Dubai, January 13, 2014: ValuStrat sees the firm's business growing in 2014 as demand for strategy consulting and valuation services increase owing to more robust economic conditions this year.

“We expect regional economies to achieve stronger growth in 2014, owing to increased state spending on mega projects as well as expanded activities in the non-oil sector, specifically manufacturing, real estate and trade. The UAE for instance will witness a wave of new projects resulting from Dubai winning the World Expo 2020 bid. Qatar is in the midst of a construction boom that is driving investments in its construction, transport and tourism sectors as it prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha, while Saudi Arabia remains the region's biggest projects market, with a number of transportation and other schemes already on its way. All these will contribute to a more robust economy in each of these countries which will have a major impact on the rest of the region,” said, Shahid Umerani, Chairman, ValuStrat, the Middle East's leading provider of Strategic Advisory, Valuation and Asset Divestment services, working across a diverse and extensive range of industry sectors.

According to Umerani, companies which are willing to take advantage of the many opportunities in the pipeline will benefit from ValuStrat's consulting work. “We are constantly assessing opportunities in the market that businesses can leverage for future growth. In addition to providing insights on business growth and related viability analysis for specific projects, our team can advise potential clients on how to navigate the challenges presented in a highly dynamic and evolving global economic landscape with a solid, adaptable and sustainable strategy,” explained Umerani.

One of ValuStrat's many strengths is its ability to develop bespoke strategies which will benefit organisations at various stages of their life-cycle, allowing them not only to take advantage of opportunities but also deal with varying issues and challenges to ensure their success.

Operating in the region from its headquarters in Dubai for over 35 years, ValuStrat has provided strategy consulting and valuation services for over 750 of the Gulf's leading companies. “We have a very dynamic and forward-looking organisation that employs industry best practices, while introducing innovations of our own,” said Shahid Kazi, Chief Executive Officer, ValuStrat.

ValuStrat has expanded to key markets throughout the Gulf region, with offices in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Doha. “Our organisation has grown to over 50 consultants and line staff, and we expect to grow even more as we expand our business. We also recently entered into a joint venture agreement with Hilco Industrial which expands our business activities into industrial asset divestment projects throughout the greater Middle East and North Africa region. Hilco is one of the world's largest companies in this business and our JV with them is a testament to our commitment to provide value added services in this region,” added Kazi.

Meanwhile, Saad Mehmood, Chief Operating Officer, says ValuStrat is aggressively pursuing its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment through its pro-bono services, where it provides strategy consulting for non-profit organisations to enable them to maximise their potential and effectiveness. “Only one out of 10 non-governmental organisations deliver significant value.”

ValuStrat's Pro Bono Advisory Division works with foundations, philanthropists, companies, non-governmental organizations, social entrepreneurs and social investors to help them rethink their goals and realign their strategies to achieve greater social impact. “We offer our full suite of strategy services to social organizations, working in all sectors. And we do it all, free of cost,” Mehmood continued.

ValuStrat helps non-profits set clear objectives, understand their environment, evaluate available resources and devise suitable strategies for them to achieve superior social returns. The aim is to replicate structures from the for profit world into the non-profit world to drive and measure social value.