The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Union of Arab Securities Authorities (UASA) held their first joint regional initiative, bringing together representatives from 11 Arab securities and capital market regulators to discuss emerging fraud risks and ways to strengthen governance and financial market resilience.
The event, convened by UASA, was attended by 48 senior officials from securities and capital market authorities across the region.
Discussions focused on the impact of artificial intelligence, digital transformation and cyber-enabled financial crime on financial markets, as well as the role of governance, ethics and internal controls in mitigating risks.
The session marked the first collaboration of its kind between ACCA and UASA and welcomed senior participants from across the region's regulatory community.
Drawing on ACCA's latest policy insights and research, the session examined the evolving fraud landscape, including the impact of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cyber-enabled financial crime and the increasing importance of strong governance, ethics and internal controls.
Kush Ahuja, Head of Eurasia and Middle East, ACCA, said: “Strong financial markets depend on strong institutions, trusted governance and ongoing collaboration. Bringing together regulators from across the Arab region to discuss shared challenges demonstrates the value of creating forums where knowledge, experience and practical solutions can be exchanged.”
“Our collaboration with UASA reflects ACCA's commitment to supporting policymakers, regulators and finance professionals across the Middle East. This first initiative lays the foundation for continued collaboration that strengthens confidence in the region's capital markets,” he stated.
The discussion was led by Claire Lindridge, Director - Policy and Insights at ACCA, who shared practical insights into strengthening organisational resilience and maintaining trust across increasingly complex regulatory environments. "Fraud risks continue to evolve alongside technological change, increasing cross-border activity and increasingly sophisticated criminal methods.
“Addressing these challenges requires strong collaboration between regulators, finance professionals and policymakers,” stated Lindridge.
The organisations said the initiative marked the start of a broader collaboration aimed at promoting knowledge sharing and regulatory cooperation across Arab capital markets.
Jalil Tarif, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Securities Authorities (UASA), said: "This webinar marks the beginning of what we believe will be a long-term and fruitful collaboration between UASA and ACCA. Bringing together regulators from across the Arab region to discuss shared challenges reflects our collective commitment to strengthening governance, transparency and the resilience of our capital markets. We look forward to building on this partnership through future knowledge-sharing initiatives.”
The webinar also covered emerging fraud trends, governance vulnerabilities and technology-driven risks, while participants discussed measures to enhance transparency, market integrity and regulatory capabilities across the region.-TradeArabia News Service
