Latest news with #JamalFakhro
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
KPMG launches KPMG Workbench
KPMG International yesterday launched KPMG Workbench – KPMG's foundational and single AI platform designed to scale global adoption and integration of AI, while enhancing trust and control over AI across all geographies and teams. It is part of the global organization's multi-billion dollar investment in AI and agentic transformation and is the foundation that will underpin KPMG firms' client delivery platforms, KPMG Digital Gateway (Tax), KPMG Velocity (Advisory) and our smart audit platform, KPMG Clara. 'With KPMG Workbench, we're combining advanced AI agents with the insight, judgment and deep expertise of our people to deliver smarter solutions for clients, faster and with full confidence in their security and compliance.' – David Rowlands, Global Head of AI, KPMG International A shared vision KPMG leveraged the Microsoft Azure platform, including AI capabilities in Azure AI Foundry, as the foundation for KPMG Workbench. This investment marks the evolution of Workbench from a proven platform for KPMG's developers to the firm's central hub for delivering and managing AI, using advanced agent interoperability technology to connect intelligent tools and support throughout various stages of the client journey. With generative and agentic AI, KPMG Workbench's ability to scale and specialize helps makes it transformative. By coordinating multiple task-specific agents to collaborate and share context, KPMG Workbench enables team members to automate complex, multi-step processes from client onboarding to regulatory reporting. These agents are modular, reusable, and continuously evolving, making it easier to adapt to changing business needs. ' In Bahrain, KPMG has established an AI Lab that is working with key clients in the market on some cutting edge use cases. We are significantly investing in Bahraini talent to drive the AI agenda forward for our clients' – Jamal Fakhro, Managing Partner, KPMG in Bahrain Clients onboarded Private instances of KPMG Workbench will be available to clients from across industries to help develop and manage their digital workforce of the future.'Our AI Lab is imple menting AI solutions that are already driving tangible value for our clients in the Kingdom. With KPMG Workbench, these homegrown capabilities will be significantly amplified, allowing us to accelerate the delivery of advanced, secure, and locally relevant AI-driven services, truly complementing the human intelligence and deep industry knowledge of our professionals.' – Manav Prakash, Partner, Advisory, KPMG in Bahrain.
Biz Bahrain
29-05-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
General Assembly Bahrain and KPMG Partner to Empower Bahrain's Tech Workforce
General Assembly (GA) Bahrain, a pioneer in tech education and career transformation, and KPMG in Bahrain, a leading professional services company, today announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This collaboration is specifically designed to establish a solid pipeline of talented technology professionals, enabling Bahrain's workforce and fueling digital transformation across industries. Most significantly, KPMG has demonstrated a vision-oriented approach in talent hiring by recognizing the potential of students with various academic backgrounds who have graduated from the training of GA. So far, KPMG has hired eleven of GA's graduates, which stands testament to the success of the program. One of them graduated with a major in physics and is now a part of KPMG's coding team, which clearly reflects the effectiveness of GA's programs which help professionals evolve in their careers. The KPMG leadership team are also aware of how digital skills can be leveraged across a range of functions effectively, i.e., a data analytics graduate, for instance, can be a high-performing professional within a HR team by leveraging their skills to deliver on critical people analytics to drive better recruitment, retention, and employee engagement. Under the terms of the MoU, General Assembly Bahrain will offer its specialized corporate training programs to KPMG professionals, enhancing their skills in critical areas of technology and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the firm. This partnership signifies a mutual commitment to develop a highly skilled workforce capable of navigating the complexities of the digital age. 'Our partnership with KPMG reflects a bold commitment to unlock and enable the Tech Talent in Bahrain,' said Ahlam Oun, Bahrain Director at General Assembly. 'By embracing both traditional and non-traditional Tech graduates from General Assembly, and embedding them across departments to drive digital transformation, KPMG is redefining what talent enablement looks like. Their prioritization of Bahraini tech talent makes them the ideal partner on the speed train to the future – fueling innovation, inclusion, and impact at every turn.' Jamal Fakhro, KPMG Managing Partner, commented: 'Investing in the future generation of young leaders is crucial for KPMG to deliver exceptional value to our clients and contribute to the Kingdom's economic progress. Our positive experience with General Assembly graduates has demonstrated the strength of their training and their ability to quickly integrate and contribute to our teams. This MoU formalizes our commitment to partner with GA Bahrain to secure a pipeline of high-performing skilled professionals who will be essential to drive digital transformation within the marketplace.' The collaboration between General Assembly Bahrain with KPMG reiterates the mutual intent to create a technologically and dynamically skilled workforce in Bahrain in alignment with the Kingdom's vision of having a diversified, knowledge-based economy.
Daily Tribune
21-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Shura approves 2024 accounts with BD160,000 surplus and clean audit
The Shura Council has approved its 2024 audited accounts, which showed a BD160,000 surplus and drew no remarks from the National Audit Office. The figures, for the year ending 31 December, were reviewed during yesterday's session. Senior members of the chamber said the outcome stemmed from careful spending, savings, and returns on investments. 'What we received in government support, along with savings and investment income, allowed the Secretariat to post a surplus with no observations from the National Audit Office,' said First Deputy Chairman Jamal Fakhro. He explained that the BD149,000 shortfall shown in the accounts was due to depreciation entries. Adjustment 'It is an accounting adjustment, not actual cash spending,' he said. The Financial and Economic Affairs Committee confirmed that the accounts were prepared in line with international standards and the Council's financial rules. Dr Anwar Khalifa Al Saddah, who presented the committee's report, said: 'The statements provide a true and fair view of the Council's financial position as of 31 December 2024, and of how money moved in and out over the year.' He noted that the Audit Office had carried out its work under Decree-Law No. 16 of 2002, in line with standards set by INTOSAI, the international audit body. Its opinion was issued without qualification. Compliance Dalal Al Zayed, chair of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, said the absence of remarks from the Audit Office showed compliance with proper standards. 'That shows things are being done properly,' she said. She praised the involvement of Bureau members in spending decisions, and pointed to progress in digital systems, artificial intelligence, and training for staff. Secretary-General Karima Al Abbasi was commended for leading those efforts. Khalid Al Maskati, who chairs the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, said the Bureau had the option to refer the accounts to his committee, and doing so gave space for closer scrutiny ahead of the floor debate.
