Research
GCC Independent Consulting Market Report — 2026 Edition
The market-size, talent-supply, and rate figures behind the shift to independent consulting in the Gulf — collected in one place, each reported for the period it was published for.
Selectra Research · Last updated
Headline Figures
+142%[5]
MENA freelancer registrations (since 2022)
40–60%[14]
Independent cost advantage vs top-tier firm rates
15–20%[15]
Annual churn at MBB and Big 4 firms
47%[9]
Share of PE value creation from operations (since 2010)
Figures are as originally published for the periods stated. Each section below links to the Selectra research note it is drawn from.
01 — Market
Market size and growth
The Gulf Cooperation Council's management consulting market reached an estimated $7.4 billion in 2024, with industry projections placing the figure above $8.3 billion by the close of 2025. The drivers are structural rather than cyclical: sovereign-led economic diversification, regulatory modernisation, and an unprecedented pipeline of giga-scale projects. Within that market, the share of advisory spend flowing to independent consultants and curated networks — rather than to traditional firms — is growing at roughly twice the rate of the overall market.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| GCC consulting market, 2024 | $7.4 billion |
| GCC consulting market, projected 2025 | Above $8.3 billion |
| Saudi consulting market, 2022 | Approximately $2 billion |
| Saudi consulting market, 2024 | $4.3 billion |
| Saudi growth, 2022 to 2024 | More than doubled |
Deal activity and sovereign capital form a second demand engine. M&A volume in the GCC surged to $72.7 billion in the first eleven months of 2025 (up 170% on the same period a year earlier), and Middle East sovereign wealth funds — holding a combined $4.9 trillion in assets under management — are shifting from passive, minority-stake investments to active, control-oriented positions that require hands-on operational leadership.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| GCC M&A volume, Jan–Nov 2025 | $72.7 billion, up 170% year-on-year |
| GCC PE market, current | Approximately $4.2 billion |
| GCC PE market, projected 2033 | $7.6 billion |
| Middle East sovereign wealth fund AUM (2024 peak) | $4.9 trillion |
| Sovereign wealth fund deployment, 2023 | Approximately $82 billion |
| Share of PE value creation from operations, since 2010 | 47%, up from roughly 18% in the 1980s |
As published in The Rise of Independent Consulting in the GCC and Why PE Funds Are Rethinking Operating Partner Talent Models.
02 — Supply
The talent supply shift
Supply is being reshaped by departures from the traditional firms. Annual churn at MBB and Big 4 firms runs 15–20%. McKinsey has reduced headcount by roughly 5,000 roles between 2023 and 2025, largely through attrition and performance management. Burnout, sales pressure — business development typically consumes 60% or more of a partner's time — and the up-or-out promotion model are the most cited reasons for leaving; 78% of consulting professionals express a preference for remote or hybrid working arrangements.
Where does that talent go? Industry tracking of MBB alumni consistently shows the two most common destinations are independent practice and operating roles at smaller companies, from startups to portfolio businesses; the remainder scatter across corporate strategy functions, PE operating teams, and other professional services firms.
The same shift shows on the registration side. MENA freelancer registrations have surged 142% since 2022, and the UAE now counts more than 100,000 licensed freelancers — roughly triple the number three years earlier. Client relationships travel with the individual: industry estimates suggest approximately 80% of client relationships are maintained when a trusted advisor transitions to independent practice.
As published in Why Traditional Firms Are Losing Senior Talent and The Rise of Independent Consulting in the GCC.
03 — Rates
Rate economics
A senior partner-level consultant at a top-tier strategy firm typically bills at $800 to $1,500 per hour. The same calibre of professional, operating independently or through a curated network, typically charges $300 to $500 per hour — a 40–60% cost advantage for the client. The gap exists because traditional firms carry global office networks, large bench workforces, and partner profit-distribution models that require high utilisation at high rates.
| Provider | Typical hourly rate | Client cost position |
|---|---|---|
| Senior partner-level consultant at a top-tier strategy firm | $800–1,500 | Baseline |
| Same calibre of professional operating independently or through a curated network | $300–500 | 40–60% below baseline |
From the consultant's side, the same hour looks different again. A senior engagement manager or associate partner may have an effective compensation of $100 to $250 per hour, against the $800 to $1,500 the firm charges for that time — a 3 to 5 times markup. A consultant who leaves and bills clients directly at $200 to $500 per hour can earn more than they did as an employee while saving the client 30–50% or more against the firm's rate.
| Measure | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Rate charged to the client by a major firm | $800–1,500 |
| Effective compensation of the consultant delivering the work | $100–250 |
| Resulting markup | 3–5× |
| Rate charged by the same consultant working independently | $200–500 |
As published in The Rise of Independent Consulting in the GCC and Why Traditional Firms Are Losing Senior Talent.
04 — Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia focus
Saudi Arabia's $4.3 billion consulting market represents more than half of the GCC total — a market that has more than doubled since 2022. The Kingdom's active project pipeline is estimated at $1.3 to $1.7 trillion, with US$196 billion in giga-project contract awards recorded to date. The nature of demand has changed as well: where the early Vision 2030 years (2016–2020) called for masterplans and feasibility studies, the emphasis has moved decisively toward execution — programme implementation, capability building inside newly created government entities, and technology integration.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Active project pipeline | $1.3–1.7 trillion |
| Giga-project contract awards | US$196 billion |
| NEOM | $500 billion |
| Diriyah Gate | $63 billion |
| Projected skilled-worker shortage by 2030 (Korn Ferry) | 663,000 workers |
| Unrealised annual revenue if the gap is not closed | $206.77 billion |
| Saudization requirement for professional roles at consulting firms | 40% |
Korn Ferry projects that the Kingdom will face a shortage of 663,000 skilled workers by 2030, representing approximately $206.77 billion in unrealised annual revenue if the gap is not closed. Within consulting specifically, approximately 58% of firms operating in Saudi Arabia report difficulty filling technology-related roles, and some 46% report that recruitment has become harder year-over-year. A 40% Saudization requirement for professional roles at consulting firms adds a further constraint — and a structural opportunity for networks that can credential and deploy Saudi nationals trained at top-tier firms.
As published in Giga-Projects and the Consulting Talent Gap.
05 — Implications
What it means for buyers
Read together, the figures describe a market where the consultant an organisation wants is increasingly available outside the firm — at a materially lower rate and on a shorter timeline. The positions below are the ones Selectra operates to.
| Measure | Position |
|---|---|
| Cost position versus traditional consulting firm rates | 40–60% lower |
| Brief to shortlist | 3–5 qualified profiles within 3–5 business days |
| Urgent placements | Accelerated to 48 hours |
| Engagement range | 2-week sprints to 12+ month mandates |
| Vetting applied to every consultant | Background verification, competency assessment, reference checks |
| Fractional operating partner saving versus a full-time hire | 60–70% |
| Full-time operating partner, total annual compensation | Approximately $600,000 |
The economics run in both directions. Independents choose the projects they take and typically earn more per hour than they did as employees of larger firms, which is why the supply of senior talent outside the firms keeps growing. Consultants can apply to the network here →
As published in Why PE Funds Are Rethinking Operating Partner Talent Models and Why Traditional Firms Are Losing Senior Talent.
Cite This Report
Suggested citation
Selectra Strategy, "GCC Independent Consulting Market Report", selectrastrategy.com/market-report — figures as originally published for the periods stated.
Sources & Methodology
- [1]Source Global Research — GCC consulting market size and growth — $7.4bn in 2024, up 13.3%, with 2025 growth forecast as high as 12% (2025)
- [2]Consultancy-me.com — GCC consulting market projected above $8.3bn in 2025; Saudi Arabia at $4.3bn in 2024, up 14.1% (2025)
- [3]The National — GCC consulting revenue forecast of $8.3bn for 2025 and Saudi Arabia reaching $4.3bn in 2024 (2025)
- [4]The National — Saudi consulting market revenue of $2.1bn in 2022, against a GCC total of $3.87bn (2023)
- [5]The National, reporting Outsized data — MENA freelance registrations up 142%, measured from 2022 to 2023 (2024)
- [6]A&O Shearman, Global M&A Insights — GCC M&A of $72.7bn across 554 transactions to 1 December 2025, up 170% on the 2024 total (2025)
- [7]PwC Middle East — Middle East sovereign wealth fund assets under management reaching a peak of $4.9tn in 2024 (2024)
- [8]Deloitte Middle East — Gulf sovereign wealth funds deploying $82bn in 2023, and a further $55bn in the first nine months of 2024 (2025)
- [9]PwC US — 47% of private equity value creation coming from operations since 2010, up from 18% in the 1980s (attributed to the Institute for Private Capital) (2024)
- [10]Korn Ferry — Saudi Arabia short of 663,000 highly skilled workers by 2030, and US$206.77bn of unrealised revenue at that date (2018)
- [11]Knight Frank — Saudi giga-project contract awards of US$196bn, up 20% on 2024, and Diriyah's US$63bn total project value (2025)
- [12]Turner & Townsend — Saudi project pipeline valued at over US$1.7tn (2025)
- [13]Consultancy-me.com — The second phase of Saudization in consulting, lifting the target for Saudi nationals in covered professional roles to 40% from March 2024 (2024)
- [14]Business Talent Group — Average savings of 47–49% against strategy suppliers and 48–63% across team-configuration scenarios, supporting the 40–60% cost position (2019)
- [15]Selectra Strategy analysis of industry data — Annual churn at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain; the destination split of tracked MBB departures; indicative hourly rate benchmarks; and UAE licensed-freelancer counts — figures we could not tie to a citable public source at the time of writing (2024–2025)
Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources named above and are reproduced as originally published, each for its own reference period — they are not restated onto a common base year, and readers comparing across years should check the underlying publications. Where a figure could not be tied to a public source it is attributed to Selectra Strategy analysis of industry data rather than to a publisher. The report is reviewed and updated as new data is published.
Get In Touch
Putting these numbers to work
Tell us what you need. We'll have a shortlist to you in 3–5 business days.
Discuss your talent needs →