Home Audit & Assurance External & Statutory Audit
Independent IFRS Audited Financial Statements

External & Statutory Audit in Dubai & the UAE

An independent audit gives your financial statements credibility with the authorities that license you, the banks that fund you, and the shareholders who rely on you. SKM International is an approved auditor across the UAE's major free zones and registered with the Ministry of Economy for mainland audits — so wherever your company is licensed, we can audit it and our report is accepted.

Approved
Free Zones Ministry of Economy (Mainland)
Standards
IFRS ISA
A Big Four-experienced team that has audited UAE free zone and mainland companies since 2006 — reports your authority, bank and shareholders accept without question.
Free Zone + Mainland
Approved Across Both
Big Four
Experienced Team
IFRS · ISA
Reporting & Auditing Standards
2006
Auditing the UAE Since
Why SKM Signs Your Audit

Approved Wherever Your Company Is Licensed

Many auditors are approved in a handful of free zones. SKM International is an approved auditor across the UAE's major free zones — including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DSO, SAIF Zone, Hamriyah (HFZA), RAKEZ, DIFC and Dubai CommerCity — and registered with the UAE Ministry of Economy to audit mainland companies. That combination means we can sign off your audit whether you are in a free zone or on the mainland, and the report will be accepted by your licensing authority.

Our audits are led by a Big Four-experienced team — with backgrounds at firms including KPMG, EY and Deloitte — and conducted to International Standards on Auditing, reporting under IFRS. We have audited UAE companies since 2006. If you would like the fuller picture of the firm, see our Audit & Assurance overview.

Approved auditor for your free zone?

We have dedicated pages for the zones we are approved in — check yours.

Do I Need One?

Who Needs an External or Statutory Audit

The terms overlap: an external audit is an independent audit by an outside firm; a statutory audit is that same audit when an authority or law requires it. In the UAE, the annual audit most companies need for licence renewal is a statutory audit — and it is external by nature.

Free Zone Companies
Most free zones require audited financial statements for annual trade-licence renewal, accepted only from an auditor on their approved list. We are approved across the major zones.
Mainland Companies
Mainland companies are increasingly required to maintain audited accounts, and many need them for renewal, banking or Corporate Tax. As Ministry of Economy-registered auditors, we audit mainland entities too.
Banks & Lenders
Banks routinely require audited financial statements as a condition of facilities, overdrafts and trade finance — and for annual review of an existing line.
Shareholders & Investors
Shareholders, investors and group parents rely on an independent audit for assurance that the accounts give a true and fair view before they commit or report upward.
Corporate Tax Credibility
With UAE Corporate Tax now in force, audited financial statements strengthen your record-keeping and support the figures in your tax filing if questioned.
Tenders & Counterparties
Tender boards, principals and large counterparties often ask for audited accounts as part of due diligence before awarding work or credit terms.
The Audit Process

How Your Audit Runs — Start to Signed Report

A real audit, conducted to International Standards on Auditing — not a rubber stamp.

1
Planning & Risk Assessment
We understand your business and identify where the risk of misstatement sits, so the audit focuses effort where it matters.
2
Testing & Evidence
We test balances and transactions against supporting evidence — the substance behind the opinion, not a surface check.
3
IFRS Financial Statements
We prepare or review your statements under IFRS, with the disclosures the standards require, so the report is complete and compliant.
4
Independent Opinion & Sign-Off
We issue our audit opinion to ISA and sign the report — ready for your authority, bank or shareholders, in good time for your deadline.
The Deliverable

What Your Audited Financial Statements Include

A complete set of IFRS financial statements with our independent auditor's report.

Independent Auditor's Report — our signed opinion on the financial statements
Statement of Financial Position — your balance sheet at year-end
Statement of Profit or Loss — income and expenses for the year
Cash Flow & Equity Statements — movements in cash and shareholders' funds
Notes to the Accounts — the disclosures IFRS requires
In the format your authority accepts — ready to submit for licence renewal

Audit due for your licence renewal?

Tell us your year-end and your licensing authority — free zone or mainland — and we will confirm what you need and get the audit done in good time.

FAQ

External & Statutory Audit — Common Questions

What is the difference between an external and a statutory audit?

An external audit is an independent examination of your financial statements by a firm outside your business. A statutory audit is that same external audit when it is required by law or by your licensing authority. In the UAE the annual audit most companies need for licence renewal is a statutory audit, and it is external by nature, so for most businesses the two terms describe the same engagement.

Are you approved for free zone and mainland audits?

Yes, both. SKM International is an approved auditor across the UAE's major free zones, including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DSO, SAIF Zone, Hamriyah, RAKEZ, DIFC and Dubai CommerCity, and we are registered with the UAE Ministry of Economy to audit mainland companies. Wherever your company is licensed, we can audit it and our report will be accepted by your authority.

Does my UAE company actually need a statutory audit?

Many do. A growing number of free zone and mainland authorities require audited financial statements for trade-licence renewal, and banks, investors and group parents often require them too. Whether it is mandatory for you depends on your authority and structure. Tell us where you are licensed and we will confirm your position quickly.

What standards do you audit and report under?

We conduct our audits in accordance with International Standards on Auditing and report on financial statements prepared under IFRS. These are the standards UAE authorities, banks and shareholders expect, which is what makes our audit reports accepted without question, and our team's Big Four experience means they are applied properly.

When should the audit be done?

The audit follows your financial year-end, and you will usually need the audited statements ready before your trade-licence renewal or any filing deadline that applies to you. We recommend starting in good time rather than at the last minute, so the audit is never the reason a renewal is delayed. We manage the timeline around your deadline.

Can SKM also handle my accounts, VAT and tax?

Yes. We are a chartered accountancy firm handling audit, accounts, VAT and Corporate Tax. Having one team across all of them means your audited figures agree with your tax filings and your records, with nothing falling between providers, which is simpler for you and more consistent for anyone relying on your numbers.

Audit Due? Free Zone or Mainland — We're Approved for Both.

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