Fractional | Dubai, a new executive search partner for the UAE’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has officially launched. Founded by experienced fractional executives Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd, the company connects businesses with a curated network of over 350 vetted C-suite leaders for part-time or project-based roles. The model allows SMEs to embed senior talent like CFOs, CMOs, and COOs directly into their operations without the financial commitment of a full-time hire.
Quick Facts
- Model: Connects UAE SMEs with part-time C-suite executives.
- Network: A vetted collective of over 350 senior leaders.
- Founders: Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd.
Tapping a Global Trend for the UAE Market
The concept of fractional leadership is gaining significant traction globally. C-suite interim engagements have jumped 151% since 2021, while the number of professionals listing “fractional” on their LinkedIn profiles has grown from 2,000 in 2022 to over 142,000 by early 2025.
Fractional | Dubai aims to bring this established model to the UAE, where SMEs constitute around 94% of all businesses. With the local market facing a skills gap—a top concern for a quarter of UAE CEOs—the demand for accessible senior expertise is high. The platform provides a direct response to this need, offering specialized leadership tailored to specific business challenges.
The Economics of Flexible Leadership
For many growing businesses, the cost of a full-time executive is a major barrier. A full-time CFO in a UAE SME can command a monthly base salary between AED 61,000 and AED 92,000, excluding bonuses, visas, and end-of-service gratuity.
Fractional | Dubai offers an alternative by providing the same caliber of talent through flexible engagements. This structure eliminates the overhead of visa costs, insurance, and end-of-service liabilities. Engagements can range from one day a month to three days a week and can be adjusted with one month’s notice, allowing leadership support to scale in line with the company’s evolving needs. This is particularly useful for project-based work like funding rounds, market entry, or operational restructuring.
A Vetted Collective for Targeted Impact
The company’s strength lies in its collective of over 350 senior executives, many with experience at Fortune 500 companies. The matching process is designed to be precise, connecting each SME with an executive whose background aligns with its industry, growth stage, and immediate challenges. Once a match is made, the executive can be embedded and operational within weeks.
Rhys Holding, Co-Founder of Fractional | Dubai, said: “Having built, operated and sold an SME myself, I understand how heavy the leadership gap can become. Across the UAE, many growing businesses reach a point where the founder is making executive-level decisions across every part of the business, often without executive-level support around them. Fractional | Dubai was built to change that.”
Sam Loyd, Co-Founder of Fractional | Dubai, added: “The fractional model is well established in mature markets and the results speak for themselves. The UAE is at a point where the conditions that drove that adoption internationally are very much present, and the demand from SMEs for a smarter, more agile approach to senior leadership is growing. Fractional | Dubai is the structured, collective response to that demand.”
The platform also emphasizes an “ecosystem advantage,” where each embedded executive is supported by the entire collective’s shared knowledge and experience. This provides clients with a broader perspective and a stronger network of experts to draw upon.
About Fractional | Dubai
Fractional | Dubai is a fractional executive search partner for the UAE’s SMEs. Founded by Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd, the business connects growing companies with a curated and vetted collective of more than 350 senior executives across finance, operations, technology, marketing, and HR. The model allows businesses to embed C-suite talent directly into their operations to advise and execute on key objectives without the cost and commitment of a full-time hire.
Source: Zawya
