CFOs for founder-led companies, trading and holding groups, family businesses and clinic or salon groups in Dubai. A CFO owns the money side of the business at board level: cash and funding, the budget and the forecast, reporting the owner and the bank can trust, controls, tax and audit in practice, and the numbers behind every big decision. Not every company needs a full-time CFO: many SMEs are better served by a part-time or fractional CFO a few days a month on top of a good accountant, and we say so honestly. We assess candidates on a cash-flow model and a budget variance case, not on a CV.
Hire a CFOLooking for a job?A CFO who tells the owner how many months of cash the business has, what is driving the margin and which decision the numbers support.
The CFO title is used loosely in Dubai: some candidates are strong chief accountants, some come from big groups and have never worked without a large team. The checks below show whether the person can own the numbers of your business.
How it differs from neighbouring roles. An accountant keeps the books, reconciliations and filings in order. A finance manager runs month-end, reporting and cash for one company and manages the accountant. A CFO owns funding, strategy, the board relationship and the finance function of the whole business or group. Typical hiring mistake: a growing SME hires a full-time CFO when it still needs clean books and a finance manager; or a group with several entities and a bank facility relies on a chief accountant with a CFO title. If the business needs board-level thinking but not a full week of it, a fractional CFO two to four days a month plus a solid accountant is often the honest answer.
| Level | Salary, AED/month |
|---|---|
| Fractional or part-time CFO, monthly retainer | 10,000 - 25,000 |
| CFO of an SME or family business | 35,000 - 55,000 |
| Group CFO of a holding or multi-company group | 55,000 - 85,000 |
Market estimate for Dubai in 2026, cross-checked with GulfTalent and Michael Page listings. The fractional line is a retainer for a few days a month, not a salary. Housing and transport allowances, a bonus or equity change the full package.
Besides the salary, the employer covers the work permit and residence visa, medical test, Emirates ID and mandatory health insurance. By UAE law these costs cannot be deducted from the employee's pay.
Exact visa and insurance costs depend on company category, emirate and plan. See the full cost of hiring guide or ask us for a budget for your case.
Market estimate for 2026: about 35,000 - 55,000 AED per month for a CFO of an SME or family business and 55,000 - 85,000 AED for a group CFO of a holding or multi-company group. A fractional or part-time CFO for a few days a month usually works on a retainer of about 10,000 - 25,000 AED. Allowances, a bonus or equity change the full package.
A fractional CFO is usually enough when there is one company or a small group, a good accountant keeps the books and the owner needs a cash forecast, a budget, a monthly review and help with banks or an investor. A full-time CFO makes sense when there are several entities, bank facilities or investors, a monthly board pack and a finance team to lead. Many Dubai SMEs start with a finance manager or a fractional CFO and move to a full-time CFO as the group grows.
Our fee is fixed for each role and agreed before the search starts. A 10% prepayment of the fee starts the search, the rest is due once the person has started work. If it does not work out, we find a replacement free of charge within 1 month after the person starts. The employer makes the hiring decision.
A free 15-minute review: salary, requirements and timeline for your business.
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