In a tete-tete with Arwa Naccho is the Managing Partner at Swift Audit & Advisory, Arwa sheds light on auditing intricacies governing the UAE.
Arwa Naccho is the Managing Partner at Swift Audit & Advisory, where she has led the firm since 2017. Proceeding with an Executive MBA in Business Analytics and Management, she combines her leadership skills with a practical approach to helping businesses stay compliant and grow. Arwa’s focus on building strong client relationships and providing service has helped Swift Audit & Advisory become one of the UAE’s trusted firms in audit and accounting.
1. In your opinion, what is the state of the audit profession?
The main goal and target of the audit is transparency at work. Yet the new regulations and technologies are changing the way we work. Considering the time is not equal to their hours.
Businesses in the UAE, in particular, must follow regulated rules like corporate Tax and VAT compliance and assist the client in complying. then some in general we have to keep the firm updated as also we have to make our clients updated as well
Here at Swift Audit & Advisory, we see this as an opportunity to tick these boxes and make sure our clients have the insights they need to thrive at a reasonable price.
2. What changes are you seeing within your firm and the audit profession as a whole?
At Swift Audit & Advisory, technology has become an integral part of our audit process. With the help of tools such as data analytics, Power BI, IDEA Caseware, we are able to analyse trends and deliver insights into finance data at a granular level.
The industry is seeing a huge push towards digitisation, such as remote audits and AI tools. There is also an increasing demand for auditors to validate sustainability efforts, which is becoming an important part of what businesses are looking for from us.
3. How do you see technology impacting the future of auditing?
So, in a nutshell, it helps to make the audit faster and automated and detect errors faster: everything that all adds up to making the audit accurate.
At Swift Audit & Advisory, we use AI and Data visualisation tools to scrutinise the audit work and this helps us to expedite this process and gives us a detailed insight into the activities.
To sum up, although technology can’t replace the human side of auditing, auditors act as advisers building trust with the client, and it is really important for auditors to apply professional judgment, which is the primary role of the auditor.
4. What role do you see auditors playing in the next five to ten years?
Auditors will not only conduct audits; they will also emphasise the importance of having high values and goals in business. For example, they will intervene in areas like ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).
5. How are you addressing challenges like talent shortages and regulatory changes?
The work environment, filled with a positive atmosphere, helps us to attract and retain skilled professionals at Swift Audit & Advisory. We support continuous learning and certifications.
We always keep abreast of changes and share our knowledge with our clients so they may lay behind any regulatory changes. A proactive approach will allow us to work with them to avoid surprises in their compliance landscape and keep them in compliance.
6. What excites you most about the future of the audit profession?
I am looking to see how audits can help the business grow and stay stable. A need for technology and emphasis on things like sustainability means auditors can have an expanded role in helping build trust and fostering innovation.
At Swift Audit & Advisory we love to support our clients not only to comply with regulations but also to reach their objectives. I’m excited about being a part of this change in the profession.
To reach out Swift Audit & Advisory: https://www.swift-audit.com/
