GDRFA Dubai and ACFE Wrap Up Final Day of 2020 ACFE Fraud Conference Middle East

For the past two days, more than 400 professionals heard from thought leaders in the anti-fraud industry at the 2020 ACFE Fraud Conference Middle East. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) along with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) hosted this conference in Dubai. The conference witnessed several important discussion sessions and seminars that focused on understanding the root causes of the phenomenon of fraud and the most important global issues in the technology and financial sector in institutions, and address issues related to transparency and integrity in government institutions. Among others, the conference featured addresses from His Excellency Major General Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA-Dubai, Dr. Alexander Wagner, a senior chair at the Swiss Finance Institute and an associate professor of finance at the University of Zurich, and His Excellency Abdullah Ghobash, Director General of the Financial Audit Authority (FAA). Major General Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri Director General of GDRFA-Dubai stressed the importance of hosting this conferences, which constitute a global platform for exchanging experience in anti-fraud. He added, "GDRFA Dubai support the conference comes as a translation of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai vision of the necessity of consolidating best practices of governance and transparency, enhancing its role in protecting gains and continuing the sustainable development process witnessed in the United Arab Emirates." From his side Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA, and President and CEO of the ACFE, thanked GDRFA-Dubai for their help hosting the conference, saying it was a great success. “It is important for citizens to see their government’s dedication to transparency, and through hosting this event and their speeches, GDRFA-Dubai and FAA have set a strong, ethical tone at the top,” he said. “By bringing together hundreds of attendees together from the Middle East and surrounding regions, we are facilitating important conversations about the current reality of fraud.” The 2020 Fraud Conference Middle East came up with recommendations that established the principle of transparency and integrity as a main pillar in anti-fraud. The first recommendation came about the importance of commitment and incubation of governmental and private institutions for such national conferences concerned with spreading awareness about the factors that enable fraud, and the second recommendation included the importance of increasing the Emiratization rate in the Financial Audit Authority. The conference’s recommendations also included the necessity of holding such conferences in the future in the Arab version to meet the needs of the Middle East region.