Quit PwC Dubai to go boutique. Bet pays off – Dhruva winning in Middle East

• Hi, I’m Nimish Goel, Middle East Leader at Dhruva Consultants based in Dubai.
• In 2018, I quit PwC Dubai to join Dinesh Kanabar’s Dhruva —  a newcomer in the UAE.
• People called my move risky, naive. They said, “The Big 4 dominate the UAE,”…But I saw a white space.
• Today, we are 130+ strong, all top-tier Big 4 professionals— and Dhruva is now the ONLY boutique firm giving the Big 4 a real fight in the Middle East!

Let’s rewind: India to Ireland to Dubai

My tax journey started in 2003 with EY India.

A few years later, I moved to KPMG Ireland, gaining international experience, but eventually returned to India.

What next? I was itching for a bold career move.

My dad always told me, “Even if you don’t become wildly successful, always think big.” And that mindset has shaped everything.

So, I joined a friend’s firm in India and helped scale it from 20 to 100 people in six years. It was pure hustle, and I loved it.

But by 2016, I was hungry to work with larger, more complex clients.

Interestingly, a former colleague from my Ireland days calls up: “VAT is being introduced to the UAE. We need people like you.”

It made perfect sense as I was ready for a reset and a new challenge!

In 2017, I packed my bags and joined PwC Dubai as a Tax Director.

Phone call that changes everything…

Just 10 months in at PwC Dubai, I get a call from Dhruva. Yes, the same Dinesh Kanabar’s Dhruva that was Big in India.

They had bold ambitions for the Middle East and wanted me to join as a Partner.

Dhruva had a great brand equity in India…But in the UAE? They were the new kid on the block.

I, too, was relatively new to the region with no legacy clients, no deep relationships.

But Dinesh and I aligned on one thing: We weren’t here to play in the boys’ league. We were aiming for the men’s league.

Targeting big, high-quality clients from Day 1.

I knew I would eventually make Partner at PwC, but this was my shot at building something from scratch.

On June 14, 2018, I took the leap (against all advice) and joined Dhruva Dubai.

Competing in a market dominated by Big 4s

It wasn’t easy!

Back in 2018, most large clients in the UAE wouldn’t even look beyond the Big 4, forget boutique.

Good thing? We were “unapologetic about being a boutique”.

And yes, we went after some of the biggest names out there.

I used to walk into rooms, look the CFO in the eye, and say it straight, “Look, we eat, drink and breathe tax. If it’s tax, nobody can deliver better than us.”

And I say this with pride: 95% of our clients have moved from Big 4 to us.

Of course, that didn’t happen overnight.

Timeline building Dhruva Middle East

2017–2018: Laying the groundwork

When I joined, Dhruva had just entered the UAE with a 15-member team and one Partner. I was the second.

From Day 1, we positioned ourselves as a premium tax advisory firm.

Our strategy? Do not pitch, educate the market.

We broke down tax laws in plain English. No jargon.

Our first major client moved with me from PwC. I’ll never forget what the CFO said: “It’s a risk leaving the Big 4. But I believe in you.”

That one client gave us confidence.

2019–2020: Building credibility

The next two years were all about trust and consistency.

By 2020, we were a 30-member team with two partners.

Yes, we grew slowly but steadily.

By 2021…

We were no longer “just another boutique.”

We were a real alternative to the Big 4.

Then in 2022, the game changed

Corporate Tax was announced. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing.

Even companies that hadn’t worked with us on VAT began reaching out.

That’s when we launched our Corporate Tax and Transfer Pricing verticals and began hiring fast.

2023–2025: Scaling at Speed

Most of our new clients and new hires came through word of mouth.

We opened an Abu Dhabi office, launched a KPO in India, and 2025, expanded into Saudi Arabia.

Today, Dhruva is the largest boutique tax advisory firm in the GCC, with 130+ professionals and 10+ partners!

Now, what did we do right at Dhruva…

Building a boutique firm in a market ruled by the Big 4 wasn’t about luck. It was about deliberate choices.

Crystal clear on “who we’re not”

We decided:

• We won’t chase mid-tier clients just to fill the pipeline.
• We won’t dilute our focus with too many service lines.
• We won’t compromise on the quality of our people.

That clarity helped us build a premium positioning early and stick to it.

If a client said, “But can you also do an audit?” we said no.

If someone asked, “Can you work at 40% of Big 4 fees?” we walked away.

Focused only on Tax

While others tried to be “full-service,” we stuck to our strength: tax, and only tax.

It also made our brand simple to understand: If it’s tax, Dhruva can solve it.

Refused to play the pricing game

A lot of new firms try to undercut the Big 4 on price. We didn’t.

Instead:

• We priced it at a premium because our work backed it.
• We offered direct access to senior leaders
• And we promised zero surprises, technically or commercially.

Clients respected it.

Put senior talent on the job, not just in the pitch

We were clear with clients from day one: You won’t be handed off to a junior analyst or an assistant manager.

• Partners lead engagements
• Senior directors stay deeply involved
• Our team? Managers who’ve run large accounts in India and globally.

This is our strategy: deep experience, senior attention, and real accountability.

Hired strategically — and paid what it took

We knew one thing early on: to attract the best clients, you need the best talent.

And the best talent? They won’t come for less, especially when they can get a higher salary or a fatter bonus elsewhere.

• We paid at Big 4 levels, sometimes above
• We brought in Big 4 talent with deep technical and market expertise
• Our Middle East team/ Partners are all from the Big 4

We also launched a KPO in India to power our GCC growth and bring scale; again, Big 4 folks!

Built a culture that keeps talent

Money gets talent in the door. Culture is what makes them stay.

At Dhruva, our culture is built on:

• Zero micromanagement, everyone owns their work
• No internal politics
• Real rewards we incentivise those who deliver
• Transparent growth merit is clear, and wins are shared

Well, it wasn’t an easy route!

Building trust from scratch without legacy clients or brand equity in the UAE was tough.

We had to earn trust.

Even today, despite working with some of the region’s largest companies, many still ask, “What is Dhruva?”

That’s why brand building and visibility have been constant priorities.

We faced plenty of rejection. Many times, the pitch would go great, but the client would fall back to a Big 4 name.

That’s just how legacy thinking works, especially in a conservative market like the UAE.

We kept refining and kept showing up.

Hiring senior Big 4 talent to join an unknown boutique was another big hurdle.

People ask the obvious question: “Why should I leave a Big 4 and join a boutique no one’s heard of in the UAE?”

I still remember our first big hire, our VAT Partner. He isn’t Indian and was with a leading Big 4 firm at the time.

When we first spoke, he hadn’t even heard of Dhruva.

But he bought into our vision.

And once we got the first few right? Momentum snowballed.

What’s next for Dhruva Middle East?

UAE: From zero tax in 2018 to VAT, Excise, Corporate Tax, and Transfer Pricing, this market has transformed in seven years.

It’s been a game-changer for firms like us who live and breathe tax.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: If the UAE is big, Saudi Arabia is 3x!

Corporate Tax has been in effect in Saudi Arabia for more than 20 years. But now? With Vision 2030 and the booming economy, every global business wants a piece of Saudi Arabia.

Well, and that means they need serious tax expertise.

Again, Saudi isn’t plug-and-play; it requires serious commitment:

• Arabic-speaking talent
• On-ground presence
• Understanding Saudization

We have massive expansion plans for Saudi Arabia. 

First, we’re building deep capabilities in Riyadh and next in Jeddah, supported by our India team.

Qatar: With VAT expected soon and Corporate Tax already in place, Qatar is primed for transformation and we’re ready.

So, next bets?

• Focused on UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, our core markets
• Building a strong regional team to support the wider Middle East
• And yes, we’re doubling down on tax technology to power this next phase of growth. More on that soon.

And you’re never too late…

When we entered the UAE, the Big 4 were already well established. On paper, we were late.

Today, we’re the leading boutique tax advisory firm in the region, giving the Big 4 a tough competition.

Even today, people tell me, “You’re late to Saudi.”

You’re never late if your strategy is right!

All you have to do is….

• Be committed: This is a relationship-driven region. You can’t fly in quarterly and expect results.
• Don’t compete on price: Clients here respect value, not discounts. Low fees hurt everyone.
• Build a Diverse Team: 25% of our UAE team is non-Indian. That diversity matters.

The Middle East and India are among the fastest-growing economies globally.

Be bold to tap into opportunities as an employee or a business, but always with the right strategy.