Malek Sarieddine

In his role as Regional Head of Partnerships for ACCA Middle East, Malek Sarieddine is responsible for leading the organisation’s public sector strategy in the region, working closely with both public and private sectors to lobby governments and associations.

ACCA is the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and upholds a mission to promote accountancy as a cornerstone profession, developing individuals from diverse backgrounds to grow and flourish their careers as ACCA-certified professionals.

With a dynamic career spanning more than 19 years, 15 of which have been within the education space, between academic and professional institutions. Malek’s professional mandate is to create awareness and strengthen the profile of ACCA in the region. Reporting directly to the head of ACCA Middle East, he is responsible for facilitating dialogue on key industry issues with government entities and educational institutions.

A skilled and strategic manager, Malek supports government entities and national accountancy bodies across the Middle East with upskilling nationals in the area of accounting, finance and ethics at the same time developing and shaping the accounting profession in line with regional nationalization agendas.

Through Malek’s collaboration with governments, employers and the international donor community such as the World Bank Group and USAID, he works on a broad range of capacity-building projects to strengthen accountancy skills and infrastructure to ensure accountants across the Middle East are working to the same high international standards.

Alongside this, Malek’s proven ability to identify, nurture and develop key relationships and partnerships is reflected in his reputation as a trusted and highly sought-after expert. Committed to raising the standards of accountancy in both private and public sectors, he is committed to ACCA’s mandate to support professional development through promoting its educational and professional learning programmes and certificates that shape and develop the next generation of accounting and finance professionals.

As Head of Partnerships for ACCA in the Middle East, Malek is responsible for leading business development and public sector agenda in 11 countries, engaging and supporting ACCA stakeholders; more than 20,000 students, affiliates and members across the region, who work in all sectors and all levels of business across the Middle East.

Managing and building strategic relationships with regulators, policy makers, business leaders, partners and the ACCA Middle East stakeholder network to influence debate and conversation around key issues that impact the ongoing economic development of the region. Alongside linking up the challenges within the accounting world in the Middle East and shining a light on global topics such as sustainability, the audit regulatory environment, digital innovation with the profession.

ACCA believes that accountancy is a cornerstone profession of society that supports both public and private sectors. That’s why we’re committed to the development of a strong global accountancy profession and the many benefits that this brings to society and individuals and why Malek acts as a conversation starter raising awareness around the integral role that accountants and finance professionals play to businesses and economies particularly within the Middle East using adoption of IFRS, VAT, public sector moving from cash to accrual-based accounting, business sustainability during this current pandemic as validation, given the professions lead on this areas.

Malek works closely with many educational and academic institutions and across the region to encourage new generations to not only understand the importance of the almost pandemic proof profession, but the significant role a professionally qualified accountant plays in building economies, thus encouraging the next generation to consider and undertake a career in accountancy and finance, whilst raising the importance of the financial literacy agenda being embedded at an early age.

Malek ensures that through his role in the Middle East, ACCA is seen as a force for public good and remains true to its core values of building a sustainable global profession by re-investing surplus to deliver member value by leveraging our research and professional insights continue to answer today’s questions that prepares us for tomorrow, actively encourages continued professional development and continues to shape and develop the accounting and finance profession for the next generation.

Experienced in consultancy, strategic partnership management and market development, Malek draws on an extensive and established network across the Middle East and has worked with prestigious regional and international entities including ICDL Arabia, Direct English, Mediaglass Middle East, ICDL GCC Foundation and Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University.

His roles prior to ACCA included key positions with Dubai Government’s E-Learning Academic Institution, as well as the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) the official international awarding and accreditation body for computer literacy in the Middle East.
Malek holds a BSc in Management Information Systems from the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut and live in Dubai with his wife and daughters.