What The Unit does

The Unit is a MENA-focused management consultancy headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delivering advisory across corporate finance, management consulting, strategy advisory, and development advisory. Its core practice is owner-side advisory in the hospitality and real estate sectors, where it has supported clients across 20+ countries with 220+ projects, USD 4B+ in combined hospitality project value, and 4,000+ rooms under owner representation. The firm also extends into adjacent verticals including retail and F&B, sports and entertainment, technology and telecom, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and manufacturing, giving clients a single advisor across the full deal-to-execution lifecycle.

Operationally, The Unit operates from three offices (Riyadh, Beirut, and Nicosia) with a team of 101-250 employees anchored by 15+ multi-disciplinary core experts trained in MENA, North America, and Western Europe. Its business model is project-based professional services: clients including public-sector entities such as GOSI and private investors such as Ekosmart and Envie engage the firm on mandates that span market entry, feasibility and planning, financing structuring, and ongoing owner representation. The firm monetizes through per-project advisory fees sized to mandate scope and seniority, with revenue tied to senior team utilization rather than recurring software or data products.

The firm's positioning sits between global strategy houses and local boutique consultancies: it competes on regional domain depth, cross-vertical reach, and hands-on owner representation rather than on scale or proprietary technology. Founder and principal Jamil Fakhri leads the firm, which remains privately held with no disclosed external funding or M&A activity.

Name

The Unit

Legal name

The Unit

Website

https://the-unit.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Unit is a Riyadh-based boutique management consultancy serving MENA public-sector and private investors across hospitality, real estate, and seven adjacent verticals with corporate finance, strategy, and development advisory services delivered from offices in Riyadh, Beirut, and Nicosia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps) (FSAEAGAE), Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Corporate finance advisory
• Strategy advisory consulting
• Business advisory services
• Hospitality real estate advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Professional consulting services billed on a project basis. Services include corporate finance advisory, management consulting, strategy advisory, and development advisory. Revenue is generated through engagement fees for advisory mandates, feasibility studies, business plans, valuations, transaction advisory, and implementation support. The firm operates with an agile organizational structure consisting of assignment-based teams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Unit is a MENA-based management and corporate finance consulting firm delivering four core advisory service lines: Corporate Finance Advisory (capital raise, M&A, financial engineering), Management Consulting (operational efficiency, digital transformation, HR, project management), Strategy Advisory (market entry, growth strategy, business model design), and Development Advisory (real estate development from conception to delivery). Services are delivered via customized, assignment-based consulting teams to mid-cap companies, SMEs, family offices, investment groups, and government clients across 20+ countries.

Product overview

The Unit is a MENA-based business consulting firm offering four core service lines: Corporate Finance Advisory, Management Consulting, Strategy Advisory, and Development Advisory. These core services are delivered across eight industry verticals: Hospitality, Real Estate, Retail & Restauration, Sports & Entertainment, Technology & Telecom, Healthcare & Pharmaceutical, Agriculture, and Manufacturing. The company operates as a unified consulting offering without modular software products—services are customized per client engagement with multi-disciplinary consultant teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Finance Advisory Advisory services for capital raising, financial solutions, mergers and acquisitions, and financial engineering to ensure maximum business and stockholder returns. Provided to mid-cap and SME companies, investment groups, family offices, and financial institutions in the MENA region.
• Management Consulting Performance optimization and operational efficiency consulting including financial advisory, digital transformation, human resources, and project management services. Provided to enterprise and mid-market clients across MENA.
• Strategy Advisory Strategic formulation and implementation consulting for startups to industry leaders, covering market entry, growth strategy, business model design, and marketing strategy. Provided across MENA and emerging markets.
• Development Advisory Real estate development advisory services with hands-on experience in mixed-use hospitality and lifestyle projects, covering conception, delivery, and asset management. Provided to developers, investors, and property owners.
• Hospitality Advisory Hotel asset management, operator search and selection, feasibility studies, and investment transaction advisory for the hospitality sector, serving hotel owners, investors, and operators in MENA.
• Real Estate Advisory Comprehensive real estate advisory covering market research, financial modeling, due diligence, and industry research for green-field, brown-field, and income-generating properties, serving developers, investors, and property owners.
• Retail & Restauration Advisory Franchise development, management consulting, investment advisory, and operational support for retail and restauration businesses ranging from startups to established chains.
• Sports & Entertainment Advisory Business planning, strategy development, franchise development, digital media transformation, and brand management for sports and entertainment sectors.
• Technology & Telecom Advisory Strategy, go-to-market, business planning, and operational support for telecom providers, technology players, and government organizations across the MENAT region.
• Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Advisory Strategic planning, project management, viability assessment, and development services for healthcare estates and pharmaceutical enterprises.
• Agriculture Advisory Market research, sector expertise assessment, investment strategy, and expansion advisory for agribusiness sustainability and growth.
• Manufacturing Advisory Technical support, market reach optimization, Industry 4.0 advisory, and manufacturing strategy for operational excellence in the manufacturing sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 220+ projects completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Top-tier global strategy consultancy with a long-standing MENA office in Riyadh. Competes with The Unit for mid-cap and large-cap strategy and M&A mandates, though at a much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• McKinsey & Company: The largest global management consultancy, with significant MENA presence especially in Saudi Arabia. Competes with The Unit for transformation, economic-impact, and large-cap advisory mandates but offers a much broader service portfolio.
• Strategy& (PwC): PwC's global strategy consulting arm with deep MENA roots and strong corporate-finance and digital-transformation practices. Directly comparable service-line overlap with The Unit's four core service lines.
• Boston Consulting Group: Global top-tier consultancy with substantial MENA presence covering strategy, operations, and corporate development. An indirect competitor for high-end MENA mandates though broader in scope than The Unit.

Direct peers

• Oliver Wyman: Global consulting firm with a strong financial-services and corporate-finance advisory practice in MENA. Comparable to The Unit on capital advisory, feasibility, and transaction support for regional clients.
• Kearney: Global management consultancy with deep MENA presence covering strategy, operations, and transformation. Overlaps with The Unit on corporate finance advisory and growth-strategy work for mid-cap clients.
• FTI Consulting: Global advisory firm with strong corporate finance, restructuring, and dispute/litigation support practices. Comparable on transaction advisory, feasibility, and owner-representation work for hospitality and real estate clients.
• Alvarez & Marsal: Global professional services firm specializing in turnaround, restructuring, and corporate finance advisory. Highly comparable to The Unit on M&A advisory, valuation, and balance-sheet restructuring mandates for mid-cap clients.
• Roland Berger: German-origin global strategy and management consultancy with a strong Middle East practice. Directly comparable to The Unit on corporate strategy, M&A, and operational restructuring mandates across emerging markets.

Regional players

• Synergy Consulting: MENA-focused boutique advisory firm providing corporate finance, M&A, and feasibility services — a closely comparable regional specialist in mid-cap M&A and infrastructure transactions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Unit