Forvis Mazars Partners with Mushtari to Elevate MENA Business Exits

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 2-02-2026

2 min

Forvis Mazars Kuwait has partnered with Mushtari, a local platform for buying and selling businesses.

The tie-up combines financial advisory strength with digital tools to support valuations, exits and M&A.

Both aim to raise standards in how companies are prepared, valued and transferred.

The deal comes amid rising regional acquisition activity and demand for greater transparency.

If executed well, it could make exits less stressful for founders across the region.

Forvis Mazars Kuwait, one of the more established names in accounting and advisory, has signed a partnership agreement with Mushtari, a homegrown Kuwaiti platform focused on buying and selling businesses across public and private sectors, including the region’s unlisted markets.

The idea behind the tie-up is fairly straightforward, and honestly, quite spot on. Forvis Mazars brings its depth in financial advisory and corporate governance, while Mushtari adds its digital tools and market reach. Together, the two plan to offer joint services aimed at boosting company valuations, helping owners plan exits properly, and supporting mergers and acquisitions with both financial and strategic backing. No smoke and mirrors, just a more joined-up approach to deals.

I’ve lost count of how many founders around MENA talk about exits as if they’re a distant dream, only to realise later how much of a faff it can be without the right preparation. From what’s been shared, this partnership wants to go beyond one-off transactions and instead set higher standards for how companies are prepared, valued and transferred. That should benefit everyone involved – founders, investors and buyers alike.

That said, what makes this interesting now is the timing. The region is seeing a clear uptick in acquisition activity, and there’s a growing push towards more professional and transparent ways of transferring ownership. On the flip side, not every market player is ready for that level of discipline, so execution will be key. I reckon combining advisory muscle with a digital marketplace could help bridge that gap, if done right.

Over at Arageek, we’ve seen similar conversations pop up at founder meetups, usually over lukewarm coffee and big ambitions. The mood is shifting. People want clearer paths to growth and exits, not just headline-grabbing deals. In that sense, this agreement feels like a sensible move, and not just for Kuwait but for the wider region, too. If it delivers on its promise, some founders might even find the process a little less stresful… well, that would already be a win.

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