• Emiratis constitute 22% of IIA members 
• Abdulqader Obaid Ali: “Emiratis to account for 44% in internal auditing in the coming years”

Dubai, December 30, 2018:   The UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA) has achieved a new success in training and qualifying Emiratis to work in the internal auditing domain. With the percentage of UAE nationals, both males and females, in the Association reaching over 22% by end of 2018 and their numbers are expected to double in the coming years. 

At a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, the Association had honoured graduates of the 8th batch of HASAAD, an intensive two-and-a-half month training programme in internal auditing dedicated to UAE nationals. The IIA’s strategic partners, Protiviti and PRC, were represented by their senior officials. 

Abdulqader Obaid Ali, Chairman of the UAE Internal Auditors Association, presented certificates to the graduates who completed their training and are now ready to sit for an accredited Internal Auditor Certification exam.  He revealed plans to open the HASAAD programme for non-Emirati auditors residing in the country in the coming period.

“This”, he said, “indicated the initiatives of the Association’s to widen its regional reach and global role as the largest association for internal auditors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region”. There is an increasing demand by internal auditors within and outside the country due to the growing importance of internal auditors in both the success and governance of organizations, especially due to the rapid changes transforming the global economy with more digitization and smart solutions increasing their presence.

Under the wise leadership of the rulers in UAE, UAE IAA successfully demonstrated its ability to host the world’s largest internal auditors’ conference in May 2018 with the participation of 3,500 delegates from more than 82 countries. In 2015, the Association launched the HASAAD Programme in line with the ‘Absher’ initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE, with the aim to implement the Internal Audit Charter launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to qualify more Emiratis working in the government sectors and provide them with the necessary management skills in the field of internal auditing.

The UAE IAA Chairman added: “The HASAAD programme is the core of a major global educational initiative that we plan to implement in the coming period. We hope that UAE will become a global academy for internal auditing and a destination for knowledge-seekers in this field, which is witnessing great development lately thanks to the entry of digitization, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into this vital sector, which is the core of all economic and development sectors.”

Ahmed Bassiouni, Managing Director of Protiviti, said his company's sponsorship of this specialised programme comes within the framework of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and continuous support for this sector. The company has been operating in the UAE for more than 10 years and is considered as one of the largest companies in the internal audit and risk consultancy sector. He commended the participation of females in the programme and said that women have strongly entered the internal audit profession during the last few years.

Waddah Halak, Professional Development Manager at PRC, said: “The internal auditing profession has witnessed great developments over the past two decades worldwide.  Since 2010, UAE has witnessed a big leap in this field and has acquired great scientific expertise.”

The 8th edition of the Programme included seven male and female participants from various entities who successfully passed the programme. The graduates praised the HASAAD programme, which brings together a group of lecturers, experts and specialists in the field from inside and outside the country, and combines scientific, practical theories and the life experiences of their future careers and the impact of these on how to develop the style of their professional performance.

One of the programme graduates, Sheikha Al Nuaimi from First Abu Dhabi Bank, said: “Through the HASAAD programme, which is unique in the region, I have been briefed on the latest global trends in the field, which can be utilised and transferred to my banking field.”

Noura Al Bastaki from Mubadala Investment Company, stressed that she has acquired a long experience in a short time through learning from leaders in this field, and learned through them the challenges and opportunities in this field, which enables her to better gear-up for the future, especially given the rapid technical advancements based on Artificial Intelligence and the Blockchain. 

Myriam Al Khatiri, also from Mubadala Investment Company, said: “The Programme discussed a number of key issues including the independence of internal auditors and the necessary traits internal auditors should possess, such as neutrality, privacy protection, analysis and scientific evaluation, as well as strengthening the positive professional scepticism characteristic of all workers in this field.” 

Launched by UAE-IAA in 2015, HASAAD aims to strengthen trainees’ expertise, support their professional competencies and prepare them to deal with more professional responsibilities and challenges within their organisations.