Titanium Escrow’s CEO on crossing $5bn in transactions, regional M&A activity

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Titanium Escrow, the Abu Dhabi-based provider of regulated escrow and custody services, recently surpassed $5bn in secured transactions, marking its fifth anniversary as demand grows across the Middle East for sophisticated corporate payment infrastructure for complex, cross-border deals.

Since its launch in 2020, the firm has facilitated nearly 500 transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, private capital, real estate, and infrastructure. Operating under the supervision of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Titanium Escrow was among the first participants in ADGM’s RegLab innovation sandbox to develop the region’s first supervised escrow licensing. Here, we speak to its CEO Ibrahim Kamalmaz on the company’s milestones, operations and M&A activity in the region.

Titanium Escrow has reached a significant milestone of over $5bn in secured transactions on its fifth anniversary. What does this achievement signify about the growth of sophisticated corporate payment infrastructure in the Middle East?

It’s not just the $5bn headline – it’s the nearly 500 transactions behind it. Those span more than M&A: alongside buy-side and sell-side mandates, we’ve handled real estate closings, post-liquidation distributions, and secondary sales of equity in growth-stage startups.

The common thread is neutral third-party fundholding with clear, enforceable release mechanics, from sub-$2m SME transactions through to upper-eight-figure cross-border assignments. A significant sum relates to M&A transactions, with the balance in these other escrow categories.

A big part of that confidence comes from the ADGM. It applies an English common law framework with its own courts and arbitration facilities, providing familiar contractual certainty for international counterparties; cross-border enforceability remains jurisdiction-specific.

Combine that with FSRA regulation, strong liquidity in regional banks, and fast execution timelines, and you’ve got an environment where both larger strategic transactions and the sub-$m deals that drive nearly half of GCC M&A activity can be executed with confidence.

The firm has supported over Dhs1bn in transactions for acquisitions in vital sectors like education, healthcare, and telecommunication infrastructure in 2025. What is the broader significance of enabling these types of social infrastructure investments in the region?

They’re strategic priorities for the GCC’s diversification agenda – education and healthcare deliver visible social benefits, while telecom, especially digital infrastructure, underpins high-growth areas like AI, fintech, and cloud services.

We work with a wide range of counterparties – from family businesses looking to professionalise, to private equity funds scaling portfolio companies, to sovereign-linked investors acquiring strategic assets. Many transactions involve cross-border counterparties, which means structuring escrow in multiple currencies – Dhs, USD, EUR, SAR, and GBP – and ensuring funds move seamlessly between jurisdictions.

Our operational model is built for speed. Risk-based KYC is typically completed within one business day – faster where public disclosures are sufficient – while enhanced due diligence cases may take longer.

Once conditions are met, we instruct disbursements the same business day, subject to banking cut-offs and compliance checks. That certainty matters just as much in a $2m edtech acquisition as it does in a larger-scale infrastructure rollout.

While M&A is a large part of our book, our escrow mandates also support real estate completions, post-liquidation distributions, and secondary share transfers, which face similar execution risks and benefit from the same structured release discipline.”

According to EY, M&A activity in MENA saw a 50 per cent increase in deal value in 2024. What factors do you believe are driving this momentum?

The momentum comes from two things: strong demographics and regulatory reform. In 2024, Dubai’s population grew by 4.5 per cent and Abu Dhabi’s by 7.5 per cent, creating sustained demand in housing, healthcare, education, and consumer sectors.

At the same time, reforms such as foreign ownership liberalisation and enhanced investor protections have made the UAE one of the most attractive environments for dealmaking.

We support that flow across the spectrum – from $2m early-stage acquisitions to structured non-M&A assignments and multi-tranche cross-border transactions. Our agreements are tailored to match deal complexity and our account setup process typically runs several business days sooner than traditional bank escrows

In one transaction, we acted as escrow agent in the sale of a Category 1 (deposit taking bank). It was an auction-style process involving multiple international bidders, where the regulatory requirements and timetable required a specialist non-bank escrow provider.

We structured the escrow mechanics to comply with the transaction requirements and meet the auction’s deadlines – enabling the seller to close with the winning bidder without delays.

For the sub-$100m deals that dominate GCC volumes – as well as complex regulated asset sales like this the ability to combine regulatory compliance, rapid onboarding, and multi-currency execution is often the difference between a deal closing or stalling.

What advantages does ADGM offer that have led to this shift away from traditional financial centers like London or New York?

With 15 years of UAE banking and financial market experience I’ve been fortunate to witness the region entering an economic golden age, attracting the best and brightest from around the world. Government revenue, public safety, low tax environment, and being the geographic centre of the world has positioned the UAE as the ideal international business hub. Abu Dhabi’s diversification efforts into alternative industries have earned it the title ‘the capital of capital’.

What’s unique about ADGM is its forward leaning regulation on fintech solutions such as digital assets with the blend of an English common law framework and the UAE’s position as a global crossroads. Investors get familiar contractual certainty through ADGM’s court system, but in a market that’s still growing while others are slowing.

We participated in ADGM’s RegLab sandbox to pilot a regulated digital escrow model. That’s allowed us to integrate escrow within a regulated framework. For clients, that translates to faster settlement, less admin, and greater transparency, even in multi-jurisdictional and multi-currency transactions.

We also remove friction wherever possible: clients tell us we typically onboard faster than traditional bank escrow desks, often several business days sooner. They have extended-hours access to senior decision-makers, and we streamline agreement finalisation so counterparties can move from signing to funding without avoidable re-review cycles. We act as a neutral third party and do not provide legal advice; counterparties should seek independent counsel.

Read: Middle East M&A activity rises 19% in H1 ’25, shows PwC report

Looking ahead, what are the key trends you predict in the regional deal landscape?

I see three clear shifts. First, more intra-GCC consolidation, especially among family businesses in sectors like F&B, healthcare, and logistics. Second, sustained activity in technology – AI, fintech, and digital infrastructure – much of it in the sub-$100m range. Third, growth in cross-border renewables and a more active secondary market for scale-up companies.

To support the growing complexity of transactions, we can’t just be a rigid escrow provider. Our value proposition is built on an advisory-focused approach, leveraging our experience to provide bespoke solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of each deal. Our agility is a key differentiator, as we provide fast turnaround on to comments to escrow agreements and an expedited no-nonsense KYC approach that eliminates key pain points from the process.

For example, for a multi-tranched considerations, we can create custom deposit and release instructions tied to specific instruction parameters. In these complex and fast-moving deals, clients need agility. We provide them with direct access to senior decision-makers, cutting through the bureaucracy common in larger institutions.

This blend of institutional-grade security and boutique-level service ensures we are ready for the next phase of regional dealmaking.

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