Kuwait city: Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO), led the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the 22nd Meeting of Their Excellencies the Heads of Financial and Accounting Audit Bureaus of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States, held in the State of Kuwait.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed highlighted the importance of strengthening joint GCC efforts to achieve mutual interests and support the relations established by GCC leaders. He emphasized the need for continuous development and training of employees in the auditing and oversight sector, particularly focusing on information technology, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence, which have become essential across all fields and sectors.
The meeting, which included the participation of Jasem Mohammed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, approved the recommendations from the 26th meeting of the Undersecretaries of the Financial and Accounting Audit Bureaus in the GCC Countries, held on July 30. These recommendations included a report on the strategic plan's outcomes and recommendations for 2023 - 2025, and the draft training strategy for 2026 - 2028, both prepared by Bahrain's National Audit Office.
Participants were briefed on the results of the 6th GCC competition in audit and accounting research, the UAE Accountability Authority's proposal on the governance of the external audit mechanism of the GCC Secretariat General, and the draft regulations for the Award of Excellence in the GCC Audit and Accounting Bureaus.
The meeting also discussed the Audit Rules Working Group's proposal to establish a GCC Audit and Accounting Week, a proposed impact measurement form for applying the GCC Secretariat General's guidelines, and the proposal to rename the Audit Rules Working Group as the Technical Committee of Audit and Accounting Institutions in the GCC States.
Furthermore, the recommendations of the 25th meeting of the Audit Rules Working Group were reviewed. These included raising awareness on the use of GCC guidelines in audit work, creating an AI-supported electronic platform in coordination with the Secretariat General, and linking the Secretariat's digital library with member state audit bureaus' websites.
Additionally, proposals for joint training programmes and workshops among member state audit bureaus were considered to enhance regional cooperation and improve staff skills in applying audit guidelines. The meeting also reviewed the Secretariat General's report on training programmes for 2024 and 2025 and noted the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the King Fahd National Library.