SOCPA to Host IFAC Connect: MENA 2025 in Riyadh

The Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA) announced that it will host IFAC Connect: MENA 2025 in Riyadh this October, reflecting the level of confidence the Saudi accounting sector has earned regionally and internationally.

The forum will convene under the theme “Leading Sustainability Transformation: Global Standards, Regional Solutions.” It is one of the profession’s leading global events, bringing together leaders of the profession, regulators, major firms, and accounting policymakers from around the world to discuss global shifts in accounting and the challenges and opportunities they present.

More than 600 specialists and experts will take part, along with over 20 international speakers from prominent professional bodies. The event will also draw broad participation from relevant government entities, universities, and local, regional, and international accounting firms. In total, 28 local, regional, and international organizations will participate, including the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB), as well as professional bodies from the Arabian Gulf region, the wider Arab world, Africa, and Europe.

Over three days, the program will feature a series of panel discussions and professional meetings. Highlights include a meeting of regulatory authorities in the Kingdom, a roundtable of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board, and keynote sessions on the future of the profession amid global transformations.

Commenting on the announcement, SOCPA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ahmed Almeghames said that hosting this global event in Riyadh for the first time is a historic milestone that affirms the Kingdom’s leadership in steering professional transformation worldwide. He added that the forum will serve as a strategic platform to strengthen international cooperation, exchange expertise, and craft innovative professional solutions that support the development of the profession, while further cementing Riyadh as a global hub for accounting, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance transparency and governance and support the national economy.