VAT across the Gulf
VAT is 15% in Saudi Arabia, 10% in Bahrain and 5% in the UAE and Oman, while Qatar and Kuwait do not levy it yet. Your ERP needs the right tax codes and invoice layout for each country you trade in.
Regions · Middle East
Consulting and delivery for the Middle East
Systems advice, ERP and CRM implementation, cloud and AI automation for companies and public bodies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Time difference
Almost the whole working day overlaps. The UAE works Monday to Friday; Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman work Sunday to Thursday.
What your systems must handle
Rules that shape a project in the Middle East
We design these into the system from the first workshop. Your counsel and accountants confirm the legal reading; we build the controls.
Saudi e-invoicing (FATOORA)
Saudi tax invoices must be issued electronically and, as each integration wave reaches a business, cleared or reported through ZATCA's platform with a QR code and cryptographic stamp.
UAE e-invoicing
The UAE is introducing mandatory e-invoicing on a Peppol-based model, in phases. Plan the ERP format and the accredited service provider connection now rather than at the deadline.
Data protection laws
The UAE's PDPL, the separate DIFC and ADGM regimes, Saudi Arabia's PDPL and Qatar's data protection law all set rules on consent and on moving personal data abroad.
Arabic, right-to-left and Hijri dates
Saudi tax invoices must be in Arabic, and many customer documents are bilingual. Interfaces, print layouts and reports need right-to-left support and, often, Hijri dates.
In-country hosting
Government and regulated data in Saudi Arabia and the UAE usually has to be hosted in the country, which narrows the cloud regions and SaaS platforms you can use.
Where your data can live
Hosting in the Middle East
Ahmedabad is 1½ hours ahead of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and 2½ hours ahead of Riyadh, Doha and Kuwait City. Your systems run in the region you choose; our team works on them remotely under the access rules you set.
Cloud providers add regions and services often. We confirm that every service you need is offered in your chosen region during cloud provider selection.
- AWS
- Middle East (UAE) and Middle East (Bahrain)
- Microsoft Azure
- UAE North (Dubai), UAE Central (Abu Dhabi) and Qatar Central
- Google Cloud
- Doha and Dammam
- Business platforms
- Check each SaaS vendor's in-country options during selection; where none fits, a self-hosted platform such as Odoo or ERPNext on a local cloud region is the usual answer
Where to start
Fixed-scope offers that fit the Middle East
Each ends with a written deliverable you can use with any vendor, including us.
Platform Selection & Business Case
Choose between Odoo, Zoho, Dynamics, Salesforce or custom, on evidence
2–4 weeks
See the offer
Digital Transformation Roadmap
A sequenced plan for the next 12 to 24 months of systems work
Agreed on the first call
See the offer
Cloud Provider Selection
Choose between Zoho Catalyst, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and E2E Networks on evidence
Agreed on the first call
See the offer
Cloud Readiness & Migration Assessment
Know what to move, what to keep and what it will cost before you migrate
2 weeks
See the offer
IT Strategy & Roadmap
A plan for the systems, people and spend behind your operation
Agreed on the first call
See the offer
AI Use-Case & ROI Workshop
Turn a long list of AI ideas into a short list worth funding
1 week
See the offer
Who we work with in the Middle East
Four kinds of organization, one way of working
The same senior team runs discovery and delivery, whatever your size.
Funded startups
Seed to Series C
You raised to grow. The tools that got you to this round will not carry the next fifty hires.
- A fractional CTO or technology advisor before a full-time hire
- Platform choices made once, with an exit cost you understand
- Finance, CRM and product data in one place for board reporting
Mid-sized businesses
50 to 1,000 people
Your teams run on several tools that do not talk to each other, and every month-end shows it.
- A diagnostic of where time and money leak, before any software is chosen
- ERP and CRM implemented around how your operation runs
- Automation for the re-typing that is left
Enterprises
Divisions, programs and regional units
You need a senior specialist team for one program, without the overhead of a global integrator.
- Architecture and integration reviews before a large commitment
- Health checks and recovery for implementations that have stalled
- Cloud cost, security and AI governance reviews
Government & public sector
Agencies, public bodies and funded programs
Your systems have to stand up to audit, procurement rules and public scrutiny.
- Program, grant and case records with a full audit trail
- Hosting choices that respect data residency rules
- Written deliverables that fit a procurement file
We work with organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, delivered remotely from Ahmedabad, India.
Client work
How our engagements turn out
Selected projects for clients in the United States, India, Singapore and Europe, published with consent.
$835Kgrant burn visible live
Excel & Paper to System
A $835K youth employment grant, tracked in real time instead of a 60-tab spreadsheet
10 days to 1month-end close
Excel & Paper to System
Month-end close cut from ten days to one across a multi-state retail group
+30%lead to customer conversion
Excel & Paper to System
30% more leads converted after an HVAC manufacturer left spreadsheet selling behind
FAQ
Questions buyers in the Middle East ask
Time zones, data location and how the work runs, answered plainly.
Ask us directlyHow much of our working day overlaps with yours?
Almost all of it. Ahmedabad is only 1½ to 2½ hours ahead of the Gulf. We plan meetings around your working week, including a Sunday to Thursday week where it applies.
Can the system issue ZATCA-compliant e-invoices?
Yes. We configure the platform's Saudi localization or build the integration to ZATCA's platform, and test clearance and reporting in the sandbox before go-live.
Can our data stay in the country?
Yes, where a cloud region or platform offers in-country hosting. AWS, Azure and Google Cloud all have Gulf regions. Our team works on the systems remotely under the access rules you set.
Do you give legal or tax advice?
No. Your counsel and accountants confirm what the rules require; we design and build the controls, reports and integrations that meet them.
Other regions
Working somewhere else too?
Next step
Talk to us about your Middle East project
A 30-minute call is enough to tell which rules apply to your systems and what we would do first.
Book a consultation Scope your project
First call: 30 minutes · A senior consultant, not a sales rep