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Internal Audit Services

Find control gaps before they turn into costly problems.

Discuss Your Audit

    Internal audit services

    About Our Internal Audit Services

    Your policies set expectations. Daily operations show whether those expectations are met. An internal audit reveals the difference and its significance.

    Vertex Compliance helps UAE businesses review the governance, risk management and internal controls supporting their AML/CFT frameworks. We examine relevant processes, test selected controls and report weaknesses with evidence. The scope reflects your business activities, risk exposure and audit objectives.

    You receive a clearer view of what is working, what needs attention and which actions should take priority. Findings give management a basis for strengthening controls and tracking improvements.

    What Our Internal Audit Examines

    We decide the areas to review and depending on your needs, the work may include the following:

    1. Governance and Accountability

    When an issue is identified, who is responsible for fixing it? Who needs to be informed? And how does management know whether action has been taken? We look at how AML/CFT responsibilities are assigned and how information moves through your business. This may include reviewing reporting lines, approval arrangements, committee records and previous findings. For example, a concern may have appeared in several reports but still have no clear owner. We identify gaps like this and explain how they affect oversight.

    2. Control Design and Operation

    Having a control written into a policy is one thing. Using it consistently is another. We review selected controls to understand what they are meant to do and whether they are working as intended. Depending on the agreed scope, we may examine customer due diligence, beneficial ownership checks, screening, transaction monitoring, recordkeeping and escalation. Our team speaks with staff, walks through processes and checks samples of records. Where something has gone wrong, we consider whether it was a single mistake or a sign of a wider weakness.

    3. Compliance Gaps and Corrective Actions

    When we find a gap, we set out what we observed, what should have happened and why the difference matters. We also speak with your team about the possible cause. If previous audit findings are included in the scope, we check whether the agreed actions have been completed. This helps management see which issues still need attention and decide what to address first.

    Our Approach

    We’ll agree on the work upfront, keep your team informed during the review and discuss the findings before issuing the report.

    1
    Agree on What to Review

    We learn your business and the areas you want to inspect. You may have concerns about a specific process, or unresolved findings from an audit done earlier in your operations which needs a closer look. We decide on the scope,the review period, criteria and reporting arrangements. Then we also confirm the documents needed, who we will communicate with and the expected timeline.

    2
    Review the Work and Test Controls

    We read the relevant documents, speak with process owners and walk through selected activities. We then test samples to see whether the controls operated as expected during the review period. If we need more information, we’ll ask for it. If we find an exception, we’ll raise it with the relevant team. We also record any limitations that affect the work or conclusions.

    3
    Discuss the Findings

    Before we finalise the report, we discuss what we found with the people involved. This gives your team a chance to confirm the facts, explain the circumstances and share any additional evidence. Each finding describes the issue, its potential impact and the evidence behind it. We discuss recommendations with management and seek responses, including proposed owners and target dates for action.

    4
    Report and Agree on Next Steps

    We present the report to the agreed management or governance body. It describes the work performed, the conclusions reached and the findings that need attention. Your team can use the report to assign responsibilities and monitor progress. If follow-up is included in the engagement, we review evidence of completed actions and report on any that remain open. Implementation support can be discussed separately, with audit objectivity taken into account.

    Who Are Our Internal Audit Services For?

    Banks and Financial Institutions
    Exchange Houses
    Fintech and Payment Businesses
    Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions

    Ideal for UAE businesses that want to review their AML/CFT controls, address recurring findings or check whether their oversight arrangements are keeping pace with growth.

    Why Choose Vertex Compliance

    Audits Built for Your Business

    We take time to understand your operations before agreeing on the audit scope. That means looking at your activities, risk exposure and any concerns raised by management or previous reviews.

    Findings Backed by Evidence

    We show you what we tested and what we found. Each finding is supported by evidence and explains why the issue needs attention. This gives your team a clear basis for deciding what to do next.

    A Review of Daily Practices

    We don’t rely on policies alone. We also speak with staff and examine records to understand how controls are used, how exceptions are handled and when concerns are escalated.

    Practical Recommendations

    We connect each recommendation to a finding in the report. Your team can then decide who will take responsibility, what needs to happen and when.

    Meet the Experts

    Sarah Khan
    Vasantha Madan Mohan

    Managing Director

    Sarah Khan
    Sridhar Rajam

    Associate Partner

    Sarah Khan
    Arjun Mohan

    Director – Sales & Marketing

    Frequently Asked Questions

    An internal audit reviews selected parts of a business’s governance, risk management and controls. It helps management understand where weaknesses exist and what can be done about them. Our service focuses on AML/CFT controls and related processes.
    A financial statement audit provides an opinion on a company’s financial statements. An internal audit examines selected risks, processes and controls. An AML/CFT internal audit does not replace a statutory financial statement audit.
    The documents we request will depend on the scope. They may include policies, risk assessments, organisation charts, customer files, monitoring records, management reports and previous findings. We may also need to speak with staff who manage or carry out the activities being reviewed.
    Yes. You can ask us to focus on an agreed area, such as customer due diligence, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring or escalation. We’ll define the boundaries of the review and the testing approach before we begin.
    The right timing depends on applicable requirements, your business’s risk profile and the arrangements approved by your governing body. A major change, an incident or recurring findings may also be reasons to conduct a review sooner.
    You’ll receive a report with the scope, conclusions, prioritised findings and recommendations. Management responses, action owners and target dates can also be included. Follow-up testing and implementation support depend on the engagement terms and audit objectivity considerations.