Innovation In Accounting Forum For Students: GCA President Attends Closing Ceremony

The second edition of the Innovation in Accounting Forum (IAF 2025) for Students concluded at the General Court of Audit, after several days of activities designed to support Saudi accounting students. Organized by the Saudi Center for Financial and Performance Auditing, the forum aimed to develop national capabilities in accounting and auditing and to connect academic learning with real professional practice.

This year’s Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 attracted about 1,600 accounting students from 30 Saudi universities and educational institutions. Participants joined more than 45 interactive activities, including applied workshops and knowledge sessions led by local and international specialists in accounting, technology, artificial intelligence, and labour‑market skills, with a strong focus on practical application.

The Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 programme was built around two main tracks, Knowledge Development and Innovative Challenges, which were further divided into six specialised sub‑tracks. These sub‑tracks were Studies, Solutions, Data, Empowerment, Simulation, and Career Development, designed to cover academic research, technical problem solving, data analysis, professional readiness, and simulated work environments for students.

Within the Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 structure, participants engaged in practical exercises mirroring real accounting and auditing challenges under expert supervision. Students worked on creating innovative solutions and drafting recommendations on regulatory and legislative issues. The aim was to train students to think critically about actual sector problems and to suggest improvements based on modern practices and technologies.

Several competitions formed a key part of the Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025, with winners recognised during the closing ceremony. The Solutions Track saw 29 teams competing to design innovative and applicable responses to real accounting issues. In the Studies Track, 30 teams developed strategic legislative and policy proposals addressing regulatory and legislative challenges in the accounting profession.

The Data Track of the Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 included eight teams that focused on data‑driven work. These teams built solutions that relied on managing and analysing accounting data, and on creating predictive models. They used modern technologies and artificial intelligence tools to show how data analysis can support decision‑making and improve the quality of accounting outcomes.

President of the General Court of Audit Dr. Hussam Alangari attended the closing ceremony of the Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025, which took place on Sunday evening at the General Court of Audit headquarters. During the event, Vice President of Institutional Services at the General Court of Audit and Director General of the Saudi Center for Financial and Performance Auditing Tariq Aljurayfani underlined the importance of the forum in recognising scientific excellence among students.

Tariq Aljurayfani explained that the Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 invests in young national talent and energy to prepare future leaders and strengthen professional competencies in Saudi Arabia’s accounting sector. Aljurayfani stated that this is done by nurturing talent in national centres and laboratories, building educational portfolios for winners with leading Saudi and international universities, and offering learning opportunities on major digital platforms with international consulting firms and experts.

The Innovation in Accounting Forum IAF 2025 for Students is one of the main programmes of the National Talent Support Initiative launched by the Saudi Center for Financial and Performance Auditing. The initiative seeks to build a qualified generation of Saudi accounting students capable of delivering high‑quality innovations in accounting, and of narrowing the gap between academic study and real‑world practice in accounting and auditing through direct interaction with leading local and international professionals.

With inputs from SPA