Your World: Sulman Ihsan

We spoke nearly a year ago. What has changed in your life and career?

Life is very busy as I am moving upward in my career. Formerly, I worked as an assistant manager at BDO International Saudi Arabia. I have now moved to a petrochemicals group, working as a senior consultant.

What has happened in your work with the IFA?

I represent the IFA and IPA in Saudi Arabia, so networking with different professionals is a unique exposure for me. IFA and IPA Group members are growing in Saudi Arabia. We are well-timed to meet members’ learning and networking.

Since we last spoke, what has happened in Saudi Arabia?

The number of IFA and IPA members has almost doubled. We arranged different branch meetings and different CPD seminars/webinars. We have appointed three branch ambassadors in the central, western and eastern region.

Have your thoughts on doing business in Saudi Arabia changed? If so, how have they changed?

I believe the Saudi Arabian market has a lot of exposure for accounting and finance professionals. Since IFRS has been adopted, there is a tremendous capacity for members to grow and develop their career in this market.

You have a series of webinars planned for members, can you tell us more?

The series will cover different IFRS topics, and members can convert this opportunity into an IFA diploma in IFRS. Course content will be covered through lectures, follow-up/catch-up classes, assignment work and finally an exam. Furthermore, we are aiming to arrange monthly webinars on different topics so that members can grow and develop their career in the local market.

What is the future of the IFA in Saudi Arabia and why?

I see Saudi Arabia as an emerging market. We’re continually working to raise recognition of the IFA locally and hope to enter into important collaborations soon. As mentioned, Saudi Arabia adopted IFRS recently and the IFA and IPA are full member bodies of IFAC – accordingly, members of the IFA and IPA can be a great fit for this market.