Service description
Making strategic decisions requires accurate information and detailed analysis.
We have extensive experience in market intelligence across the Gulf countries. It is not a matter of looking up public information: we combine government sources, databases and private industry information with local knowledge verified on the ground.
Depending on the project, the analysis can cover a single country, several markets or the whole region: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
It is a smaller investment than any other service we offer, and the only one that can end in “not here”. A study that concludes the market is not ready costs a fraction of what it costs to find that out with the trade licence paid, the office rented and two visas under way. It serves to reduce risk and avoid wrong decisions before committing resources, which is why we would rather deliver that conclusion than a report that tells you what you want to hear.
Decisions backed by data
We reduce the uncertainty of entering or growing in a market with rigorous analysis and actionable recommendations.
What does our service include?
Analysis of market trends and demand
Whether there is real demand for what you sell, how large it is and which way it is moving. Before anything else, checking that the market exists.
Competitor assessment and benchmarking
Who already serves that demand, with what offer and at what price, including the local competitors you cannot see from outside.
Identifying target audiences and segmentation
Who you sell to here, which is rarely the same profile as in Spain, and through which channel you reach that buyer.
Price, margins and cost of entry
What price the market will bear and what is left after logistics, tariffs and distribution. A product that sells at a loss is not an opportunity.
Relevant market players and contacts
Companies in the sector, potential clients, distributors, partners, agents, competitors, public bodies and project managers. This is what separates a desk study from one carried out with real knowledge of the market.
Public and private projects under way
Tenders, investment programmes and projects in development, with the regulatory requirements and barriers to entry of each sector.
Detailed reports with strategic recommendations
A report that ends in a recommendation, including the recommendation not to enter yet, and in specific next steps if the answer is yes.
Everything this service covers
Depending on the project, the analysis covers a single country, several markets or the whole region. We combine official sources, sector information and local knowledge on the ground.
Demand and competition
- Analysis of trends and the size of demand
- Competitor assessment and benchmarking
- Price and margin analysis
- Sector analysis
- Feasibility study
Market players
- Relevant companies in the sector
- Potential clients
- Distributors, agents and partners
- Local and international competitors
- Associations and project leads
Projects and opportunities
- Public and private projects under way
- Tenders and investment programmes
- Identifying commercial opportunities
- Geopolitical and regulatory context
- Market entry recommendations
Regional coverage
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain
- Analysis of one country, several countries or the whole region
Sources and intelligence
- Government sources and public bodies
- Databases and industry information from private sources
- Local information verified on the ground
- Interviews and in-market validation
- Confidential handling of information
Deliverables
- Report with methodology and sources explained
- Map of market players and identified contacts
- Entry recommendation and next steps
- Presentation of findings to your team
- Continuation into the expansion strategy
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How long does a market study take?
It depends on the scope and the sector. A focused market entry analysis does not have the same timeframe as a full sector study with fieldwork.
Can the report conclude that we should not enter?
Yes, and it happens. It is the more valuable of the two outcomes: it avoids the cost of a structure set up for a market that was not there.
Do you also cover Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf?
Yes. Many studies are commissioned precisely to decide between the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the gateway to the region.
Can it be presented to a bank or an investment committee?
That is one of its common uses. The report is delivered with the methodology and sources explained, so that it stands up to critical scrutiny.
What does a market study include?
It is adapted to the objective, but it may include market size and trends, demand, competition, benchmarking, prices and margins, regulation, projects, clients, partners, channels, barriers to entry and recommendations.
What sources do you use?
We combine official sources, databases, private/sector information, company registers, market sources, interviews and local knowledge. The mix depends on the sector and the country.
Do you include information from government sources?
Yes. Whenever it is available and relevant, we use official sources from ministries, authorities, statistics, tenders and sector bodies.
Do you also analyse public and private projects?
Yes. We can identify public and private projects, contract awards, investments, giga projects, developments and opportunities related to the sector.
Can you identify potential clients?
Yes. We can include a long list and a short list of potential clients, as well as decision-makers when the information is available.
Can you identify distributors or partners?
Yes. It is one of the usual extensions of the study when the objective is commercial entry into the market.
Do you include competitor analysis?
Yes. We analyse relevant competitors, positioning, offering, local presence, channels and, where possible, prices and clients.
Do you analyse prices and margins?
Yes, when sufficient information is available in the market. We distinguish between public data, estimates and directly validated information.
Can you carry out benchmarking?
Yes. We can compare competitors, markets, structures, pricing, service, distribution or other agreed criteria.
Can the study include interviews?
Yes. We can include interviews with experts, clients, distributors, authorities, associations or sector players when the scope provides for it.
Can you validate the information directly in the market?
Yes. Our value is not purely desk-based: we can cross-check information through contacts, meetings, calls and work on the ground.
Do you work with confidential information?
Yes. We treat client and project information as confidential and, when necessary, we can work under an NDA.
What information do you need from our company to get started?
Product/service, objectives, market, known competitors, pricing, current clients, differentiation, the hypotheses you want to validate and the decisions the study needs to support.
This service is engaged under theterms of engagementcommon to all our services.
Who is accountable for this work
Institutional endorsement“A highly valuable assest to truly consider for strating and growing businesses in the arab countries.”
H.E. José Eugenio SalarichAmbassador of Spain to the United Arab Emirates (2012–2017) · Embassy of Spain in the UAERead in full
As a former Ambassador of Spain in the United Arab Emirates […] and having dealt with Jacob directly, I would like to state my recognition for the devoted, impeccable and passionate support to the Embassy of Spain and its companies looking to explore the market. A highly valuable assest to truly consider for strating and growing businesses in the arab countries.
Institutional endorsement“He has a broad knowledge of the country, its sectors and on how to do business here in the UAE.”
Erik Rovina MardonesCommercial Counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office · Embassy of Spain in the UAERead in full
I know Jacobo since I arrived in Dubai in 2015, when I was posted as commercial counsellor of the commercial office of the Embassy of Spain in Dubai. Jacobo had been working there as international trade advisor way before me, in 2008. He has been in Dubai since then and has worked in different sectors and companies. As a result of that, he has a broad knowledge of the country, its sectors and on how to do business here in the UAE.
Client · United Arab Emirates“Jacob can attest and adopt any new area he is welling to explore and enhance his relationship with other.”
Hamad ALMansouriManaging Director · Al Benaa Real Estate Inv.Read in full
I have first met Jacob around 2014 when he approached us to explore new business opportunities in Abu Dhabi and other Emirates. I would recommend my friend Jacob for any international position. Jacob can attest and adopt any new area he is welling to explore and enhance his relationship with other and he can be a team player. he's very detail oriented and he values the opportunity to collaborate with others.
Let's talk for 30 minutes
First conversation free of charge. No obligation. No sales pitch. We tell you whether the UAE or the Gulf countries are the right fit for your case. And if they are not, we tell you that too.