Fractional Launches Executive Search for Dubai & GCC SMEs
Fractional, the fractional executive search partner for Dubai’s SMEs, has officially launched in the GCC. Founded by Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd, both former fractional executives with senior leadership experience across the GCC, UK and Singapore, Fractional brings together more than 350 curated and vetted fractional executives as part of a rapidly growing collective, spanning CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CTOs, CHROs and more. Fractional matches each business with C-suite talent suited to its stage, industry and challenge, embedded directly into the business to take ownership of a function and deliver results without the commitment of a full-time hire. The launch marks a significant moment for the GCC’s SME and start-up economy, introducing a model of executive leadership that has reshaped business growth internationally to a market where the need for it has never been greater.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fractional Launches as the Fractional Executive Search Partner for the GCC’s SMEs
Matching GCC SMEs with curated, vetted C-suite leaders, embedded directly into the business to deliver real results, without the commitment of a full-time hire
Dubai, UAE, 1st July 2026 – Fractional, the fractional executive search partner for Dubai’s SMEs, has officially launched in the GCC. Founded by Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd, both former fractional executives with senior leadership experience across the GCC, UK and Singapore, Fractional brings together more than 350 curated and vetted fractional executives as part of a rapidly growing collective, spanning CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CTOs, CHROs and more. Fractional matches each business with C-suite talent suited to its stage, industry and challenge, embedded directly into the business to take ownership of a function and deliver results without the commitment of a full-time hire. The launch marks a significant moment for the GCC’s SME and start-up economy, introducing a model of executive leadership that has reshaped business growth internationally to a market where the need for it has never been greater.
A Proven Model. A Global Reset.
The fractional leadership model is not new. The global fractional market is now estimated at around $5.7 billion and growing at roughly 14% a year (DataIntelo), making it the leadership model of choice for SMEs worldwide. Fractional C-suite profiles on LinkedIn grew from around 2,000 in 2022 to more than 142,000 by January 2025 (Armstrong Craven), reflecting a fundamental shift in how businesses access senior leadership. Gartner forecasts that by 2027 more than 30% of midsize enterprises will have at least one fractional executive on retainer.
In the UAE, where SMEs account for around 94% of all businesses (UAE Ministry of Economy), the conditions that drove that adoption internationally are now firmly present. Fractional brings that proven model to the GCC, giving regional businesses access to the same calibre of on-demand C-suite leadership that has driven growth globally.
Built for GCC SMEs. Flexible by Design.
Fractional has curated the model around the commercial realities of the region’s SMEs. Growing businesses need senior expertise, but full-time C-suite hiring is often neither necessary nor feasible: the cost and commitment are high and the agility to respond to changing conditions is essential. Fractional gives businesses access to senior leadership at the level they actually need, through flexible engagements that can support project work, interim cover, specialist mandates, funding rounds, scale-up, restructuring and leadership transitions. Whether that means one day a month, three days a week, or a defined engagement, the model scales up or down as priorities shift. Engagements operate with no visa burden, no insurance burden, no end-of-service liability and one month's notice. At around 60% less than the cost of a full-time C-suite hire on average, the model gives SMEs the commercial freedom to access the right senior leadership at the right time. As the business evolves, the leadership support evolves with it.
A Curated Network. Matched to the Challenge.
Behind the model is a curated and vetted collective of more than 350 senior executives across every function, many with leadership experience at Fortune 500 companies. Every engagement is built around precision, matching each SME with the executive best suited to its specific stage, industry and challenge, whether that is a CFO for a funding round, a COO to scale operations, a CMO for growth, or senior cover during a leadership transition.
From initial brief to deployment, the right executive is matched and embedded within weeks, hands-on from day one. These are leaders who have faced the problems SMEs are facing, solved them before, and embed directly into the business with the support, structure and governance needed so that both the SME and the fractional executive are fully supported for success.
Battle-Tested. Ready for What’s Next.
The executives in the collective have built their experience across the full spectrum of business conditions, from periods of rapid growth, fundraising and market expansion, to downturns, restructurings and periods of rapid change, including turnaround and crisis-management specialists available at short notice. That experience makes SMEs more resilient: easy to start, easy to adjust, with immediate access to the right specialist when conditions shift. It also prepares businesses for what is coming next, from AI adoption to market change, with leaders who have already navigated it.
The Ecosystem Advantage. A Stronger Bench.
What ultimately sets Fractional apart is the collective behind every engagement. Fractional invests in its clients by investing in its collective, with regular events, peer collaboration, mentoring and shared learning keeping every executive connected, supported and positioned to execute at the highest level. Every executive embedded in a business is supported by the wider ecosystem, bringing external perspective that surfaces blind spots and opportunities a long-standing team can sometimes miss, while giving SMEs access to a stronger bench of leaders. Depending on the needs of the business, a client can draw on a single executive or a small team, with each engagement backed by the experience and support of the whole collective.
Rhys Holding, Co-Founder of Fractional, said: “Having built, operated and sold an SME myself, I understand how heavy the leadership gap can become. Across the GCC, 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 was built to change that. We give businesses access to flexible C-suite talent that embeds directly into the business, while backing every engagement with the support, structure and governance needed to help it succeed. We are building a collective of senior executives that stands behind the businesses we serve.”
Sam Loyd, Co-Founder of Fractional, added: “The fractional model is well established in mature markets and the results speak for themselves. The GCC 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 is the structured, collective response to that demand, and the timing of this launch reflects exactly where the market is heading.”
Fractional now brings its model to the UAE and wider GCC market, building on an established collective of senior fractional executives and direct experience delivering fractional leadership inside SMEs. The business serves companies across all industries, with a particular focus on SMEs and Start-ups with 10 to 200 employees navigating critical points of growth, transition or leadership change. Typical client scenarios include preparing for a funding round, professionalising operations, entering a new market, replacing or supplementing leadership, managing a defined project, or needing specialist executive support without hiring full-time.
With more than 350 curated and vetted fractional executives and a clear mission to become the defining name in fractional leadership across the GCC and beyond, Fractional is redefining how SMEs across the GCC access and deploy senior leadership in a market that has never needed it more.
-ENDS-
About Fractional
Fractional is the fractional executive search partner for the region's SMEs, with a curated and vetted collective of more than 350 senior executives. Founded by Rhys Holding and Sam Loyd, the business connects SMEs and Start-ups across the UAE and wider GCC with C-suite talent across finance, operations, technology, marketing, people and growth, matched to the stage, industry and challenge of each business. Each executive embeds directly into the business to advise, execute and take ownership of outcomes, delivering senior leadership without the commitment of a full-time hire. Engagements are flexible by design and can scale up or down as business priorities evolve. Executives can be engaged for project work, interim cover or specialist mandates, with engagements structured to give businesses the commercial freedom of senior leadership without the overhead of permanent employment. Through its collective, regular events, peer collaboration, mentoring and shared learning, Fractional provides the support, structure and governance needed to help every engagement succeed. Its mission is to become the defining name in fractional leadership across the GCC and beyond.
Website: www.fractional-dubai.com
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