OQ forum gathers global experts to advance internal audit in Oman
Held under the auspices of Shaikh Ghosn bin Hilal al Alawi, Chairman of the State Audit Institution (SAI), the two-day event took place at the JW Marriott Muscat Hotel and attracted over 300 internal audit specialists across Oman's public and private sectors.
Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al Harthy, Chief Internal Audit Officer at OQ Group, said the company marks International Internal Audit Month by hosting a series of important activities and knowledge exchange forums.
"OQ continues to invest in in-country talent and collaborate with its international peers to exchange best practices and adhere to international best practices in control, compliance and risk management," he added.
Speaking to the Observer, Warren Hersh, IIA Quality Service Director, stated, "The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is the international umbrella organisation cooperating with over 115 national institutes around the world, including Oman," said Hersh.
"Essentially each country has an institute and we work closely with them on priority issues such as co-operation, internal audit quality and the setting of worldwide standards. We're also keen to understand how the internal audit profession will change and develop to address future challenges,' he stated.
Harris Matin, who is a KPMG Advisory Partner, said, 'We are pleased to assist OQ on this milestone for the internal audit profession in Oman.'
He added, "Over the course of these two days, we will seek to engage, cooperate and reflect on our personal experience as we shape the future of internal audit in the Sultanate of Oman. I congratulate OQ on this tremendous achievement in bringing together such a rich basket of talent and we anticipate many more significant joint efforts in the future."
Among the top-of-mind issues covered were digital transformation in auditing, geopolitical risk, embedding ESG, cybersecurity and developing integrated assurance frameworks.
Attendees discussed global and regional trends, regulatory developments in Oman, highlighting the key role of the internal audit function in enabling sustainable governance and organisational resilience. Sessions highlighted how audit functions can offer greater strategic contributions by innovating, being nimble and collaborating cross-functionally.
Delegates included IIA Oman board members, senior officials of the Oman Investment Authority, public and private sector executives; and IIA Global representatives.
The forum is an integral part of OQ's broader transformation journey towards infusing accountability, resilience and high performance in all its operations. It also reflects the company's commitment to playing its part in supporting national aspirations for developing a modern, responsible and innovation-driven private sector.
The leadership at OQ emphasised the role of internal audit in shaping decision-making and maintaining trust in institutions, referring to it as one of the key drivers of long-term value creation and governance excellence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
2 days ago
- Muscat Daily
bp Oman appoints Najla al Jamali as president
Muscat – Global energy giantbp announced that Najla Zuhair al Jamali has been appointed as President of bp Oman. She joins bp from OQ where she served as Chief Executive of OQ Alternative Energy. Najla started her global career as a reservoir engineer in Oman and brings over two decades of energy sector experience to bp. Her career spans upstream, downstream and commercial roles across companies including Shell, Schlumberger and Takamul Investment Company (as subsidiary of what was Oman Oil Company). Najla will be the first woman to serve as the President of bp Oman. In a press statement, Nader Zaki, bp's regional president Middle East and North Africa said, 'I am very pleased to welcome Najla to our team as President of bp Oman. Her wealth of experience will greatly benefit us as we continue to support the growth of the energy sector in Oman. This is a historic milestone for bp as Najla is the first female Omani country manager for bp in the country. I would also like to thank Yousuf al Ojaili for his leadership and congratulate him on his retirement after a decade of excellence with our company and 39 years in the energy sector.' Commenting on her appointment as President of bp Oman, Najla said, 'I'm excited to join bp Oman working with the team to continue supply one-third of Oman's gas and working with the Omani government and partners to explore potential for growing our operations in country.' Najla will join bp in September where she will assume full roles and responsibilities after a transition period with Yousuf al Ojaili who retires at the end of 2025.
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Najla Al Jamali appointed President BP Oman
MUSCAT: Global energy major BP has announced the appointment of Najla Zuhair al Jamali as President BP Oman. She joins BP from OQ where she served as Chief Executive, OQ Alternative Energy. Al Jamali started her global career as a reservoir engineer in Oman and brings over two decades of energy sector experience to BP. Her career spans upstream, downstream and commercial roles across companies including Shell, Schlumberger and Takamul Investment Company (as subsidiary of what was Oman Oil Company). al Jamali will be the first woman to serve in the role. Nader Zaki, BP's regional president Middle East and North Africa said: "I am very pleased to welcome Najla to our team as President of BP Oman. Her wealth of experience will greatly benefit us as we continue to support the growth of the energy sector in Oman. This is a historic milestone for BP as Najla is the first female Omani country manager for BP in the country. I would also like to thank Yousuf al Ojaili for his leadership and congratulate him on his retirement after a decade of excellence with our company and 39 years in the energy sector." Najla Zuhair al Jamali said: "I'm excited to join BP Oman working with the team to continue supply one third of Oman's gas and working with the Omani government and partners to explore potential for growing our operations in country." Najla Zuhair al Jamali will join BP in September where she will assume full roles and responsibilities after a transition period with Yousuf al Ojaili who retires at the end of 2025.
Times of Oman
04-08-2025
- Times of Oman
OQ officially joins SWIFT network integration
Muscat: OQ has officially joined the SWIFT network, the global financial messaging system operated by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. This strategic move enables OQ to receive electronic bank statements directly via its own SWIFT address, without intermediaries. The integration empowers OQ to manage its financial operations with greater transparency, accuracy, and real-time access to banking data from both local and international institutions. This enhances investor confidence and strengthens the Group's global appeal. 'This achievement marks a major milestone in OQ's digital transformation journey and reflects our ongoing commitment to implementing international best practices,' said Sabrina Al Bakri, Chief Financial Officer at OQ. 'By adopting advanced financial infrastructure and streamlining institutional financing processes, OQ continues to position itself as a future-focused energy leader rooted in operational excellence,' she added. Direct integration with SWIFT significantly streamlines bank reconciliation cycles, enhances the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting, and reinforces the integrity of daily transactional accounting. This advancement supports OQ's broader strategy to modernise its financial architecture and implement digital solutions that drive operational agility and fiscal discipline across the Group.
