Virtual CFO
Fractional CFO
A fractional CFO for a Saudi Arabia business reviews cash, margin and GOSI or WPS cost each month, builds the board or lender pack from your own numbers, and gives a second opinion before a pricing, hiring or financing decision, working alongside whoever already closes your books.
13-week cash forecast
Illustrative client · August 2026
SAR
- Cash today
- SAR 244,220
- Lowest week ahead
- 239,800
- Largest outflow
- Payroll, 46,300
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
A finance lead on a part-time basis
A bookkeeper or accountant closes what already happened. A fractional CFO sits above that close and helps decide what happens next: whether a new hire fits the payroll once GOSI and WPS costs land, whether a supplier price increase should pass through, or whether a bank facility is worth the cost of the finance behind it. The engagement usually starts with a standing monthly call and grows with ad hoc questions between calls.
What a monthly review actually covers
Each review walks through the month's cash position, margin by line of business, and the variances against whatever budget or forecast is in place. For a resident capital company with mixed Saudi and foreign ownership, that review also tracks how the Zakat base on the local share and the corporate income tax on the non-Saudi share are trending across the year, so neither number arrives as a surprise near the 120-day filing deadline.
Board and lender packs built from your file
Where a company reports to a board, a family shareholder group or a bank, the fractional CFO builds that pack directly from QuickBooks Online, Xero or Zoho Books rather than a separate spreadsheet nobody trusts. Figures tie back to the ledger, so a question about a single line item can be answered on the call rather than followed up a week later.
Working alongside your existing team
A fractional CFO does not replace the controller, bookkeeper or Commercial Registration holder who runs the company day to day. The role sits above that layer, sets the questions worth asking each month, and hands a decision back to you with the numbers behind it, never the decision itself.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Fractional CFO
How many hours a month does fractional CFO work take in Saudi Arabia?
Most engagements start with one standing monthly review plus questions between calls. Scope is agreed up front and can flex as the business grows or a specific event, such as a raise or a bank renewal, comes up.
Does a fractional CFO replace our accountant or controller?
No. The fractional CFO works alongside whoever keeps your books and files your returns, whether that is our team, your in-house controller or an outside accountant.
Can a fractional CFO help with a GOSI or Saudisation cost decision?
Yes. A hiring or restructuring decision usually turns on the gap between the 21.5% combined GOSI cost for a Saudi employee and the 2% employer-only rate for a non-Saudi hire, and that comparison is a standard part of the monthly review.
What is included in fractional CFO work for a Saudi Arabia business?
A monthly cash and margin review, a rolling cash position, and board or lender materials built from your actual file. The exact scope is agreed and set out in writing before work starts, so it is clear from day one.
How is this different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records what already happened. A fractional CFO uses those records to help you decide what happens next: pricing, hiring, cash timing, fundraising.
How many hours a month does this take?
You can start with a standing monthly review plus ad hoc questions between calls. The scope is agreed up front and can flex with your stage.
Do you replace my controller or accountant?
No. A fractional CFO sits above the day-to-day close and works alongside whoever keeps your books, whether that is us or your existing team.
What is included in fractional CFO?
Fractional CFO covers monthly finance review call covering cash, margin and the month's variances and a rolling cash position and runway view. The exact scope is agreed and set out in writing before work starts, so you know precisely what is and is not covered before the first deliverable arrives.
Related services
- Virtual CFOFP&AOngoing financial planning and analysis: budget-to-actual tracking, margin and cost analysis, and the monthly pack that explains why the numbers moved.
- Virtual CFOBudgetingAn annual budget built from your real numbers, broken out by month and department, that becomes the baseline every later report is measured against.
- Virtual CFOKPI designA short list of the numbers that actually run your business, defined once and tracked consistently, instead of a dashboard nobody opens.
Industries
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- Agencies and consultanciesBookkeeping for marketing agencies, design studios and consulting firms billing clients on retainers and project fees.
- ManufacturingBookkeeping for small and mid-size manufacturers tracking raw materials, work in process and finished goods inventory.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.