In 2024, the Middle East recorded 823 M&A deals, with a total value of approximately USD 63.96bn. Findings from the CMS Middle East M&A 2024/25 Report, published in cooperation with Mergermarket, demonstrate a strong and stable M&A market at a high activity level, suggesting a return to a “new normal” following the post-COVID 19 surge of activity in 2022.

Highlights include:

• In 2024, the Middle East recorded 823 M&A deals, with a total value of approximately USD 63.96bn. Findings from the Report, demonstrate a strong and stable M&A market at a high activity level, suggesting a return to a “new normal” following the post-COVID 19 surge of activity in 2022.
• The Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) sector has dominated M&A activity in the region for the past half-decade, and 2024 was no different. With 227 deals, it saw more than double the transaction volume of the next busiest sector, Industrials & Chemicals.
• The UAE remains the busiest M&A market in the Arab world, recording 130 deals worth USD 11.68bn in 2024. Although a far cry from the immediate post-Covid era (in 2022 UAE had 170 deals at nearly USD 32 bn), deal activity sits comfortably above the average from before that era.

The report is also available at cms.law