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For the past 17 years, Grant Thornton has been tracking the global progress of women in senior management. Globally, female leadership positions passed the crucial 30% mark. In the UAE, we have recorded a 9% increase of female CEOs in the past 12 months, which sets the tone for a growing gender inclusive workforce in the GCC region.

Each year Grant Thornton releases a comprehensive IFRS guide to the market where we cover both the new standards as well as any amendments that have been made to existing ones. This publication is designed to give preparers of IFRS financial statements a high-level awareness of recent changes to International Financial Reporting Standards.

Over the last 12 months, our women in business research has drilled down into the gender diversity stats of mid-market organisations around the world, looking at how the numbers are changing, and most importantly, what businesses are doing to make them change.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, commonly referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals, is one of the most ambitious plans of our time. Divided into 17 goals that reflect the world’s greatest environmental, social, economic, and political challenges, the SDGs provide a framework for people from all backgrounds, sectors, and regions to work together towards a better future.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, commonly referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals, is one of the most ambitious plans of our time. Divided into 17 goals that reflect the world’s greatest environmental, social, economic, and political challenges, the SDGs provide a framework for people from all backgrounds, sectors, and regions to work together towards a better future.

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?

Our annual report on women in business reveals that introducing policies alone is not enough to drive real progress, and that gender diversity gaps remain at a leadership level. If policy is not driving more women to the top, despite widespread use, then what will?

A report by Grant Thornton has found that, like their global counterparts, the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), highlights two key features of regional labour markets.

The global healthcare industry is currently experiencing a technological revolution, which may seem grandiose, however, we are witnessing a shift from traditional to modern- tech simulated healthcare, which will enable both medical professionals and patients to access new virtual resources, further aiding effectiveness and efficiency.

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.

Islamic Finance is an important segment of the global financial services market, with exposure across almost 75% of the globe, as highlighted by the IMF. In correlation to the global footprint of Islamic Finance, the segment has an equally important fiscal impact with over 400 banks and 150 Takaful providers offering solutions, equally over $100 billion Sukuk’s are issued per annum.

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

The gender diversity issue has been on the business agenda for many years now, yet a third of businesses still have no women at a senior management level. We know that significant performance benefits come with having a diverse leadership team and there are certainly a large number of women capable of joining such teams.