12th Annual Gulf Regional Audit Conference to reassess the role of Internal Audit in the context of changing financial landscape

·         The event will be followed by the First Chief Audit Executives Conference to be held in the region
·         Both the events are held under the patronage of H.E Eng. Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy
Dubai, UAE; March 24, 2011: UAE Internal Audit Association will host the 12th Annual Gulf Regional Audit Conference under the patronage of H.E Eng. Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, from April 3rd to 5th, 2011 at Atlantis The Palm. The conference will be followed by the First Chief Audit Executives Conference to be held in the region. The inaugural event will take place from 6thto 7th April at the same venue.
H.E Eng. Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansouri will be the Chief Guest at both the events and will deliver the inaugural address.
According to Abdulqader Obaid Ali, President, UAE Internal Audit Association, “We are honoured to have the patronage of His Excellency Sultan Al Mansouri and we are excited to host the 12th edition of the Gulf Regional Audit Conference at a time when the recessionary impact is fading and the world is ready to embrace a post recession era. The present times require a vital reassessment of the role of audit in promoting good corporate governance, proper risk management and adding value to the organisation. We are also organising for the first time ever a Chief Audit Executives Conference which will give an overview of the trends, challenges and critical issues facing the frontline of the internal audit profession.”
Over 250 internal audit professionals from the region are expected to attend the events that are supported by Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Protiviti and The National Bank of Abu Dhabi.
This year’s convention will begin on April 3rd with a series of pre-conference workshops such as corporate governance and its relationship with Internal Audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers; how technology can facilitate decision making by Deloitte, an integrated approach to assurance by KPMG; inter-relationships between risk management and the audit process by Protiviti; and countering bribery and corruption by Ernst & Young.
“We have a strong line up of thirteen international and regional speakers for the Gulf Regional Audit Conference which has adopted the theme ‘Transforming Dreams into reality’. Gunther Meggeder, the Chairman of the board of The Institute of Internal Auditors will highlight the changing expectations of Internal Audit stakeholders and how Internal Auditors should work together to ‘Shape the Future’ of the profession. Marios Maratheftis, Regional Head of Research for Standard Chartered Bank, will present the outlook for GCC economy in 2011 and beyond. Other hot topics of interest for the Internal Audit profession will also be discussed by keynote speakers from Mubadala, The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Mobily, ALGHAF HRC, Larry Hubbard & Associates, Microsoft, Emirates Group, Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority, Musanada and Dubai Aluminium Company,” added Abdulqader.
The two days Chief Audit Executives Conference, which will be held from April 6th, is a unique forum that brings together Chief Audit Executives (CAEs), Audit Directors, and senior managers to discuss critical issues and new opportunities for growth for the internal audit profession.
The CAE Conference will host a distinguished group of speakers like Malcolm Walker, General Manager & Group Chief Audit Officer, National Bank of Abu Dhabi; Larry Hubbard, founder of Larry Hubbard & Associates; Neeraj Kumar, Senior Vice President, Internal Audit, Emirates Group; and Khalid Faddagh, General Auditor, Saudi Aramco.
Both the events are also supported by Emirates NBD, Du, ACL, 4Sight and Emirates Airlines.