The National Audit Office (NAO) of Bahrain

The NAO Bahrain participates in INTOSAI’s PSC Steering Committee Meeting

The National Audit Office (NAO) of Bahrain participated in the 23rd meeting of the Steering Committee of the Professional Standards Committee (PSC) of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) held in Luxembourg from the 27th to the 28th of September, representing the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI).

During the meeting, the Strategic Plan for the Development of Professional Standards (SDP) was adopted, which had been outlined during the meetings held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in May 2023. In addition, the request of the Capacity Building Committee to launch an initiative to support SAIs facing challenges and difficulties in applying professional standards was discussed.

Participants learned about initiatives related to the provision of professional qualifications and training in performance audit. They reviewed the progress of current projects of the INTOSAI Forum for Professional Pronouncements (FIPP) and the various task forces on the issuance of new professional standards and the revision of existing professional standards and publications.

During the meeting, the NAO Bahrain, represented by Mr. Mahmood Hashem Mahmood, Director Administrative Audit, and Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Buti, Director Regularity Audit at the NAO, presented a working paper on developing and improving the process of preparing professional standards in INTOSAI. The paper addressed the importance of involving stakeholders in the process of preparing, reviewing and updating professional standards. It included proposals on possible means that would enhance the participation of stakeholders in the preparation of professional standards issued by the Organization, in application of the principle of partnership and cooperation used by the NAO Bahrain in its audit work.

World CIO 200 Summit honours NAO Bahrain employee

The World CIO 200 Summit honoured Ahmed Buti, Director Regulatory Audit at the National Audit Office (NAO) of the Kingdom of Bahrain, for successfully leading the working group on "Employing Artificial Intelligence in Regulatory Audit" in cooperation with the H.H. Shaikh Nasser Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development.

Buti received the award on the sidelines of the summit held recently in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee.

He presented the experience of electronic transformation and the use of artificial intelligence at the NAO at the forum, which was attended by representatives from the public and private sector, and which celebrated a group of CIOs and CEOs supporting technological innovation.

This is the eighth time that Bahrain has hosted this international forum, which included a series of workshops and knowledge sharing sessions stimulating experiences and promoting a culture of innovation to explore the latest strategies, innovations and initiatives in IT leadership.

The NAO is interested in technological development and innovative technical tools that facilitate the performance of its tasks and enhance the professionalism and accuracy of its employees.

SAI India hosts SAI20 Summit

Under the G20 Presidency of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India assumed the chair of Supreme Audit Institutions 20 (SAI20) Engagement Group and hosted the SAI20 Summit from 12th to 14th June 2023 in Goa. SAI India selected Blue Economy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence as the priority themes for SAI20. Around 85 national and international delegates from G20 member SAIs, Guest SAIs, international and national organizations and the G20 Secretariat participated in the summit.

During the Summit, the participants deliberated on ways to enhance transparency, accountability and good governance in audit of blue economy and responsible artificial intelligence and shared the best practices followed in their respective SAIs.

As a culmination of the SAI20 Summit, SAI20 Communique was adopted by the member SAIs which was a reiteration of the firm resolve of the member SAIs to enhance the effectiveness of policies and programs promoting Blue Economy and to help mitigate social challenges as well as the ethical and privacy concerns in adoption of AI.

SAI India also presented the Compendia on Blue Economy and Responsible AI. The compendia have contributions and experiences shared by the SAI20 members and other SAIs to guide future audits on the respective priority areas.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Sh. Girish Chandra Murmu, along with the Heads of delegations during SAI20 Summit in Goa on 12th June 2023