- +971-4-572 9701
- chirag@athosauditors.com
Athos Auditors LLC is a Dubai-based audit firm providing audit services in Dubai for mainland companies, free zone businesses, SMEs, branches and corporate groups. Our auditors conduct statutory audits, external audits and IFRS financial statement audits, providing independent audit reports for regulatory compliance, shareholders, banks, investors and other financial reporting requirements. From audit planning and risk assessment to financial statement testing, audit evidence, management queries and final reporting, Athos provides a structured independent audit for businesses across Dubai and the UAE.
Athos Auditors LLC provides approved audit services in Dubai for companies operating across mainland and UAE free zone jurisdictions. Athos is listed with leading free zone authorities including DMCC, DAFZA and RAKEZ, providing annual audits, statutory audits, IFRS financial statement audits and independent auditor reports for applicable regulatory and financial reporting requirements. Our audit practice covers free zone entities, mainland companies, international groups and UAE branches requiring reliable financial statement assurance and independent auditor reporting.
Athos Auditors conducts statutory audits, external financial audits and IFRS financial statement audits in Dubai for businesses requiring independent assurance over their annual accounts. Our auditors examine financial records, transactions, balances, disclosures and supporting evidence before issuing the appropriate independent auditor’s report. Audit engagements are planned around the company’s industry, size, transaction volume, reporting framework, jurisdiction and identified financial statement risks.
Audit services in Dubai involve an independent examination of a company’s financial statements, accounting records and supporting evidence. Professional auditors assess material transactions, balances, estimates and disclosures through planned audit procedures before forming an independent opinion on the financial statements.
Companies appoint auditors in Dubai for statutory reporting, annual financial statement requirements, free zone compliance, shareholder reporting, bank financing, investment requirements and other regulatory or commercial purposes. Depending on the company’s legal form and jurisdiction, an audit may apply to mainland companies, free zone businesses, SMEs, branches, subsidiaries and corporate groups operating in the UAE.
Athos Auditors is an audit firm in Dubai providing audit and assurance services for businesses that require statutory audits, external audits, financial statement audits and other independent assurance engagements. Each engagement is planned around the company’s activities, reporting framework, financial year, materiality and identified financial statement risks.
Assurance is the broader professional process of independently evaluating financial or other information to increase the confidence of its intended users. A financial statement audit is an assurance engagement in which the auditor obtains appropriate evidence and expresses an independent opinion on the financial statements.
A financial audit examines more than the figures appearing in the final accounts. Auditors review accounting records, invoices, contracts, bank information, reconciliations and other supporting documentation to test material transactions and financial statement balances. The nature and extent of audit testing depend on the business, materiality and the risks identified during audit planning.
The objective of an external financial statement audit is to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by error or fraud. The auditor evaluates whether sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been obtained before reaching a professional conclusion on the financial statements.
After completing the required audit procedures, the independent auditor evaluates the financial statements and issues the appropriate auditor’s report. This provides users with an independent professional opinion rather than management’s own assessment of its financial information. Audited financial statements may be required for statutory reporting, regulatory submissions, shareholders, banks, investors, lenders or group reporting.
Athos Auditors provides external, statutory, free zone, internal and specialised audit services for companies in Dubai and across the UAE. The correct engagement depends on why the financial information must be examined, who will rely on the report, the company’s legal structure and jurisdiction, and the financial reporting framework that applies.
Our audit work is not based on a single checklist for every company. A trading business with significant inventory presents different financial statement risks from a professional services firm, holding company, branch or business with substantial related-party balances. Athos plans each engagement around the company’s actual operations, material transactions, accounting records, reporting requirements and identified areas of audit risk.
Athos Auditors conducts independent financial statement audits for companies that require an external auditor’s opinion on their annual accounts. The engagement covers audit planning, risk assessment, testing of material transactions and balances, evaluation of financial statement disclosures and completion of the independent auditor’s report.
For UAE companies subject to the Commercial Companies Law, every limited liability company and joint stock company must have one or more auditors carry out an annual audit of its accounts. Free zone companies and other entities follow the audit requirements of their respective legal and regulatory frameworks.
The engagement is described as an external audit, statutory audit or financial statement audit according to the purpose of the audit and the applicable reporting requirement. Before starting the audit, Athos confirms why the audit is required, who will rely on the audited financial statements and which reporting standards or regulatory requirements apply.
UAE free zones set their own financial reporting, filing and auditor eligibility requirements. Where an authority maintains an approved or registered auditor panel, the company must appoint an auditor accepted by that authority for the relevant audit and financial statement submission.
Before accepting a free zone audit, Athos confirms the jurisdiction, financial year, current auditor eligibility, reporting deadline and submission requirements. This is particularly important for companies registered with authorities such as DMCC, DAFZA and RAKEZ, where authority-specific audit requirements apply.
Internal audit evaluates how effectively an organisation manages its internal controls, financial processes, governance and operational risks. Unlike an external financial statement audit, the objective is not to issue an audit opinion on the annual accounts. The work identifies control weaknesses, process gaps and risks that require management attention.
Athos develops the internal audit scope around the risks within the business. Reviews may address procurement, revenue, payments, payroll, reconciliations, delegation of authority, financial reporting, compliance procedures, operational controls, inventory and stock management. Findings are reported with practical recommendations and agreed corrective actions where appropriate.
Internal Audit Services in Dubai →Forensic audit and financial investigation work focuses on a defined financial concern rather than the routine annual audit of a company’s financial statements. The engagement may arise from suspected fraud, misappropriation, unusual transactions, accounting irregularities, shareholder concerns or a commercial dispute.
Athos examines the accounting records, transaction history, supporting documents and other relevant financial evidence connected with the matter under review. Procedures are developed around the specific circumstances so that financial activity can be traced, inconsistencies identified and findings documented.
An agreed-upon procedures engagement is used when a company, lender, shareholder, regulator or another specified party requires defined procedures to be performed on particular financial or non-financial information. The practitioner and engaging party agree the procedures before the work begins.
Agreed-upon procedures are performed under ISRS 4400 where that standard applies. The resulting report describes the procedures performed and the factual findings identified. It does not express an audit opinion or assurance conclusion, allowing the intended users to evaluate the findings for their own purposes.
Some financial statements are prepared to meet the information needs of specific users rather than for general-purpose reporting. A special purpose audit may be required where financial statements are prepared under a contractual, regulatory or another defined financial reporting framework.
ISA 800 addresses special considerations for audits of financial statements prepared in accordance with special purpose frameworks. Athos first reviews the purpose of the financial statements, intended users and reporting basis before determining the appropriate audit scope and form of auditor reporting.
Financial due diligence examines a business before an acquisition, investment or other significant corporate transaction. The purpose is to identify financial matters that may affect valuation, negotiations, transaction structure or the buyer’s assessment of the business.
The work is tailored to the transaction and may address historical earnings, working capital, debt, liabilities, cash flow, significant balances and other financially important matters. Financial due diligence is distinct from a statutory audit and does not automatically result in an audit opinion on the target company’s financial statements.
During company liquidation or closure, the financial records must be brought to the position required for the relevant liquidation accounts, auditor documentation and final financial reporting to be completed. The precise requirement depends on the company’s legal structure and licensing authority.
Athos reviews the accounting records and closing financial information relevant to the deregistration process and coordinates the required reporting scope with the company and other appointed professionals. Mainland and UAE free zone liquidation procedures are assessed separately because the documentation and authority requirements can differ.
Auditor approval in UAE free zones is authority-specific. An audit firm accepted or approved by one free zone is not automatically authorised to audit companies registered with another authority. DMCC, DAFZA, RAKEZ, HFZA and other UAE free zones set their own auditor eligibility, annual financial reporting and submission requirements.
Athos Auditors provides free zone audit services in Dubai and across the UAE for companies requiring audited financial statements and independent auditor reporting. Before an engagement begins, the company jurisdiction, current auditor eligibility, financial year, reporting deadline and authority requirements are confirmed so the audit is prepared for the correct regulatory purpose.
Free zone auditor registers are maintained separately. A company should therefore check the rules of the authority that issued its licence rather than rely on a general claim that an audit firm is approved in the UAE. The auditor’s current panel status and the authority’s filing requirements should be confirmed for the financial year being audited.
DMCC requires each member company to ensure that its appointed auditor is registered as a DMCCA Approved Auditor and appears on the DMCC Approved Auditors List. Athos Auditors LLC provides DMCC approved audit services for companies requiring annual financial statement audits and independent auditor reporting.
DMCC’s current submission guidance requires the signed and stamped Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet together with the audited financial statements to be uploaded through the Member Portal within six months after the end of each financial year.
Athos handles the engagement from audit planning and financial statement testing through management queries, independent auditor reporting and completion of the auditor section of the DMCC Summary Sheet.
Athos Auditors LLC appears on the Dubai Airport Freezone Auditors List dated 14 May 2026. The current official list identifies Athos at No. 175 under auditor Registration No. 0220 together with the firm’s Dubai contact details.
Athos provides audit services for DAFZA companies requiring independent examination of their annual financial statements. The engagement is planned according to the company’s financial year, business activity, accounting records, material financial statement risks and DAFZA reporting requirements.
Athos Auditors LLC appears at No. 28 on the RAKEZ Approved Auditors List updated 15 May 2026. The current RAKEZ listing identifies Chirag Gupta as the contact person and shows Athos’s Dubai office, telephone number, email address and website.
RAKEZ companies must submit audited financial statements prepared by an auditor enrolled on the RAKEZ Approved Auditors List. RAKEZ currently requires the audited financial statements to be submitted within six months from the end of the company’s financial year.
HFZA’s published rules require Free Zone Establishments and Free Zone Companies to appoint auditors from among those approved by Hamriyah Free Zone Authority. The auditor reports on the annual accounts and the signed auditor’s report is delivered with the financial statements.
The published FZE and FZC rules specify delivery of the annual accounts within three months after the end of the financial year, or within a longer period determined by HFZA. Company-specific instructions, waivers or undertakings should be checked against HFZA’s current procedures.
Athos provides HFZA audit and financial reporting services and confirms the company’s current auditor acceptance and submission requirements before the engagement is finalised.
Free zone audit rules can change and different authorities apply different reporting periods, filing procedures and auditor eligibility requirements. Send Athos the company’s trade licence, jurisdiction and financial year-end before the engagement begins. The team can confirm the relevant audit requirement, current auditor status, filing timetable and initial documents required for the financial statement audit.
An annual audit is mandatory for specific companies in Dubai, but the requirement is not the same for every business. The audit requirement comes from the company’s legal form, its free zone authority, UAE Corporate Tax rules or a specific financing, investment or contractual requirement.
Article 27 of Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 requires limited liability companies and joint stock companies to have their accounts audited annually. Free zone companies follow the rules of their registration authority, while separate Corporate Tax rules require audited financial statements for specified taxable persons and Qualifying Free Zone Persons.
Article 27 of the UAE Commercial Companies Law requires every limited liability company and joint stock company to appoint one or more auditors to carry out an annual audit of its accounts.
The company must also prepare annual financial accounts and apply international accounting standards and principles. Other company forms follow the provisions that apply to their specific legal structure.
UAE Commercial Companies Law →Free zone companies follow the financial reporting and audit rules issued by the authority where they are registered. These rules determine the annual audit requirement, filing deadline and whether the company must use an auditor approved or registered by that authority.
DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DIFC, Dubai South and other Dubai free zones apply their own compliance procedures. Athos checks the company’s exact free zone and legal form before confirming the audit and submission requirements.
Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 requires a taxable person that is not a Tax Group to prepare and maintain audited financial statements when its revenue exceeds AED 50 million during the relevant tax period.
A Qualifying Free Zone Person must also prepare and maintain audited financial statements, regardless of the AED 50 million revenue threshold. A Tax Group must prepare audited special-purpose financial statements under the framework specified by the Federal Tax Authority.
Corporate Tax Audit Requirements →An audit is also required when financing terms, shareholder arrangements, investor due diligence, parent-company reporting or a commercial contract calls for audited financial statements.
Before starting the audit, Athos confirms who will use the financial statements, why the audit is required, the reporting framework and any submission or contractual requirements. The engagement is then planned for that specific purpose.
DMCC member companies must upload their audited financial statements together with the auditor’s signed and stamped Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet through the Member Portal within six months after the end of each financial year. The company is responsible for appointing an auditor that meets DMCC’s Approved Auditor requirements, subject to the branch-company provisions in DMCC’s guidance.
DMCC Audit Requirements →JAFZA requires FZE and FZCO establishments to provide an updated audit report annually. Its current member guidance states that financial statements must be submitted every year and the audit report must be submitted within six months of the financial year-end.
JAFZA Audit Report Requirements →Companies registered in DAFZA, DIFC, Dubai South and other Dubai free zones follow the audit, filing and auditor-approval rules issued by their own authority. The deadline and reporting procedure therefore need to be checked against the company’s exact jurisdiction and legal form.
Send Athos your trade licence, company legal form, registration authority and financial year-end. Our auditors will identify the requirement that applies, confirm the reporting deadline and define the correct audit scope before the engagement starts.
Athos Auditors follows a risk-based audit process that begins by understanding the company, its financial reporting requirements and the purpose of the audit. The engagement then progresses through planning, audit testing, evaluation of evidence, resolution of financial reporting matters and completion of the independent auditor’s report.
Confirm the entity, financial year, reporting framework, jurisdiction and reason for the audit.
Understand the business and identify areas that could materially affect the financial statements.
Review the trial balance, general ledger, draft financial statements and key accounting schedules.
Test relevant balances, transactions, reconciliations and supporting evidence according to risk and materiality.
Resolve outstanding audit matters, management explanations and proposed financial statement adjustments.
Evaluate the audit evidence, complete the engagement and issue the appropriate independent auditor’s report.
Audit testing is determined by the company’s operations, materiality and identified financial statement risks. Athos does not apply the same testing pattern to every business. The audit plan concentrates resources on the balances, transactions and disclosures most relevant to the financial statements.
Sales recognition, customer balances, collections, cut-off and supporting transactions.
Supplier transactions, liabilities, expenses, accruals and payment documentation.
Bank balances, reconciliations, confirmations and significant cash movements.
Quantities, valuation, stock movement, cut-off, ageing and physical inventory evidence.
Asset additions, disposals, ownership, depreciation and impairment considerations.
Borrowings, finance agreements, interest, repayments and financial statement classification.
Group balances, shareholder accounts, related transactions and required disclosures.
Presentation, accounting policies, estimates and disclosures under the applicable reporting framework.
A complete audit file reduces unnecessary queries and delays. Athos issues a document request based on the business and audit scope, but most financial statement audits begin with three groups of records.
Trade licence, constitutional documents, ownership information, prior audited financial statements and relevant regulatory information.
Trial balance, general ledger, draft financial statements, bank reconciliations, receivable and payable ageing, fixed asset and inventory schedules.
Bank statements, invoices, contracts, loan agreements, payroll records, related-party details and other evidence required for selected audit areas.
The final document request depends on the company’s activity, material balances, reporting framework and issues identified during audit planning.
Different business models create different audit risks. Athos adjusts the audit plan to the way the company earns revenue, holds assets, manages working capital, enters contracts and reports financial information.
Inventory, revenue cut-off, receivables, supplier balances and working capital.
Service revenue, receivables, payroll, accrued income and operating expenditure.
Contracts, project revenue, work in progress, retention balances and project liabilities.
Property balances, rental income, service charges, valuation and related transactions.
Digital revenue, payment gateways, platform settlements, intangible assets and operating costs.
Investments, related parties, intercompany balances, financing and group reporting.
There is no single audit duration or fixed audit fee that applies to every company in Dubai. A business with complete accounting records and reconciled schedules can progress much faster than an engagement involving missing records, unresolved balances, multiple entities or significant audit issues.
Athos confirms the expected audit timetable and professional fee after reviewing the entity, financial year, reporting requirement and initial financial information.
Complete ledgers, reconciliations and schedules reduce audit queries and delays.
Transaction volume, locations, entities and complex balances affect audit effort.
Higher-risk balances and unusual transactions require additional audit evidence.
Authority, shareholder, bank or group deadlines affect scheduling and resource planning.
Unresolved prior-year matters or significant adjustments can extend fieldwork.
Choosing an audit firm involves more than comparing quotations. Companies need an auditor that understands the reporting purpose, applies the correct professional standards, communicates audit issues clearly and can meet the requirements of the authority or stakeholders receiving the financial statements.
Audit services for mainland companies, free zone entities, branches, SMEs and corporate groups across the UAE.
Athos appears on the DAFZA auditors list under Registration No. 0220 and on the RAKEZ Approved Auditors List.
Audit procedures are performed under the relevant auditing standards with financial statements assessed against the applicable reporting framework.
Athos Auditors is represented within the EAI International network as a Dubai, UAE member office.
Athos holds ACCA Approved Employer status for Trainee Development at Gold level.
The jurisdiction, reporting purpose, financial year and expected users are established before the audit plan and document request are finalised.