Is Managing People Holding Back Your Business Growth?
Get strategic HR leadership and UAE compliance expertise without hiring a full-time HR director
Why SME HR Feels Overwhelming for UAE Entrepreneurs
Your business growth is limited by common people management challenges:
No in-house HR expertise
leaving you handling complex employment issues without proper guidance
UAE compliance confusion
with Emiratization deadlines and labour law changes creating legal risks
Messy roles and policies
causing employee confusion and potential legal exposure
High staff turnover
costing you money and disrupting business operations constantly
The solution isn't hoping these problems disappear or trying to become an HR expert yourself. It's getting part-time access to strategic people leadership that understands SME realities and UAE requirements.
What Is a Fractional CHRO for SMEs?
A fractional CHRO is an experienced people strategy leader who provides part-time HR expertise to your business. Think senior-level HR guidance and UAE compliance support without the cost of hiring a full-time HR director.
Strategic people planning, not just HR administration
UAE compliance expertise tailored for SMEs and startups
Employee engagement systems that work for smaller teams
Cost-effective alternative to expensive full-time HR hires
Here's what makes us different:
Professional HR guidance at a fraction of full-time director cost
Improved staff retention and workplace culture
UAE law compliance without expensive legal consultations
Scalable people systems that grow with your business
Critical People Management Challenges We Solve for Dubai Businesses
UAE Labour Law Compliance for Business Owners
The Challenge:
SMEs struggle with UAE employment laws including mandatory contracts, health insurance requirements, and changing regulations without dedicated HR staff to track updates.
Our Solution:
We provide SME-focused compliance frameworks, policy templates, and ongoing legal updates specifically designed for companies with 10-50 employees, ensuring you stay compliant without expensive legal fees.
Emiratization Requirements for SMEs
The Challenge:
Companies with 20-49 employees must hire 1 Emirati by 2024 and 2 by 2025, but businesses often lack recruitment expertise or knowledge of Emirati talent markets.
Our Solution:
We develop practical Emiratization strategies for SMEs, including targeted recruitment approaches, competitive package design, and integration programmes that work within SME budgets and structures.
Employee Retention on Business Budgets
The Challenge:
SMEs face 30-40% annual turnover rates due to limited career paths, basic benefits packages, and lack of professional development, making recruitment costs unsustainable.
Our Solution:
We design cost-effective retention strategies including flexible benefits, career development pathways, and engagement programmes that work for smaller teams and budgets, typically reducing turnover by 40-60%.
Managing International Teams as a Business
The Challenge:
Dubai SMEs often have 5-10 different nationalities in small teams, creating communication challenges, cultural conflicts, and management complexity without HR infrastructure.
Our Solution:
We create simple but effective cultural integration frameworks, communication protocols, and team management systems specifically designed for small, diverse teams in Dubai's multicultural environment.
Businesses We Help - Growing Companies Across Dubai & UAE
From tech startups to established family businesses, we provide practical HR expertise for small and medium enterprises.
Tech Startups & Scale-ups
Software companies and SaaS platforms, mobile app developers and digital agencies, fintech and blockchain startups, e-commerce and marketplace businesses, AI and emerging technology companies.
Professional Services SMEs
Small consulting and advisory firms, independent legal practices, accounting and bookkeeping services, marketing agencies and creative studios, engineering and architectural consultancies.
Healthcare & Wellness Practices
Independent medical and dental clinics, physiotherapy and wellness centres, alternative medicine practitioners, healthcare technology companies, medical device distributors.
Trading & Distribution Companies
Import/export and trading businesses, product distribution companies, retail suppliers and wholesalers, food and beverage distributors, industrial equipment suppliers.
Hospitality & Service Businesses
Independent restaurants and cafe chains, boutique hotels and serviced apartments, tourism and travel agencies, entertainment and event companies, personal services businesses.
Family-Owned Enterprises
Manufacturing and production companies, construction and contracting firms, retail and fashion businesses, property development companies, traditional trading houses.
Why SMEs Choose Our Part-Time HR Leadership
Immediate Impact for Small Teams
Start improving your people management within 2 weeks, not months of trying to hire and onboard a full-time HR manager.
Proven Results for SMEs
Our fractional CHROs help SMEs reduce staff turnover by 40-60% while improving productivity and workplace satisfaction.
SME Focused Expertise
Deep understanding of SME challenges, resource constraints, and practical solutions that work for companies with 10-100 employees.
UAE SME Compliance
Specialised knowledge of UAE employment laws as they apply to SMEs, including simplified Emiratization strategies and cost-effective compliance solutions.
Scalable Investment
Start with basic HR support and scale up as you grow—no long-term commitments or expensive full-time executive overhead when you're not ready.
SME HR Readiness Assessment
Discover how our part-time CHRO service can solve your people management challenges and support business growth.
How This Assessment Works
You'll see 18 scenarios describing common business challenges
Rate how often each scenario applies to your business
Get personalized recommendations based on your responses
Takes about 3-5 minutes to complete
Expert CHRO Insights
Latest insights and strategies from our CHRO experts
Get answers to common questions about fractional CHRO services in Dubai
A fractional CHRO is a senior HR leader who provides strategic people management to your business on a part-time basis. Dubai SMEs need fractional CHROs because: they can't justify a full-time HR director's AED 40,000-50,000 monthly cost, UAE employment laws require expert compliance guidance, Emiratization rules now apply to companies with 20+ employees, and professional HR systems prevent costly employee relations problems that can cripple businesses.
A full-time HR manager in Dubai costs AED 15,000-25,000 monthly plus benefits, whilst a senior HR director costs AED 40,000-50,000 monthly. Our fractional CHRO services provide senior-level expertise starting from a fraction of these costs, with flexible engagements from 8-20 hours per week. You get strategic HR leadership, compliance expertise, and proven systems without the overhead of full-time employment, visa costs, or long-term commitments.
Yes, we specialise in Emiratization strategies for SMEs. Companies with 20-49 employees must hire 1 Emirati by 2024 and 2 by 2025. We help SMEs by developing targeted recruitment strategies for Emirati talent, creating competitive packages within SME budgets, designing effective integration and development programmes, ensuring compliance whilst building genuine value for both the business and Emirati employees.
Our fractional CHROs help SMEs with: creating essential HR policies and employee handbooks, UAE labour law compliance and risk management, practical Emiratization planning for 20+ employee companies, employee retention strategies and engagement programmes, recruitment and hiring process improvement, performance management system setup, compensation benchmarking for Dubai market competitiveness, workplace culture development for small teams, and HR technology recommendations for growing businesses.
Consider a fractional CHRO when your business has: 10+ employees and growing, high employee turnover or recruitment challenges, no formal HR policies or procedures, UAE compliance concerns or Emiratization requirements, founder/owner spending 20%+ time on people issues, employee conflicts or performance management problems, plans for rapid growth or external investment. Early professional HR guidance prevents expensive mistakes and builds stronger foundations.
HR consultants typically work on specific projects like policy creation or compliance audits. A fractional CHRO provides ongoing strategic leadership, becoming part of your team to align people strategy with business growth. They take ownership of culture, employee engagement, and organisational development whilst handling day-to-day HR challenges, rather than just delivering reports and recommendations.
Fractional CHRO services are specifically designed to be affordable for SMEs. Rather than paying AED 15,000-25,000 monthly for a junior HR manager who lacks strategic experience, you get senior CHRO expertise for a fraction of the cost. Most small businesses find the investment pays for itself through reduced turnover, better compliance, improved productivity, and avoiding costly HR mistakes. We offer flexible packages that scale with your business growth.
Our fractional CHROs integrate seamlessly with small business operations by working closely with founders/owners on people strategy, providing training and guidance to managers handling people issues, establishing clear processes and communication channels, being available for urgent employee relations matters, and ensuring all HR activities support business objectives whilst staying within budget constraints. The goal is to professionalise your people management without bureaucracy.
Still have questions?
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your specific needs and get personalized answers.