فهرس الموضوع
SAI: The Supreme Financial Audit Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The General Auditing Office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the supreme body for public financial oversight and accounting. It is an independent government body directly linked to the King. It carries out vital tasks aimed at ensuring transparency and integrity in the management of public funds, as it monitors all state revenues and expenditures, in addition to monitoring its movable and fixed funds. Ensure that it is properly used and maintained.
In light of the rapid technological developments and digital transformation that the world is witnessing, the General Auditing Bureau seeks to enhance its oversight efficiency by adopting modern technologies and advanced methodologies that contribute to achieving the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Despite the challenges it faces, the General Auditing Bureau remains an essential pillar in the financial and administrative system. For the state, he works tirelessly to ensure compliance with regulations and achieve the highest levels of efficiency and transparency in the various governmental and private agencies in which the state contributes.
In this article, we will get to know the General Auditing Office closely.
MA is the Diwan
The General Auditing Office is considered the supreme body for public financial oversight and accounting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is an independent government body directly linked to the King, and carries out subsequent oversight tasks over all state revenues and expenditures. It monitors all movable and fixed state funds and ensures the proper use, exploitation, and preservation of these funds. .
It also monitors the extent of government agencies’ compliance with financial and administrative systems. To achieve this, the Bureau relies on a specific “methodology” implemented by specialized auditors who possess knowledge, skills and professional experience in the areas of financial control, compliance and performance. These tasks include all ministries, institutions and government bodies, in addition to private institutions and companies. To which the state contributes to its capital or guarantees a minimum amount of profits, and to increase its effectiveness in oversight, the Bureau, pursuant to Royal Order No. (17103) dated 3/26/1442 AH, supervises the Saudi Society of Internal Auditors, and the President of the General Auditing Bureau chairs the Society’s Board of Directors. This comprehensive and diverse role of the Bureau is essential in achieving transparency and integrity in the state’s financial management.
The importance of subsequent oversight and its application by the Bureau
The subsequent oversight exercised by the Bureau is considered one of the basic pillars of ensuring transparency and integrity in the management of public funds, as through this oversight all state revenues and expenditures are reviewed after their implementation to ensure their compliance with applicable regulations and laws. This also includes monitoring the state’s movable and fixed funds and ensuring their use. In an effective and maintained manner, the General Auditing Office also examines the extent of government agencies’ compliance with financial and administrative systems to ensure that no abuses or violations occur. To achieve this, the General Auditing Office relies on a team of specialized auditors with high competence and professional skills in the areas of financial control, compliance and performance.
This oversight is characterized by impartiality and independence, as the General Auditing Office carries out its oversight tasks away from any external influences, which ensures the accuracy and objectivity of the results that are reached. The General Auditing Office’s oversight is not limited to government agencies only, but also includes private institutions and companies whose capital the state contributes to. Or it guarantees a minimum level of profits, which increases the scope of oversight and enhances transparency in the public and private sectors.
Digital transformation and its role in enhancing the role of the Bureau
With the development of technology and the spread of digital transformation in various sectors, the General Auditing Office played a major role in keeping pace with this transformation and promoting it within the corridors of government institutions, as the General Auditing Office realized the importance of applying digital systems to improve the efficiency of financial and administrative control processes, and to achieve this, many technical solutions were adopted. Advanced technology that contributes to facilitating review and auditing processes, which contributes to reducing errors and increasing accuracy and transparency in financial reports.
In addition, the General Auditing Office is working to train and qualify its cadres to use these modern technologies to ensure maximum benefit from them in implementing oversight tasks. This transformation has been reflected positively on the ability of the General Auditing Office to follow up on the performance of government agencies more effectively and quickly, as it has become able Access to financial data and information immediately, which helps in detecting abuses and violations early and addressing them in a timely manner. Thus, digital transformation contributes to supporting the efforts of the General Auditing Office in achieving its goals aimed at enhancing integrity and transparency in the state’s public financial management.
Challenges of financial control and achieving Saudi Vision 2030
Despite the great efforts exerted by the Bureau in implementing its oversight tasks, it faces many challenges that require further efforts and continuous development to overcome them. The most prominent of these challenges is the significant expansion in the volume of government spending and large development projects that require precise and continuous oversight to ensure the achievement of The desired goals. The diversity of economic and financial activities and their increasing complexity requires the General Auditing Office to continuously develop control tools and methods to keep pace with these changes. Hence the importance of digital transformation in enabling the General Auditing Office to carry out its tasks more efficiently.
Within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development, the General Auditing Office plays a pivotal role in following up on the implementation of the vision’s programs and initiatives and ensuring that the concerned parties adhere to the financial and administrative standards required to achieve this vision. In this regard, the General Auditing Office relies on advanced control methodologies and modern technical tools. It contributes to enhancing its ability to monitor performance and provide accurate and objective reports that help in making the right decisions. Thus, the General Auditing Office contributes significantly to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, enhancing integrity and transparency in the management of public funds, and ensuring the optimal use of the state’s financial resources.
How does the Doc Suite system make it easier for companies to use the General Accounting Office?
The "Doc Suite" system is known as a modern web application that aims to transform paper management into completely electronic management. It is considered an effective tool that contributes to improving document management and administrative communications, and automating procedures within companies. Doc Suite allows companies to benefit from a set of advantages that enhance the integration of their work with the Bureau in multiple ways:
Automate procedures and enhance efficiencyBy automating the processes of reviewing and auditing documents, the “Dock Suite” system contributes to accelerating the implementation of procedures and reducing human errors, which makes it easier for companies to submit accurate and comprehensive financial reports to the General Auditing Office. Automation simplifies the control process and accelerates its completion, which enhances the effectiveness of auditing and reviewing. .
Smart document management: The system provides advanced document management using the latest artificial intelligence technologies, allowing documents to be classified and arranged in an organized and rapid manner. This contributes to facilitating the process of accessing necessary information when needed, and enhances the accuracy and transparency of reports submitted to the Bureau.
Organizing administrative communicationsDoc Suite improves the organization and management of administrative communications within companies, ensuring that information and reports are effectively directed to the Bureau. The system provides secure and reliable communication channels, which facilitates the exchange of information and data between companies and the General Auditing Bureau.
Cybersecurity and data protectionDoc Suite focuses on using advanced cybersecurity technologies to protect sensitive data and information, ensuring the security of documents and reports submitted to the Bureau. By protecting data, the system contributes to maintaining the confidentiality of information and enhances the reliability of financial reports.
Support environmental sustainability: The shift from paper-based to electronic management contributes to reducing the consumption of natural resources such as paper, which supports the goals of environmental sustainability in accordance with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. This enhances companies’ commitment to environmental standards and reflects social responsibility practices.
Finally, the DocSuite system contributes to improving the efficiency of administrative work and ensuring that accurate and reliable information is provided to companies that deal with the General Auditing Office, which contributes to enhancing transparency and integrity in the management of public money and achieving the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030.