Tools map: banking, FP&A, expenses, payroll.
If you’ve just raised in the GCC, the right finance stack keeps you compliant and investor‑ready without slowing product and sales. This guide lays out the stack by function—banking/treasury, expenses/cards, payroll, billing/revenue, and FP&A—with GCC specifics like UAE WPS and Saudi Mudad/GOSI, plus a 30–60 day rollout plan.
Key takeaways: Pick a single source of truth, automate reconciliations, and respect GCC payroll rails. Lock access by role, standardise chart of accounts early, and report the same KPIs every month.
Automate, control access, and report the same KPIs every month.
Choose one accounting ledger, automate bank feeds, run payroll through local rails (WPS/Mudad), and build a driver‑based model that ties to your chart of accounts.
Keep the stack light: ledger + bank feeds + cards/expenses + payroll + revenue/billing + FP&A. Close monthly inside 5–7 business days and publish the same pack each time.
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A clean ledger sits in the middle; upstream capture (bank/cards/billing/payroll) posts structured entries; downstream FP&A reads from the ledger, not ad‑hoc spreadsheets.
Define your chart of accounts and dimensions (entity, cost centre, function). Automate integrations where possible; avoid manual CSV stitching that breaks during audits.
Open local accounts per entity; enable multi‑currency and bank feeds; separate operating vs payroll accounts for control.
Set dual approval for payments. Use virtual accounts and payment references to simplify reconciliation. Document signatories and keep a run‑book for emergency access changes.
Route payroll through the mandated rails and keep contracts/benefits consistent with local rules; maintain a clean employee master.
Generate payroll files in the exact required formats, track end‑of‑service benefits where applicable, and keep records for inspections. Sync headcount, salaries, and benefits to your FP&A model monthly.
Issue cards with per‑team limits, auto‑collect receipts, and enforce merchant/category policies; push coded entries straight to the ledger.
Create a simple policy (what’s allowed, thresholds, approvals) and publish it in your handbook. Close card statements mid‑month to smooth the month‑end crunch.
Automate invoicing and collections where you can; map revenue to the right GL accounts and document your rev‑rec policy.
If you’re SaaS, track ARR/MRR, churn, and deferred revenue. Reconcile Stripe/checkout payouts to invoices and bank line items.
Use a driver‑based model with a standard monthly pack: P&L, cash runway, cohort/retention (if SaaS), and hiring plan vs actuals.
Tie assumptions to operating metrics (leads→win rate→ACV) and version them. Build a bridge each month from budget/forecast to actuals.
Principle of least privilege, enforced 2FA, and an access review every quarter; separate preparer vs approver roles.
Maintain an access matrix across bank, ledger, payroll, and cards. Remove leavers the same day HR marks them as terminated.
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Week 1–2: chart of accounts and bank/ledger setup; Week 3–4: payroll/cards/billing; Week 5–6: FP&A model and monthly pack.
Parallel‑run one month before you switch fully. Write a run‑book for month‑end close, including reconciliations and sign‑off checkpoints.
If you publish an investor update or data room microsite, keep INP ≤200 ms, LCP ≤2.5 s, CLS ≤0.1 so LPs don’t bounce.
Compress heavy charts to WebP, preconnect to your CDN, and avoid layout shifts by reserving space for embeds.
Related reads: Seed Data‑room Checklist, Outbound Sales Playbook, Deliverability 2025.
Decide this once; avoid endless relabelling.
Keep it simple: 4‑digit GL codes with segments for entity and cost centre. Example top‑level: 1000 Assets, 2000 Liabilities, 3000 Equity, 4000 Revenue, 5000 COGS, 6000 Opex (R&D, Sales, G&A), 7000 Other income/expense. Add dimensions (e.g., Market: UAE/KSA/QA; Function: Product/Sales/Ops; Project: Launch/Experiment).
Build payroll around mandated rails and calendars.
Design for audits.
Where e‑invoicing applies (e.g., Saudi FATOORA), use compliant formats and keep signed invoice archives with hash chains where required. Centralise customer master data and invoice sequences to prevent gaps.
Get the basics right early.
Register for applicable taxes, keep vendor/customer tax IDs in the master data, and document your revenue recognition policy. Maintain a statutory calendar with filing deadlines per entity and appoint a responsible owner.
Eliminate avoidable noise in reporting.
Pick a functional currency per entity, store exchange rates per month, and state the translation approach in your accounting policy. For USD‑denominated revenue with AED/SAR costs, track FX impact separately so operating performance is clear.
Assume you’ll be audited; act accordingly.
Make it boring and repeatable.
Publish the same pack monthly.
Clarity avoids debates later.
Choose on controls and fit, not logo.
Score candidates on data model, API quality, local support, audit trail, SSO/SAML, and total cost of ownership. Run a 2‑week pilot with real data before committing.
Remove single points of failure.
WPS: Wage Protection System (UAE payroll rail). Mudad: Saudi payroll platform linked to WPS. GOSI: Saudi social insurance. ZATCA: Saudi tax and customs authority. GL: General ledger.
Review quarterly.
Policy pages for payroll and e‑invoicing change—set a recurring reminder to re‑check official guidance each quarter and log any adjustments to your run‑book.
Quick answers on GCC finance stacks.
Want a GCC‑ready finance stack designed around your motion?
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