Trusted Advisor in Emerging Markets
LightMountain Advisory is a boutique MENA/GCC financial advisory firm based in Dubai. Funding arrangement, debt restructuring, M&A, and project finance — for mid-market companies who want the discipline of a bulge-bracket team without the distance.
25+
Clients
436+
Cases Closed
99%
Success Rate
18+
Years in the Gulf
What we do
Strategic guidance to optimise capital structure, return on equity, and long-term financial performance.
Structuring and arranging working capital and long-term finance facilities across GCC banks and alternative lenders.
Aligning finance facilities with cash flow realities — covenant work, refinancing waves, standstill negotiation.
Buy-side, sell-side, and joint-venture mandates across the Gulf. Complex transactions, maximum value.
Financial models, lender engagement, and closing discipline for large-scale infrastructure, energy, and giga-projects.
Accessing non-bank capital — private credit funds, family offices, sovereign-linked platforms — when conventional lines run out.
LMA Intelligence
Our internal deal co-pilot — fluent in SAMA, UAE CBank, DFSA, ADGM, QFC, CBB, and AAOIFI — triages deals, drafts teasers, and shortlists the MENA lender universe in seconds. Ask a preview question below.
Recent engagements
Anonymised per client confidentiality. Full reference list available under NDA.
Power & Energy
KSA
SAR 356M
Project Finance · Cross-border
Arranged the client's first-ever non-Saudi line of credit for a strategic transmission project. Introduced new international financial institutions to the obligor and sequenced drawdowns against construction milestones.
Marine & Shipbuilding
Abu Dhabi, UAE
AED 200M
Term Finance · First-time Facility
Arranged expansion capital and working capital term financing for a strategic manufacturing and shipbuilding platform. Established the client's first-time institutional credit line.
Logistics
KSA
Pre-IPO Valuation
Independent Valuation · Sell-side Diligence
Delivered shareholder-facing valuation and sell-side due diligence ahead of a public listing. Subsequent IPO pricing confirmed the validity of our analytical framework.
Cargo
KSA
Independent Opinion
Third-party Valuation
Conducted an independent valuation for the shareholders of a regional cargo operator, providing an impartial reference point for governance and capital decisions.
Hospitality & Real Estate
MENA
Confidential
Debt Restructuring · Distressed
Negotiated favourable restructuring terms for a post-COVID distressed portfolio. Aligned covenant architecture and amortisation schedule to the asset's recovered cash flows.
Manufacturing
MENA
AED 200M
Turnaround Financing
Arranged project funding to support a turnaround after several years of operating losses. Facility enabled operational restart and structured repayment of legacy obligations.
The team
Every mandate at LMA is led by a partner. No junior-run files, no outsourced thinking. The team is deliberately small — and deliberately senior.
Managing Partner
Two decades across emerging markets — transaction origination, credit structuring, and risk management. Before founding LMA, senior roles at First Abu Dhabi Bank, ADCB, Dubai Islamic Bank, and UBL. Led complex multi-party debt restructuring and re-profiling mandates across the GCC.
MBA · BSc (Hons.) · LUMSProfile
Co-Managing Partner
Twenty-five years in international banking across the US, UK, Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Former roles at Merrill Lynch Bank of America, RBS, and Moody's. Brings institutional capital-markets discipline to every LMA mandate.
Columbia University · IBA KarachiProfile
Senior Advisory Board
Senior Strategy Advisor
Former Chairperson of OGRA, Managing Director and CFO of SNGPL, and Deputy Registrar at SECP. Thirty-five years of regulatory affairs and C-suite leadership. Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from ICAP.
FCA · ICAP Lifetime AchievementProfile
Senior Advisor
Twenty-plus years in finance and banking. Arranged over US$ 25 billion across more than 100 transactions during senior roles at Standard Chartered and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
FCA (ICAP) · ACCA (UK)Profile
Senior Advisor
Twenty-two years across financial services, oil & gas, and consultancy. Risk leadership at Telenor Microfinance Bank and JS Bank. Deep fintech and payments expertise.
FCA (ICAP) · FCCA (UK)Profile
Senior Advisor
Managing Director of Sami Capital. Ten-plus years bridging law, corporate advisory, and fintech. Founder of Dinisium, a blockchain investment platform. Member of the Sindh High Court Bar Association.
Lawyer · SHCBAProfile
Let's talk
If you are a mid-market company, a family office, or a sponsor preparing a GCC transaction — reach out directly.
LightMountain Advisory
info@lightmountainadvisory.com+971 50 102 9599Dubai, United Arab Emirates
lightmountainadvisory.com
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