Dubai Chamber, Pearl Initiative co-host seminar on integrated reporting

The event was attended by CSR, sustainability, finance and strategy professionals from listed companies, public sector, private companies, state-owned enterprises and family firms, with experience and interest in financial and non-financial reporting.

The seminar looked at what integrated reporting is and how it can help businesses take more sustainable decisions and also enable investors and other stakeholders to understand how an organisation is really performing. Companies like Agility and Abraaj Capital also shared their current best practices in this area with the participants.

Speakers at the event included Andrew Robinson, Partner, KPMG, Frank Clary, CSR Director, Agility and Geetha Tharmaratnam, Principal, Portfolio Management & ESG, Abraaj Capital.

Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber, stated that the aim of an integrated report is to clearly and concisely tell the organisation's stakeholders about the company and its strategy and risks, linking its financial and sustainability performance in a way that gives stakeholders a holistic view of the organisation and its future prospects.

Stressing the importance of promoting awareness about these reports, Dr. Rettab said that integrated reporting should connect to the risks and opportunities in line with the company's drive towards more sustainable development which ultimately leads to better management of reputational risks while also helping strengthen the confidence of its stakeholders.

Said Imelda Dunlop, Executive Director, Pearl Initiative, "It is important for us to share good practice experiences between GCC-based companies, so that we can spread locally-relevant practical experience lessons learned."

"Working with organisations such as the Dubai Chamber allows interaction with a wide business community who are committed to improving their integrated reporting practices right across the region," Dunlop concluded.