Launch of Audit Festival press conference

The UAE Internal Audit Association revealed the details of the first festival in the world focusing entirely on Internal Auditing in UAE. “The Audit Festival” is under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Governor of Dubai and he will also inaugurate the Festival held for the first time in the world. It will be launched right after the celebrations of the UAE’s 40th National Day and concurs with the 70th anniversary of establishing the Institute for Internal Auditing.

The Press Conference for the launch was held by the association on Tuesday 6th December in “Al Murooj Rotana” Hotel in Dubai in which Mr. Abdul Qader Obeid Ali, the president of the association gave speech with the attendance of the Association Board of Directors officially declared in 2008. The number of members of the Association has reached approximately 1000 members and it is the official body certified by the UAE Government. The press conference witnessed presenting sufficient explanation of the festival details, which is the first of its kind in the world.

It will be held from 11th to 24th December in most emirates in the UAE. It aims at raising the awareness level about tasks and role of internal auditing in both Public and Private sectors through a series of lectures and seminars at the directors and representatives of the financial control departments levels in UAE and heads of the internal auditors in the Public and Private Sectors. In addition to spreading the awareness about the Festival, the Internal Audit Association will be presenting the opportunities that Internal Auditing as a career could have for students of the secondary schools and universities. The Festival aims at exchanging the best practices of the Internal Auditing Profession, strengthening the relation between the governmental bodies in such field, establishing governance and transparency and urging citizens of UAE to practice the Internal Auditing Profession.

Mr. Abdul Qader Obeid Ali, the president of the Internal Audit Association stated during the Press Conference at the launch of The Audit Festival - “We aim through such Festivals to identify our objectives we do in our practical lives to achieve the required productivity level, maintain the resources and developing them. Unfortunately, the word “Auditing” gives negative and untrue impressions indicating that our job is all about inspection and control. Our job is improvement and verifying that work is done by the established policies for achieving the desired strategic aims, reporting the higher management of the auditing results for improving the performance or correcting and streamlining procedures in doing the job according to the established policies”

The President of the Association revealed that launching the Arabized version of the CIA which is accredited internationally will be highly appreciated by the professionals in the field of Audit. It is in cooperation with the Arab Auditing Associations in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Sudan. It is a huge achievement and initiation that has been taken by the IAA despite the age of our association of 3 years and some months. IIA has achieved the Arabizing of CIA course in a very short period as compared to its counterparts in the Arab and other Foreign Countries. Arabizing such certifications is a major service for our young Arab Professionals wanting to establish or further their career in Auditing.

Representatives of the big five figures in the field of the Internal Auditing attended the Press Conference as main sponsors and the President of the Association thanked them for their attendance. He thanked the Representatives of the local Mass Media who attended the Press Conference for their role in conveying the real image of Internal Auditing, initiatives and programs undertaken by the Association to strengthen the Internal Auditors’ role in the course of development and prosperity in UAE. That comes from the Association’s belief in the role of the media as a partner in achieving the desired development for our home country and society.