“Positive” talks on Arab Society
01 Mar 1984“Positive and useful” talks were held earlier this month in London between the UK Association of Certified Accountants and two prominent Middle East practitioners worried by the Association’s backing for the new Arab Society of Accountants. Sohail Saba, senior partner of Saba & Co, and George Gali, the head of Saba’s Egyptian practice, met Association president Newton Grant to voice concern at the implications of the new Society for existing professional bodies in the Middle East.
Gali, himself a fellow of the UK Association, and Saba, representing the rival Middle East Society, believe that the existing framework of accounting organizations is sufficient to cater for the profession’s needs without creating yet a further new body. Although the Beirut-based Middle East Society has not been very active in recent years, partly due to the crisis in Lebanon, there is also a General Federation of Arab Accountants (GFAA), which continues to command support from governments in several Arab countries.
A spokesman for the UK Association, adopting a much more cautious tone than in earlier public pronouncements, said Saba and Gali were given a sympathetic hearing. “We would like to see all parties working together,” he commented, adding that the Association would listen to any representations that the GFAA might make.
The row over the Arab Society has been complicated by historic differences between Saba and the Society president, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, who used to work together. But at the recent meeting in London, it was apparently agreed at the outset to concentrate on the key issues, rather than the personality politics. Despite this, observers think it is unlikely that this aspect of the problem will disappear altogether.
It is now thought that the UK Association had little idea of just how controversial its involvement would be. Claiming that it was only “responding to a request for help” with the Society’s examination structure, the Association argues that its level of involvement has been limited. “We are always cautious in our dealings with other bodies,” said a London spokesman.
The Association has now become well aware of the many complex undercurrents in the Middle East profession, and knows about the series of allegations and counter-claims involving some of the leading figures. “There is no reason for doubting anything at this stage,” comments one Association official, “but if substantial problems arise or if the evidence was brought to support some of the allegations, we would obviously review our position.”
The latest embarrassment for the Association is the discovery that a claimed link between one of the Society’s council members and Price Waterhouse was in fact terminated several months before the Society was launched. Yet, in a press release issued late last year – on Association letterhead – it as claimed that Mourad Guellaty, a leading Tunisian accountant, was “in international association with” PW. The Association says it “can’t really see how that got there”, adding that the press release was based on “information supplied to us.”
Peter Mantle, London
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