External audit, Free Zone audit, internal audit, agreed upon procedures and audit-readiness support for UAE organisations.
The Ministry's clarification narrows the definition of "qualifying activities" and reintroduces substance thresholds. Here's the practical practical explanation for holding structures.
Read the briefing →An audit should do more than satisfy a deadline. It should establish whether the financial statements are supported by reliable records, whether significant judgements are reasonable and whether control weaknesses require management attention.
CBM Consultants scopes each engagement around the entity, users, reporting framework, authority requirements and timetable. We organise requests, communicate findings early and maintain a clear evidence trail from source records to the final report.
Important: This page provides general information. The correct treatment depends on the specific facts and the law and official guidance applicable at the relevant time.
Risk-based audit of annual financial statements and disclosures under the applicable reporting and assurance framework.
Planning and reporting aligned with the relevant Free Zone authority, licence timetable and submission format.
Outsourced or co-sourced reviews of finance, operations, governance, compliance, systems and key controls.
Precisely defined procedures performed on specified information, with factual findings reported to intended users.
Review of earnings, working capital, debt, cash, tax exposures, forecasts and financial controls for a transaction.
Pre-audit close review, schedule preparation, IFRS support and working-paper organisation.
A statutory audit, internal audit and agreed upon procedures engagement serve different purposes.
Audit and assurance work requires appropriate independence, acceptance and conflict checks.
The applicable accounting and assurance standards should be established before fieldwork.
Late or incomplete records increase cost and reduce the time available to resolve findings.
Confirm entity, users, framework, independence, locations and deadlines.
Understand the business, systems, controls and material balances.
Perform walkthroughs and address complex or high-risk areas early.
Test transactions, balances, estimates and disclosures.
Resolve open points, communicate findings and issue the agreed reports.
Our engagements connect the accounting record with tax, audit, governance and commercial reporting. A named senior contact coordinates the work, material positions are documented and issues are raised early enough for management to act.
Where another licensed or jurisdiction-specific adviser is required, we identify the dependency and coordinate the information needed for that work.
Requirements vary by legal form, authority, Free Zone, constitutional documents and stakeholder arrangements. The entity-specific obligation should be checked.
An audit provides an opinion under an assurance framework. Agreed-upon procedures report factual findings from specifically agreed work and do not provide an audit opinion.
Before year-end where possible, especially for opening balances, inventory, confirmations, complex transactions and new reporting requirements.
Yes. Audit-readiness support can address reconciliations, schedules, policies, disclosures and document organisation.
Yes. Scope may include an annual risk-based plan, individual reviews, reporting and remediation tracking.
Book a 30 minute consultation to discuss your accounting, tax or business requirements. If we are not the right fit, we'll say so and point you to someone who is.
Book a consultationTalk to a partner. Not a chatbot.