The verdict in three sentences
In Riyadh, part of the buyers of M&A advice now start by asking AI assistants like ChatGPT which boutiques know their sector, and the answer often differs between Arabic and English. A boutique appears when its partners, sectors, licensing status and public transactions are described consistently on its site and by credible third parties. Nobody can promise a recommendation, but a dated record of the answers shows where you stand, and this work is priced on quote.
Who asks AI assistants, and what do they ask?
Privatisations and the arrival of foreign investors linked to Vision 2030 have widened the range of buyers. Each phrases the question differently, and often in a different language.
| Profile | Language | Typical question asked to an AI assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi family group preparing a partial sale | Arabic | ما هي شركات استشارات الاندماج والاستحواذ المستقلة في الرياض؟ |
| Foreign private equity fund | English | Which independent M&A advisers in Riyadh have run buy-side mandates in healthcare? |
| Technology company founder | English | Who can advise on selling a Saudi SaaS company to a GCC strategic buyer? |
| Gulf industrial acquirer | English | Which Riyadh boutiques understand logistics and manufacturing valuations? |
| CFO of a family business | Arabic | A question on valuation before a minority investment |
| Acquirer's legal counsel | English | Is this boutique licensed to advise on securities transactions in Saudi Arabia? |
| Banker looking for a co-adviser | English | Which boutiques in Riyadh have bilingual partners for cross-border deals? |
What makes an assistant cite one boutique rather than another?
AI assistants like ChatGPT cross-check what they find. Discreet boutiques, very common in this business, leave a gap filled by the large banks and audit firms.
| Signal | What the assistant needs to find | Common gap among boutiques |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Same name, address and description in Arabic and English | Arabic and English names never linked |
| Licensing status | Clear, exact mention of the licence held | No mention, or ambiguous wording |
| Partners | Dated biographies, sectors, languages | One photo and two lines |
| Public transactions | Only announced, authorised transactions | Empty list, or logos with no context |
| Third-party mentions | Business press, associations, speaking | No trace outside the site |
| Freshness | Pages updated within the year | Departed partners still listed |
| Structured data | Organisation, people, address clearly described | Missing |
Depending on the activity, advising on and arranging securities transactions may require a Capital Market Authority licence; describe exactly what you hold. Contact data falls under the Personal Data Protection Law, enforced by SDAIA since September 2023. This is not legal advice.
What the work covers and what it costs
In broad terms: a baseline of answers in Arabic and English, aligning public information, bilingual factual pages, structured data and dated monitoring. The Arabic scope, including right-to-left layout, is set in the quote. The market is young; the ranges below are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency and consultant quotes, converted at the fixed rate of about SAR 3.75 to $1.
| Item | 2026 ballpark (USD) | Approximate equivalent (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial diagnostic, Arabic and English | 4,000 to 12,000 | 15,000 to 45,000 |
| Monthly support | 2,500 to 9,000 a month | 9,400 to 33,800 a month |
| Native Arabic copy per page | 300 to 1,000 | 1,100 to 3,750 |
| Business press relations | 3,000 to 10,000 a month | 11,250 to 37,500 a month |
| Compliance review | 1,500 to 5,000 per batch | 5,600 to 18,750 per batch |
At Kolonell, this work is priced on quote after a diagnostic.
Reading the dated record, month after month
Measurement rests on the same 20 to 30 questions, asked every month in Arabic and English, with answers archived and dated. It shows the share of answers citing the boutique, the accuracy of what is said (status, partners, sectors), the gap between the two languages and the sources the assistant relies on. A persistent gap between Arabic and English almost always signals a shortage of Arabic content. A 6 month record is the minimum to tell a trend from a one-off variation.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Najd Meridian Advisory (fictional), a three-partner boutique in Riyadh. A $8,000 diagnostic, then 6 months of support at $4,000 ($24,000), so $32,000. A single buy-side mandate for a foreign fund, paid $20,000 a month for 6 months, represents $120,000 in retainer fees, 3.75 times the budget, before any success fee. The example is illustrative and predicts no mandate.
FAQ
Why do answers differ in Arabic and English?
Because the sources available are not the same in both languages. A boutique with 10 pages in English and one in Arabic will often be missing from Arabic answers.
What does a diagnostic cost in Riyadh in 2026?
The ballpark runs from $4,000 to $12,000, about SAR 15,000 to 45,000. The price depends on the number of questions, languages and competitors tracked.
Should a very discreet boutique care?
At least for accuracy: an assistant attributing a wrong status or transaction harms due diligence on you. A one-off diagnostic is often enough.
Can we cite our transactions without amounts?
Yes, if the transaction is public and the client agrees. Never publish an estimated or rounded value.
How long before we see a change?
Plan on 3 to 6 months for corrected information to show up in answers. The monthly record lets you check it.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record in Arabic and English what AI assistants like ChatGPT say today about your boutique and your partners. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
