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Fortunately, our understanding of how to address the challenges of COVID-19 is improving every day. Our medical and scientific communities are learning and adopting new strategies to deal with the current global crisis, as are the world's policymakers.

Let’s call a meeting to discuss COVID-19 epidemic risk management. No, let's not. Calling a meeting creates a state of panic and promotes congregating in groups at a time when a virus can be transmitted to two people from one infected person- it is not a good idea. What is, however, is having team leaders, risk champions, business continuity professionals, Human Resources, and communications teams collaborate online and agree on a comprehensive strategy to manage the risk and here is how to do it.

FIs need to re-focus their businesses and reconsider strategies to respond to the large amount of regulation, in an economic environment that is fundamentally more restraining. This can be achieved via five key areas of transformation for 2020 and beyond.

REITs, which are a subset of property funds, have been a rapidly growing asset class worldwide and signs of this growth have more recently also been seen in the GCC, enabling access to the region’s vibrant property market to people across the world.

Since its inception in the 1970s, the Islamic finance industry continues to flourish into new horizons, the ethical-based concept was founded to meet the demand of a select group (yet a large population) of consumers and investors and is now recognized as a leading global segment within the global financial services industry. Islamic banking has driven much of this growth, due to the advancement and enabling infrastructure of the banking system, in addition to the collective efforts of bankers and scholars.

With the Chinese financial services industry entering international jurisdictions, where does Islamic Finance fall in it's path of growth?

As economies look to diversify their global trade relations, the Gulf region advances as a favourable market to consider. Read the full article written by our very own Audit Partner Darren Yule.

Unlocking real value from your financial statements is underpinned by several elements, which include the motive of the stakeholder, the ability to assess the information beyond numbers and ultimately understanding what the statement is depicting in real terms. In our whitepaper in collaboration with ACCA, we share several strategies which finance professionals can implement in order to analyse data effectively whilst unlocking real value from financial statements.

As businesses continue to operate in an increasingly complex environment, the need to invest and drive a budgeting mindset, which will contribute significantly to the execution of a growth strategy is more so imperative than ever before. In our whitepaper in collaboration with ACCA, we share several budgeting strategies which finance professionals can implement in order to optimize the process, whilst effectively contributing to growth.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25 May 2018, and its reach will not be limited to the EU. Are you prepared for GDPR?

How can hoteliers in the UAE generate new business and grow their existing market in this age of tech-disruption, shifting socio dynamics and evolving guest preferences?

Senior leaders face an array of ever-increasing complex, interconnected and fast-evolving risks and challenges. Few of these are as critical and so poorly understood as the risk of cyber-crime, specifically given that real life and online are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from each other.

Across MENA, business leaders continue to place technological advancement at the top of their agenda, as they aim to promote efficiency to reduce costs and attract digital generations as the workforce of the future.

The business environment in which Owner Managed Businesses (OMBs) operate within continues to evolve with the emergence of new technology, innovation, changes in financial management, client needs and increased regulation.

The GCC region is well positioned to exploit the lucrative opportunities that e-commerce offers, given the generational demographic shift that we are witnessing and which will inevitably have a seismic impact on businesses for the future

This report draws on insight from our International Business Report, plus data and interviews from Grant Thornton teams around the world. It explores what skills the boards of 2025 will need, and what needs to happen between now and then to get there. Businesses should not view these changes we have identified as additional extras.e