The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) has today announced the launch of the internationally recognised Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification in the Gulf. The launch comes at an important time for the region which is experiencing rapid growth as a global financial centre.
The ACA is regarded worldwide as a leading financial business qualification and members work both in practice and in business. Qualified ACA professionals work in more than 140 countries and the international relevance of the qualification opens up a huge variety of career opportunities. Nearly 500 accountants in the Gulf region already hold the ACA and are members of the ICAEW, but this will be the first time that the qualification will be taught locally.
Richard Dyson, President of the ICAEW, said at the launch of the qualification in Dubai:
"As the Gulf becomes a world leading financial centre, there is an increasing demand from businesses for highly skilled accountancy professionals who are fully conversed with international practices. Following consultation with key stakeholders in the region, the ICAEW believes it can meet this need. When it comes to technical rigour, transparency, ethical grounding and ultimately producing business leaders of tomorrow, there is no qualification like the ACA."
The full ACA programme will be offered in the region and there will also be a top-up programme available for those with qualifications from other accountancy bodies. Richard Dyson added: "There is already a large number of qualified accountants in the Gulf and the top-up programme enables the ICAEW to help provide the best qualifications for future business growth in the region. We also see this as an opportunity to help support the large number of members we already have working in the Gulf."
The course will be taught by Phoenix Financial Training in Dubai and Bahrain from 2008. David Thomasson, Managing Director of PFT, said:
"We are extremely proud to be the first to provide ACA tuition to students in the region. The qualification is one of the most intensive and high quality courses available globally. We have always strived to provide the growing student base in the region with the best opportunities to raise the level of financial training to international standards and the ACA will further help us achieve this goal."
The ACA qualification comprises two stages - the Professional and Advanced Stage. The former consists of introductory modules on the core concepts of accountancy and application modules which demonstrate the practical use of this knowledge. The Advanced Stage includes two technical papers and a rigorous case study.
For more information on enrolling on the ACA with PFT, students should visit www.icaew.com/acaingulf
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Notes to editors:The ACA qualification is open to all employees working within an ICAEW accredited organisation in the Gulf. The process for organisations to become an authorised partner training company is free of charge and takes a short time. In order to become accredited, companies should visit www.icaew.com/employers.
Current approved training organisations in the Gulf include Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Sajjad Haider & Co., AGN MAK and Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Baeshen and Company.
As a world leading professional accountancy body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) provides leadership and practical support to over 128,000 members in more than 140 countries, working with Government, regulators and industry in order to ensure the highest standards are maintained.
Our members provide financial knowledge and guidance based on the highest technical and ethical standards. They are trained to challenge people and organisations to think and act differently, to provide clarity and rigour, and so help create and sustain prosperity. The ICAEW ensures these skills are constantly developed, recognised and valued.
Because of us, people can do business with confidence.
The ICAEW is a founding member of the Global Accounting Alliance with over 700,000 members worldwide.
For more information, please contact:
Preeti Bhandarkar
Dubai
Tel: +971 4 4055623
Mob: +971 50 3556428
Email: preeti.bhandarkar@hillandknowlton.com
Caroline Florence
Hill & Knowlton
Media Relations, ICAEW
Tel: +44 207 920 8564
Mob: +44 7973 400264
Email: caroline.florence@icaew.com
© Press Release 2007
