The Association for Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has recognised Smart Dubai as an approved employer for professional development at a ceremony that brought together senior management from both organisations.
The ACCA Approved Employer certificate was presented to Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office (SDO); H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General of the SDO and CEO of the Dubai Data Establishment; H.E. Wesam Lootah, CEO of the Smart Dubai Government Establishment (SDG) and Ms. Ayesha Al Zaabi, Finance Affairs & Purchasing Section Manager at Smart Dubai; by Stuart Dunlop, Regional Director from ACCA and Lindsay Degouve de Nuncques, Head of ACCA Middle East.
The approved employer certificate is awarded to leading organisations that offer outstanding continuous professional development opportunities to their finance professionals and that demonstrate superior professional values, ethics and governance in the workplace.
The programme recognises employers' high standards of staff training, accountancy resources and development for their ACCA members and trainees. Smart Dubai's commitment to developing finance professionals is further demonstrated with Ayesha Al Zaabi being an ACCA member and one of the first Emirati females in the UAE to attain her ACCA membership.
Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, stated:"With the government placing an increased focus on innovation and driving a smart e-government, the role of finance continues to evolve. Smart Dubai's mission consists of embracing advanced technologies and channelling them towards improving people's lives, all in an effort to make Dubai the happiest and smartest city on earth. We are pleased to have been awarded this status by ACCA; we are committed to honing the skills of the national workforce to meet technological advancements – and this includes, undoubtedly, finance professionals within the UAE, who can lead their sector into the new era of advanced technologies. Smart cities and finance professionals with leading technological skills are the way of the future and at Smart Dubai, we are dedicated to playing a key role in building that future".
Lindsay Degouve de Nuncques, Head of ACCA Middle East said:
"We are delighted to provide formal recognition to Smart Dubai in support of their commitment to providing learning and development opportunities to their finance staff which further supports the accounting profession in the UAE.
As an approved employer, Smart Dubai has been awarded for achieving the global benchmark that further fortifies the effort that they place in learning and development. With ACCA members such as Ayesha Al Zaabi, we can continue to strengthen the accounting profession across the region, whilst creating a wider economic impact – as a result of the work that our members and employers undertake.
This in turn supports our students who get the opportunity to hear from and work alongside organisations such as Smart Dubai who are awarded for their commitment to the finance profession – allowing us to make a wider difference to the profession together."
