DUBAI, 5th October, 2026 (WAM) — The Financial Audit Authority (FAA) in Dubai has announced the third edition of the ‘Foreseeing Government Audit Future Conference,’ to be held under the theme ‘Smart Audit’ on 28 and 29 October 2026.
The conference will bring together leading officials, experts and specialists in audit, oversight and governance, as part of the Authority’s efforts to promote knowledge and expertise exchange, explore the transformations reshaping the future of audit and oversight, and support the development of practices capable of keeping pace with the rapidly changing government landscape.
The conference comes at a time when the audit profession is undergoing significant transformation, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, growing cyber risks and the expanding role of emerging technologies, alongside evolving requirements in governance, performance and sustainability.
Through the conference, FAA highlights the importance of continuing to advance financial audit and oversight beyond a model centred on verification and compliance towards a more proactive role capable of anticipating risks and generating insights that support better decision-making, enhance institutional performance, and reinforce integrity, accountability and transparency.
Abdulrahman Al Hareb, Director General of the Financial Audit Authority, said: “Governments today are transforming at an unprecedented pace. As they do, the nature of risks is changing, the possibilities offered by technology are expanding, and the requirements of governance and accountability are shifting alongside them.
At the Financial Audit Authority, we believe the future of government audit lies in the ability to keep pace with and anticipate these shifts, while leveraging technology and specialised expertise to strengthen integrity, safeguard public funds and support the efficiency and effectiveness of government performance.”
Al Hareb added: “The Foreseeing Government Audit Future Conference provides a platform that brings together expertise and perspectives to examine the issues that will shape financial audit and oversight in the coming years and build a shared understanding of how to address the opportunities and risks arising from new technologies.
Through the conference, we look forward to strengthening the exchange of knowledge and leading practices, and contributing to the development of more future-ready audit capabilities, reinforcing trust and supporting Dubai’s journey towards a government model built on excellence, innovation and effective governance.”
The conference will focus on the transformations being driven by artificial intelligence across the audit landscape, examining the growing relationship between technology and audit from two complementary perspectives: leveraging AI to advance audit tools and methodologies and strengthen their ability to address data and risks, while enhancing the oversight and governance frameworks required to assess the use of AI technologies themselves and build trust in their applications.
The conference will address ‘Cyber Financial Auditing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘IA in the Age of AI’, while other sessions will explore ‘Risks and Governance of Emerging Technologies’, ‘AI and the Future of Audit: Modernizing Internal Audit for a Digital Government Era’, ‘AI in Internal Audit: Use Cases’ and ‘Auditing AI: From Risk to Confidence’.
Discussions will also reflect the evolving role of audit in supporting institutional performance and governance. Participants will explore ‘Strategic Planning and Innovation within Internal Audit’ and ‘Tax Laws and Their Impact on Private Companies’, alongside a dedicated session on the ‘FAA Data Science Journey’.
These themes reflect a broader vision for the future of financial audit and oversight focused on strengthening audit’s ability to deliver value beyond identifying observations by providing insights that contribute to stronger risk management, better decision-making, improved performance and development across audited entities.
The conference will also highlight the importance of investing in auditors’ capabilities to keep pace with the transformation of the profession, particularly as required skills increasingly include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, emerging technologies and risk and performance analysis, alongside professional expertise and audit knowledge.
The conference will open with a preparatory day on 28 October featuring a series of specialised workshops and sessions covering ‘Enhancing Government Entities’ Financial Closing and Reporting Practices’ and ‘Challenges in External Auditing and Enhancing Audit Quality,’ alongside partnership in audit and oversight with internal audit directors across the Government and Non-Government Sectors.
By bringing together local and international expertise on a single platform, FAA aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and leading practices and support the development of a more integrated and future-ready audit ecosystem. This reinforces the role of effective audit in strengthening trust, accountability and integrity, while contributing to institutional excellence and the sustainability of government performance.
Source: Emirates News Agency
