IAB spoke to Wahaj Siddiqui, managing director, Oblique Consult about their approach to providing specialised cross-border business and tax advisory services. Siddiqui offers a case study highlighting how his organisation has assisted a dark kitchen catering provider in navigating the complexities of expanding into the MENA market with ‘ease of doing business’.

When a venture-backed US dark kitchen operator targeted simultaneous expansion into UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, they faced formidable obstacles. With no established regional presence and the need to grow, the stakes were exceptionally high. After evaluating several global advisory firms, including a “Big Four” candidate, they selected our boutique practice—recognising that our agility, personalized approach and round-the-clock availability would deliver what larger firms could not: speed without sacrificing quality.

Complex cross-border requirements

The client’s multi-jurisdictional entry presented intricate challenges:

• Regulatory complexity: Each country required distinct licensing structures, ownership arrangements, and compliance frameworks
• Financial architecture: No existing regional banking relationships, accounting systems, or reporting mechanisms
• Tax optimisation: Need for sophisticated structuring to manage cross-border transactions efficiently
• Operational hurdles: Essential back-office functions needed immediate implementation during critical growth phase 

Our integrated solution

Rather than providing standardised services, we embedded ourselves as an extension of the client’s team:

Strategic financial leadership

• Truly embedded partnership: Delivered partner-level financial leadership from day one, with 24/7 availability that larger firms typically reserve for their biggest clients
• Seamless time Zone integration: Maintained continuous operations across US and Middle East time zones, with team members working flexible hours to ensure real-time communication
• Cross-border coordination: Facilitated immediate alignment between US headquarters and regional operations through dedicated communication channels

Tax & structural optimisation

• Holding company architecture: Engineered UAE-based regional headquarters leveraging favourable treaty networks
• VAT efficiency: Implemented strategic grouping structures, reducing compliance burden
• Transfer pricing framework: Developed comprehensive documentation with practical implementation protocols
• Future-proofed structure: Incorporated contingency planning for evolving regional tax landscapes

Operational excellence

• Systems implementation: Deployed cloud-based financial infrastructure integrating US GAAP requirements with local reporting standards
• Process design: Created comprehensive financial workflows balancing control requirements with operational efficiency
• Knowledge transfer: Conducted structured training programs ensuring seamless transition to in-house capabilities

The boutique advantage

Our approach delivered distinct benefits impossible to achieve with larger, less flexible advisors:

• Rapid response: Decision-making measured in hours, not days or weeks
• Senior involvement: Partners and senior managers directly engaged in the engagement
• Cultural intelligence: Deep understanding of both Western business expectations and local market realities
• Adaptive approach: Services evolved organically as client needs shifted from establishment to optimization

Measurable impact

Seven years later, the partnership continues to deliver exceptional results:

• Financial efficiency: Significant tax optimization through strategic entity structuring
• Accelerated timeline: Market entry achieved faster than industry standards
• Streamlined reporting: Month-end close process reduced from months to weeks
• Compliance excellence: Spotless regulatory record maintained across all jurisdictions
• Sustained growth: Evolution from startup to regional leader with multi-country expansion
• Operational reliability: Robust systems maintaining exceptional accuracy despite high transaction volumes

The strategic partnership advantage

Today, as the client stands among the region’s dominant food-tech operators, our continuing advisory role illustrates the value of selecting the right-sized partner. While larger firms might have offered recognised brand names, they simply could not match our boutique practice’s hallmark attributes: personalised service across time zones, rapid response regardless of the hour, and a consistent team that truly understood the client’s business inside and out.

This case demonstrates how specialised advisory firms can deliver extraordinary value by becoming true partners in their clients’ success journeys—providing not just technical solutions, but the speed, commitment, and cultural intelligence essential for conquering challenging new markets.

For further information visit: www.obliqueconsult.com/about-us