UAE’s Resilience: Indian Consul General Assures Community

The UAE has the audacity to defy uncertainty by strengthening its bond with the international community, make them part of its development and it will ride out the current situation faster than expected, HE Satish Kumar Sivan, Indian Consul General, Dubai and Northern Emirates, told the Dubai Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) – the largest professional organisation in the UAE.

“India has been an integral part of the UAE. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) form around 40 per cent of the UAE who call the country their home. That’s why NRIs are one of the few communities that are staying back in the middle of the regional conflict as they feel at home in the UAE,” Mr Satish Kumar Sivan told more than 500 accounting professionals attending a gathering in Dubai.

“Adversity is not new to Dubai or the UAE. The country boldly faced the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the COVID-19 pandemic and came back strong from every crisis. This time also the country will bounce back from the current situation faster than one could think.”

He said, when the conflict broke out on February 28th, the Indian Consulate and Indian Embassy reached out to the community.

“When we wanted to engage with the community, the first group of professionals that came to our mind was the Chartered Accountants, who have a better understanding of the situation than others,” Mr Sivan said. “From you, we have received some valuable inputs that we have passed on to the Government. In time of crisis it is the accounting professions who know how to navigate out of the situation.”

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Dubai Chapter, has recently elected its new Managing Committee for the 2026–2027 term to be led by CA Rishi Chawla the new Chairman who will be supported by CA Amit Khaitan as Vice Chairman, CA Aashna Mulgaonkar as Secretary, and CA Sanjay Gagarani as Treasurer.

CA Rishi Chawla, Chairman of ICAI Dubai Chapter, said, “The role of the accounting professionals are becoming crucial, especially in an evolving world with so much uncertainty and disruptions. Their role is becoming central to the survival of businesses as they are the financial engineers who know how to lead organisations out of crisis. That’s why, we have undertaken a number of steps to communicate with our members and the industry to share knowledge, adopt technology in order to lead through uncertainty.”

With more than 3,200 members, ICAI Dubai Chapter is the largest business group in the UAE. Established in 1982, it is also the largest, most active and award-winning chapter among the 54 overseas chapters of ICAI. It has registered a phenomenal growth in membership has exceeded 3,200 members who represent more than 1,550 multinationals and other companies.

The newly appointed committee assumes leadership at a time when the UAE’s financial and corporate landscape is undergoing rapid evolution, with increasing emphasis on governance, tax compliance, and strategic financial leadership. The newly constituted committee will further strengthen the Chapter’s role as a hub for professional excellence, industry collaboration, and knowledge exchange within the UAE’s growing financial ecosystem.

Anil Mohta, a Chartered Accountant and Group Chief Financial Officer of DP World, said, “Disruption is no longer an exception, it has become the operating environment. We are seeing disruptions that are more frequent, increasingly overlapping and prolonged enough to reshape how supply chains operate.

“For finance leaders, that changes the conversation fundamentally. Supply chain risk is no longer an operational issue – it is a financial one. Finance now sits at the centre of decisions on – liquidity management, capital allocation and resource prioritisation under uncertainty. Time becomes money in disruption – delays affect revenue timing, margins and cash cycles.

“For financial leaders, the goal isn’t to avoid disruption – that’s not realistic. The goal is to be ready for it – in the balance sheet, in capex flexibility, in how we manage cash, inventory, customer and supply terms. Resilience is no longer just an operational capability – it is a financial discipline.”

As the UAE strengthens its position as a global business hub, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Dubai Chapter remains committed to supporting its members through continuous professional development, thought leadership initiatives, and strategic partnerships aligned with the nation’s long-term vision.

ICAI is the largest professional body of Chartered Accountants across the world with over 1,000,000+ students and around 450,000+ members. ICAI has a wide network with five Regional Councils, 176 Branches, 54 Overseas Chapters, and 31 representative offices across the globe. And among 54 overseas chapters, ICAI Dubai Chapter is the largest and most vibrant chapter of ICAI. Of the 8,000 Indian Chartered Accountants active in the UAE‘s private sector, 1,400+ are currently leading businesses in senior positions.

ICAI Dubai Chapter, established in 1982, is the most active and award-winning chapter among the 54 overseas chapters of ICAI. It has registered a phenomenal growth in membership in recent years and currently has over 3,000 members representing more than 1,550 multinationals and other companies.

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