One set of accounting policies, written for your transactions, applied across the group.

The accounting policy manual answers what is recognised, how it is measured and how it is presented and disclosed: it is the IFRS rulebook for the group's transactions. The finance policies and procedures manual answers who does what, in which sequence, with which approvals and controls: it governs the processes that produce the numbers. The two documents reference each other, for example the fixed asset procedure refers to the capitalisation policy, but they serve different users. Auditors test financial statements against the first and the control environment against the second. We deliver them as separate documents so each can be updated on its own cycle, and many clients commission both together.

Detailed enough that an accountant in a subsidiary can process a transaction without asking head office, and no more. That means each policy states the rule, the group's choice where a choice exists, the accounts used and a worked example, and it avoids restating the standard at length. A manual for a diversified group typically runs to forty to sixty policies across a few hundred pages, with the transaction-level guidance organised so that people find the answer in one place. Where a topic requires a fuller analysis, such as the ECL methodology or the IAS 19 valuation basis, the manual references the separate methodology document rather than duplicating it.

The group manual sets the policies for consolidated reporting under IFRS, and each subsidiary applies them for group reporting purposes. Where a subsidiary also prepares statutory financial statements under a different framework, for example an entity in a jurisdiction that has not adopted IFRS or a public-sector entity under IPSAS, the manual includes a reconciliation section identifying the differences and the group adjustments required. This keeps one policy for the group while recognising local requirements, and it gives the auditor a clear map of the group-to-statutory differences at consolidation.

Annually, before the year-end close, to reflect new and amended standards effective in the period and any changes in the business. IFRS 18 is the largest change for most groups in 2026 and 2027 and requires a full review of presentation and disclosure policies. Between annual updates, new transactions that are not covered, such as a first hedging programme or a new revenue arrangement, are dealt with through a position paper that is then incorporated at the next update. We include the maintenance procedure and the template in every manual, and many clients retain us to perform the annual update.

The policies are management's responsibility and the auditor does not approve them, but the auditor must be satisfied that they comply with IFRS and are consistently applied. Clearing the manual with the auditor during drafting, particularly the policy choices and significant judgements, prevents disagreements arising during the audit when the numbers are already booked. We coordinate this review as part of the engagement and document the auditor's comments and how they were resolved, which becomes part of the audit evidence file.

Yes. We write the manual in English, which is the working language of most audit teams in the region, and produce an Arabic version for entities whose finance teams, boards or regulators require it. Where a regulator such as a government audit bureau reviews the manual, the Arabic version is the controlling document and the English is a translation, and the manual states which version governs. Technical terms are kept consistent with the Arabic translations of IFRS and IPSAS used by SOCPA and the regional standard-setters.