broader perspectives.’
Partnerships have always been a key part of how Abbey works, continues Shah. ‘While we haven’t been part of a formal international network, we collaborate regularly with professional firms, audit practices and specialist consultancies, both in Oman and abroad, to provide clients with a fuller set of services.’
‘Being associated with an international brand certainly boosts your profile’
Indeed, Al Sabti’s decision to join global accountancy network ECOVIS in 2020 helped fuel rapid growth. ‘Being associated with an international brand certainly boosts your profile,’ says Khan, adding that local knowledge and presence remain just as important: ‘I’d definitely advise someone coming to Saudi to get local experience. You have to start from the ground up and build slowly. Don’t expect overnight success.’
Network-building methods vary – from international alliances and referral partnerships to alumni groups, professional associations, and even sporting communities. Gadit has been particularly proactive in this space. ‘We created our own communities – tax consulting, IT service providers, BPO providers. If I found a gap, I built that community. People always know the admin of a group – I wanted to be the admin.’
Digital platforms are also central. ‘LinkedIn is the most powerful tool – I’d recommend it to anybody,’ says Gadit. ‘Whenever I arrive at a meeting, 80% of the time, the person says: “I already know you”. That’s the power of online networking.’
Face to face
But some caution that online tools alone are not enough. ‘LinkedIn can be useful, but as far as business is concerned, face to face is more suitable here in Saudi,’ says Khan. ‘Some leaders are not active online. If you want to hit quarterly targets, you need to knock on doors.’
Networking in the Middle East comes with distinct challenges. Regulatory requirements often dictate how firms can work with clients and partners, while localisation policies shape hiring and talent management strategies. As Khan explains: ‘Banks, for example, can’t always hire the technical expertise they need locally, so they often take services on a secondment basis. We bring in international specialists through our network, but our brand name remains in front of the client.’
Similarly, cross-border regulations can make it difficult for smaller consultancies to serve clients alone. This is where strategic partnerships matter. ‘We have collaborated with firms overseas for ERP implementation and other services we don’t provide in-house,’ Khan notes. ‘If they win the project, we bring their people to Saudi Arabia on a project basis.’ Such arrangements allow firms to comply with local rules while still meeting client needs.
‘You’d be surprised how many clients I’ve met through cricket and golf communities’
With competition for skilled professionals intense, personal recommendations and professional networks often open doors that job adverts cannot. As Gadit observes: ‘We’ve built partnerships, met talent and secured hires all through our networks.’
He encourages his team to invest their own ‘social currency’, whether through alumni connections, community groups or even sporting networks. ‘You’d be surprised how many clients – and future employees – I’ve met through cricket and golf communities,’ he says.
Above all, networks are about reciprocity. As Gadit puts it: ‘Networking pays off – but only if you get out, meet people, and be part of the community.’
