Investment firm MBH Corp says on the prowl for SME acquisitions in the UAE

Delegation from Germany and US-listed investment holding company is visiting the UAE this month to talk to businesses
   MBH Corporation CEO Callum Laing.

MBH Corporation, an investment holding company listed in Germany and New York, has announced it is keen to acquire SMEs in the UAE that are well established, profitable, and looking to scale up.

The SME sector, which now accounts for 95 percent of all businesses in the UAE, contributes 53 percent of non-oil GDP.
A delegation from MBH Corporation led by its CEO, Callum Laing, will be in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this month and is keen to meet small business owners looking to scale along with family offices and smaller funds, the company said.
With 28 companies in the group covering six countries and eight industry verticals, MBH – listed on the Frankfurt and Dusseldorf Stock Exchanges and the OTCQX in New York – is also exploring options to list on one of the UAE based exchanges, a statement added.

“Half of the developed world’s GDP comes from small businesses and yet there remains no financial instrument for sophisticated investors to get access to them,” said Laing, who added that he believes that the Middle East may represents one of the “most exciting” regions to facilitate this opportunity.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of most economies and yet often the cards are heavily stacked against them for various reasons. With limited access to funding and resources, many hit a glass ceiling and although a single client can double or triple the profits of a small company, they are often too illiquid for any serious investor to invest in,” added Callum.

For the past three years, MBH said it has been building a portfolio of companies from countries such as New Zealand, Singapore, and North America.

The SME sector, which now accounts for 95 percent of all businesses in the UAE, contributes 53 percent of non-oil GDP.

“The Middle East region has a long and proud tradition of traders and small businesses. It also has a very sophisticated investor base. MBH has been approached by several investors who have suggested that we explore a cross-listing in the region so that funds that are looking for strong ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) opportunities would be able to invest more easily into the ground-breaking work that MBH is doing,” said Callum.

He added: “We have grown fast but we are still very much at the beginning of our journey. Hopefully we can support many small businesses in the Middle East over the coming years.”

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