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Saudi Arabia: Calls for Enhanced Accountability, Governance Mechanisms in Public Sector

Saudi government auditors meet to discuss the public sector, Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi government auditors meet to discuss the public sector, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia: Calls for Enhanced Accountability, Governance Mechanisms in Public Sector

Saudi government auditors meet to discuss the public sector, Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi government auditors meet to discuss the public sector, Asharq Al-Awsat

Control specialists have called for the need to strengthen mechanisms of oversight and accountability and the implementation of governance in the Saudi public sector.

They also urged to apply tools of governance to official bodies in the Kingdom.

The specialists called for adopting independent government committees concerned with overseeing the auditing department’s work in government agencies. This, according to the specialists, will achieve continuous improvement and permanent monitoring of internal work.

These remarks were given at the first forum held on internal audits, organized by the General Auditing Bureau. Held in Riyadh, the forum witnessed the presence of 200 participants from various government agencies.

President of the Saudi General Auditing Bureau (GAB) Hussam Al-Anqari confirmed the importance of developing the role of internal audit departments in government agencies through identifying and implementing the most modern scientific and practical aspects of auditing.

The Saudi Electricity Company presented its personal experience in the process of internal control and auditing.

The forum, in its several sessions, discussed contemporary problems facing internal audits and means to develop the activation of governance mechanisms. It also highlighted the challenges faced by internal audit departments.

In addition to discussing the quality of performance of internal audit units in public sector establishments, the forum addressed ways to develop training workshops for auditors.

The forum aimed at highlighting the importance of internal audits and their role in enhancing control and governance in the government sector, as well as boosting the transfer of professional expertise, cooperation and intergovernmental agencies’ joint work in the areas of accounting and control.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.