The Internal Audit department of Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) has achieved the top rating for its Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) for conformance with IPPF.

The Internal Audit department of Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) has achieved the top rating for its Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) for conformance with the International Professional Practices Framework of Internal Auditing (IPPF).

The full assessment was carried out during February 2023 by UAE Internal Auditors Association (UAE IAA), which is the official IIA (The Institute of Internal Auditors) affiliate in the UAE and is authorised by the Institute of Internal Auditors, USA to conduct Quality Assessments under provisions of Addendum GG, and resulted in a “Generally Conforms” rating.

UAE IAA has been at the forefront and is a torchbearer for the promotion of Internal Audit assurance services in the region, and BAS is one amongst only two companies in Bahrain, and the first in the non-financial sectors, to achieve the top rating from UAE IAA.

Mohamed Khalil, the company CEO said: “It brings me immense pleasure to note that BAS Internal Audit department has achieved the top rating for its QAIP from UAE IAA, in effect, displaying conformance with the International Professional Practices Framework of Internal Auditing (IPPF). That we are only the second, and the first non-financial Company in Bahrain to achieve the “Generally Conforms” rating from UAE IAA is a well-deserved validation for all the efforts put in by the Internal Audit department in their endeavour to improve the control environment governing BAS operations”.  

Ali Abdulghaffar, the Company Auditor expressed his gratitude to the Board of Directors at BAS, especially the Audit and Risk Committee, for their steadfast support and ready guidance at all times as well as CEO, Mr. Mohamed Khalil, for facilitating total management support during audits.

Abdulghaffar attributed the recent success of the Internal Audit Department to the highly professional and dedicated efforts of its team members. He expressed his appreciation for their hard work and stressed the importance of their ongoing support in maximizing the company's value-adding audit potential.

He also emphasized the potential benefits of the company's experience with the full external QAIP assessment by UAE IAA for the local Internal Audit community in Bahrain. He expressed the company's willingness to collaborate with fellow Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) to enhance the value proposition in their assurance services going forward.

As the third line of defence, the Internal Audit department provides comfort and confidence to all stakeholders about the effectiveness and efficiency of the Company’s operations. The “Generally Conforms” rating technically reaffirms conformance with the definition of Internal Auditing, the Core Principles, IIA Code of Ethics, and the Standards, while also reaffirming the value addition and high level of quality in assurance services provided by the Internal Audit department to Bahrain Airport Services. – TradeArabia News Service