The premier Congress, held under the patronage of UAE’s Ministry of Economy, will bring together internal audit and anti-fraud professionals, cyber security and IT experts from across the globe for three days of discussions and knowledge sharing on the latest trends to guide anti-fraud professionals into a new era of audit, fraud prevention and information technology.
HE Abdulla Al Saleh, Undersecretary of Ministry of Economy, UAE, will deliver the inaugural speech.
Nearly 1000+ audit and anti-fraud professionals, cyber security and IT experts from across the world will come together at the first Audit, Anti-Fraud & IT Congress in Dubai from November 11 to 13, 2024, at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.
The global congress is organized by the UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA) in collaboration with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world’s largest anti-fraud organization, and Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the international professional association focused on IT governance.
The main Congress will be held from 12th & 13th November while 11th November will be dedicated to internal discussions and pre-congress workshops.
More than 60 industry leaders will discuss 50 topics at the Congress where more than 1,000 audit and fraud examiners, Cyber security and IT experts will participate.
The keynote speakers include: John D Gill, President of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE); Terry Grafenstine, 2024-25 Chair of the Global Board of Directors (IIA Global), Ramses Gallego, ISACA Hall of Fame; J Howard Arp, Director in GAO’s Forensic Audits and Investigative Service Team;
Other prominent speakers include H.E. Dr. Moza Suwaidan, CEO of Digital Applications & Platforms Sector, Digital Dubai Government Establishment, Dubai Digital Authority; H.E. Sheikh Dr. Majid Sultan Al Qassimi, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Saint Istvan University in Budapest, Hungary; HE Eisa Al Dhaheri, Director of Internal Audit, Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi, Ian Johnston, Chief Executive, Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA); Dr Marwan Alzarouni, CEO Blockchain Centre; Dr. Iram Fatima Ansari, Assistant Professor of Accounting & Auditing; and Muneer Al-Mughairy, President IIA Oman, Chief Audit Executive, Ominvest.
“It is an honour for UAE Internal Auditors Association to get the patronage of the Ministry of Economy for the upcoming Congress. We are also pleased that the Congress will be graced and inaugurated by HE Abdullah Alsaleh, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Economy,” said HE Abdulqader Obaid Ali, chairman of the UAE IAA board.
“It is a pleasure to collaborate with two renowned and prestigious global organizations like the ACFE and ISACA for conducting this Congress, for the first time in the MENASA region. We look forward to welcoming the delegates, sponsors and exhibitors.”
UAE’s commitment
“This historic Congress will mark UAE’s commitment to promoting integrity, transparency and excellence in audit and anti-fraud measures. The objective behind organizing this Congress is to help the professionals learn advanced methodologies to enhance the internal audit processes and to ensure thorough compliance check as well as to explore new fraud detection techniques, including AI-driven analytics,” he added.
He further said: “The Congress is held in the context of nearly half of the companies in the Middle East having reported at least one instance of fraud, with 48% citing fraud as the greatest risks to their operations. The occurrence of fraudulent activities continues to pose a major threat to businesses in the Middle East, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ biennial report.”
HE Abdulqader highlighted the UAE’s policy and legislative initiatives by enacting a new law on combating commercial fraud to protect consumers in line with global best standards.
The Anti-Fraud law sets out more extensive definition, explicit penalties and broadens the scope to deal with commercial frauds.
“Global businesses are flocking to the UAE with its reputation as a model country that has implemented key legislations and fraud control framework,” he added.
ACFE President John Gill, J.D., CFE, said: The First Audit, Anti-Fraud & I.T. Congress is an event you will not want to miss, and I am proud that the ACFE is taking part alongside the UAE IAA and ISACA. We cannot wait to hear from all the inspiring speakers as they demonstrate what it takes to ‘secure the future’ by looking ahead at the advances coming to the intersection of anti-fraud, technology and auditing.”
Chris Dimitriadis, ISACA Chief Global Strategy Officer, said: “ISACA is honored to partner with IAA UAE and ACFE for the momentous launch of first Audit, Anti-Fraud & I.T. Congress. Fraud is big business for criminals and the threat landscape is constantly evolving. Providing the knowledge, best practices, and necessary tools to protect your organization and anticipate challenges is important for audit and anti-fraud professionals regardless of location, organization size or budget.”
Experts and industry leaders addressing the Congress include Chris Dimitriadis, Chief Global Strategy, ISACA, Mary Breslin, the founder of Verracy and a renowned speaker in the fields of Internal Audit, Risk, and Fraud; Dr Hassan NK Khayal, Chief Internal Auditor at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence; Dr Iram Fatima Ansari, Assistant Professor of Accounting & Auditing; and Hassan Al Mulla, Internal Audit Director; and Dr Hassan NK Khayal, Chief Internal Auditor at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and more than other 50 experts.
$3.1 billion lost due to fraud
The latest report ‘Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations’ by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), said that corporates incurred $3.1 billion loss due to frauds.
The research study on the costs and effects of occupational fraud analyzed 1,921 actual fraud cases from 138 countries and territories that were investigated by Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) between January 2022 and September 2023.
Based on their findings, CFEs estimate that organizations lose 5% of revenue to fraud each year.
“Staying ahead in the fields of auditing, anti-fraud, and IT is crucial in a rapidly changing world, where technology evolves at a lightning speed and threats become increasingly sophisticated,” Abdulqader added.
An Interpol Assessment on Global Financial Fraud said that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large language models have resulted in more sophisticated and professional frauds.
“That’s why we included a session on Advanced AI and Data Analytics for Fraud Detection to help participants learn about the latest trends in cybersecurity and how to ensure compliance with evolving regulatory standards,” Abdulqader said, citing the opinion of Interpol Secretary General
Jürgen Stock, who said: “We are facing an epidemic in the growth of financial fraud, leading to individuals and companies being defrauded on a massive and global scale. With the development of
AI, the situation is only going to get worse without urgent action,” Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.”
Internal audit practitioners can earn 24+ CPE Credits by participating in the Congress.
Sign up for our mailing list to receive the latest news.
Follow us also on the tech news portal in the Egypt