This newsletter from the IMA Qatar Chapter provides updates on recent events and announcements. It congratulates Ez Tabra for completing his PMP certification and thanks Atef Fouad for his contributions as he leaves his role. Maruff is welcomed as the new board member for Webmaster. Upcoming events are announced on topics like quality management and the CMA exam. Members who earned CMA certifications and new members who joined IMA are recognized. The president's message outlines the chapter's busy schedule of events and thanks volunteers.

1. Newsletter
ISSUE
02
FEBRUARY
2013
CONGRATULATIONS
MESSAGE
“Our sincere congratulations to
Ez Tabra, the IMA Qatar
Chapter‘s president for
completing his PMP
certification, we hope that his
achievement will make such a
positive difference in his career
path. We wish him all the best”
FAREWELL WISHES
On behalf of IMA Qatar
Chapter, We would like to
thank Atef Fouad for his time
and valuable contribution to
the IMA Qatar Chapter as VP of
Professional Education, and
wish him best wishes in his
future endeavors, as he moves
back to Egypt.
WELCOME TO THE BOARD
The Board of the IMA Qatar
Chapter has endorsed the
nomination and approved the
appointment of Maruff as a
board member in the capacity
of a Webmaster.
Congratulations to Maruff for
his new position at the IMA
Qatar Chapter Board. We wish
him all the best.
President’s Message
Since the issuance of the last
newsletter, the Qatar Chapter
Board has been extremely busy
with the planning and
organizing of events for our
members and prospective
members. This also coincided
with the visit of the IMA Chair
Mr. John Macauly and IMA’s VP
of International Development
Mr. Jim Gurowka, to Qatar and
the region.
In collaboration with strategic
partners such as Morgan
International, Deloitte (Qatar),
Carnegie Mellon University
(Qatar), Qatar Finance and
Business Academy (QFBA),
Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies
(QFIS) etc, we held several
events over the last few
months. The topics of the
events were carefully chosen to
support those members, who
are striving to attain the CMA
certification as well as the
members, who have already
attained the CMA designation,
by offering them appropriate
events eligible for Continuing
Professional Education (CPE)
approved credits.
The events were designed to be
Professional Educational
Programs, which are a
combination of educational,
networking, and social activities
For members. Through
presentations by
distinguished local speakers,
members are being kept
abreast of the latest
developments and
applications in the
management accounting
field, and earn approved CPE
credits. Through informal
discussions with their peers,
members can share work
experiences or problems and
receive instant feedback or
solutions they can use on
their jobs. Our events
promote a free flow of ideas
and permits tailoring of the
technical presentation to the
needs of a particular group.
The board started surveying
the members, who attended
the chapter’s events, so as to
ensure that their feedback is
analyzed with a view of
meeting their expectations
and serving them better.
Numerous events are
planned for the next three
months and they include the
following topics;
1. Quality Management
Systems (ISO 9001:2008)
2. Professional Ethics
3. CMA Part 2 Overview
4. Change Management
5. CMA Exam - Tips &
Techniques
6. Corporate Governance
The board is also planning the
first ever CMA Graduation
Ceremony for members, who
have attained their CMA
designation over the past
year. This is likely to take place
during the latter part of May
2013.
One of the most notable areas
of improvement over the last
few months is the increasing
number of members, who are
volunteering to assist the
board members in event
planning, newsletter issuance
etc. I take this opportunity to
thank each and every one of
them for their valuable
contribution and admirable
dedication.
I am extremely excited about
the prospects and outlook for
our chapter over the
remainder of 2013, and am
confident that with your
support, we can achieve
further success. Thank you for
your continuing support.
Ez Tabra, MSc. Fin., CMA, CHFP, PMP
President
IMA Qatar Chapter

2. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
We would like to welcome our
new members, who joined the
IMA since 1 November 2012.
1. Mr. Abhilash Ashok Ottor,
CA
2. Ms. Alanood M Alassiry
3. Mr. Robin Thomas I
4. Mr. Abdulsalam
Abdulsamad Albalushi
5. Mr. Mohamed Najaf
6. Mr. Salah Mohamed
Mehany Mahmoud
Mehaseb
7. Mr. Hussam Basher Al-
Qassass
8. Miss Heba Mohd Daoud V
9. Mr. Hassan Ragab Radwan
10. Mr. Muhammed Basheer
Parakkal
11. Mr. Mohamed Shahin
12. Mr. Vincent Mathias Van
Houten
13. Mrs. Suzanne N Elkasti
14. Miss Rawand Mohammad
Abu Hijleh
15. Mr. Ahmed Abdulati
Ahmadi
16. Lolwa Mohammed Al-Hitmi
17. Mr. Hassan Al-Emadi
18. Miss Cherry Galang
Bermudez, CPA
19. Mr. Qadeer Ul Hassan
Muhammad Ishaq
20. Mr. Paul Timothy De Castro
Masangcay
21. Mr. Afsal Poolakode
22. Mrs. Jessie Fernando
Soriano, CPA
23. Mrs. Purita Mae Badilla
Vibar
24. Mr. Misnad Almisnad
25. Ms Gladys Agamao Cariaga,
CPA, CIA
26. Ms Catherine Duenas
Francisco, CPA
27. Mr. Bobby Cuarto Nacario,
CIA, CPA
28. Mr. Shafeek Puthiyottil Sr,
CGA
29. Mr. Detlef Schulz-Rueckert,
PMP
30. Miss Marilou Abid Tablazon
31. Mr. Ramy Zaidan
32. Mr. Tarek Kazzaz
Fraud Risk Assessment
encounter these stories and
many like them, we must ask
ourselves how these crimes
are perpetrated. As
accounting and financial
professionals we are charged
with the responsibility of
leading efforts that will
safeguard company assets.
To that end, when was the
last time you performed a
fraud risk assessment? Have
you ever conducted such an
assessment? A standard
review of controls may not
be adequate to ensure that
everything possible is being
done to limit the potential of
fraud losses.
There are a variety of
methods and ways to
approach a fraud risk
assessment. It is important
to involve all the right levels
and disciplines from within
your organization. It is also a
good idea to employ the
services of an experienced
professional from outside
your organization to help
lead and administer this type
of assessment. The
Association of Certified Fraud
Examiners (ACFE) has
published a free guideline to
assist in the fraud risk
assessment process. That
document can be located
at http://www.acfe.com/
uploadedFiles/ACFE_Website
/Content/documents /Fraud
_Prev_Checkup_DL.pdf. As
you look through this
document you will see a
variety of questions that
attempt to gain information in
determining the overall
organizational tolerance for
fraud risk. Furthermore, the
questions will help you drill
down to fraud risks related to
management policy and
processes, as well as
environmental factors.
The purpose of this short
article is simply to heighten
your attention to the risks
related to fraud within your
own organizations. If history
is any indicator, and if the
ever increasing amount of
fraud losses is any predictor,
then as financial professionals
we must be ever diligent and
proactive in our efforts
toward fraud prevention.
Perhaps putting specific time
and energy into a fraud risk
assessment is the right next
step for you and your
companies.
Have you conducted a fraud
risk assessment recently?
References: Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners.
(2012). Report to the Nation on
Occupational Fraud and Abuse
Have you conducted a fraud
risk assessment recently?
According to the 2012 Report
to the Nations on Occupational
Fraud and Abuse, as published
by the Association of Certified
Fraud Examiners, the global
economy will lose
approximately $3.5 trillion each
year to fraud. Using that fraud
loss rate and applying it to the
United States economy (based
on GDP figures from 2010) we
can expect lose $654 billion in
the U.S. this year due to fraud.
If we could somehow reduce
fraud losses by 1% we could
save the U.S. economy $6.5
billion per year. Those values
are staggering when put into
that perspective.
Recently in the local West
Michigan news we’ve heard
about a multitude of fraud
crimes. To name just a few,
there are fraud allegations
surrounding individuals
associated with St John
Vianney, Heritage Baptist
Church and Ludemas Floral. As
financial managers, when we

3. CMA CERTIFICATIONS
Congratulations to the
following members who
recently earned their CMA
certification!
1. Mr. Abubakr Hafeez, CMA
2. Mr. Binu K George, CMA
CMA SCHOLARSHIP
During our recent Withholding
Tax event, Morgan
International offered a CMA
partial scholarship for one IMA
member to attend CMA part 1
classes at QFBA in Doha.
The lucky winner was Mr.
Moyad Bashir of Al-Jazeera
Network.
IMA Qatar Chapter Board
congratulates Moyad and
wishes best wishes in his
pursuit of the CMA
designation. More CMA
scholarships will be offered
during our upcoming events.
FUTURE EVENTS
Date* Location Speaker Topic
05-March-2013 QFIS Faculty Lounge, Education City,
Doha
Sahban Rifai Quality Management
Systems (ISO 9001: 2008)
25-March-2013 To be confirmed Rabih El-Sous CMA Part 2 Overview (Boot
Camp Review)
30-April-2013 CMUQ, Education City, Doha, Qatar Professor George White Change Management
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR MY CMA TRIP
Dear Members,
For most of us, the New Year is
a new beginning. Spend more
time with family and friends,
exercise more, take a class,
etc., etc. Looking at our list of
New Year’s Resolutions can be
a bit overwhelming. We try to
do everything and, at times,
the thought of doing one more
thing gets to be too much.
Let’s be kinder to ourselves this
year. It doesn’t have to be “all
or nothing”. Life’s worthwhile
journeys don’t happen in a day.
One goal is to help yourself to
become aware of how you use
your time as one resource in
organizing, prioritizing, and
succeeding in your studies in
the context of competing
activities of friends, work,
family, etc.
Personal time management
skills are essential for
professional success in any
workplace. Those able to
successfully implement time
management strategies are
able to control their workload
rather than spend each day in a
frenzy of activity reacting to
crisis after crisis - stress
declines and personal
productivity soars. These highly
effective individuals are able to
focus on the tasks with the
greatest impact to them and
their organizations.
I do enjoy being the newsletter
editor so I managed to set aside
time to put together this
edition. With the help of
applying the above advices and
recommendations.
Please take a few moments and
read through to see what the
board has been up to during
the past three months.
Enjoy!
Kind regards
Hassan Mostafa, CMA
Director of Public Relation
IMA Qatar Chapter
When I decided to dedicate a
full year of my life to obtain
the CMA, people thought I
am crazy to waste such time
on a professional certificate.
But I did it. For 9 months I
studied CMA materials,
attended courses and solved
as many questions as I could.
I have to admit that this
decision was the most daring
yet calculated decision I ever
took in my life.
I still remember the moment
I passed my first CMA exam...
It was an indescribable
precious moment. That
moment made me crave for
more success and
more knowledge. Now, after
I look back I thank Allah I took
such a decision. It wasn't an
easy trip but it was definitely
worth it. CMA was a life
changing decision for me; it
shifted my career prospective
and growth potentials to a
whole new level, it enhanced
my sense of judgment as an
auditor and helped me see
the big picture. It taught me
that it’s not just how much
you know; it’s what you know
and how you apply this
knowledge on the field.
The challenging conditions of
today's economy require that
you differentiate yourself
from your fellow
competitors. Take the first
step towards it, challenge
yourself and take advantage
of the great impact CMA can
do to your career.
Sincerely,
Amin Chaar, CMA
VP for Admin and Finance

4. HOW TO BECOME A CMA IN 2013
By: Richard Ali, CMA, CPA
(IMA Qatar Chapter Board Secretary)
By now, you might have already
heard of IMA and CMA in Qatar.
During the past 5 months, the IMA
Qatar Chapter Board has organized
various activities
(http://qatar.imanet.org/events)
that promote career and personal
development trainings and
seminars among finance
professionals.
By now, you might be already excited about the prospect of
becoming a CMA. You are now focused and determined to take
your career to the next level. And you are now convinced WHY
becoming a CMA is a must in today’s ever increasing competitive
career market in Qatar. And a host of other WHY’s in your
personal and professional goals.
With a bigger WHY, my purpose in this article is to share with you
the HOW of becoming a CMA. Let’s do this in 4 simple steps:
1. Commitment: One way to seriously commit ourselves in this
huge endeavor is that we should be willing to pay the price
right at the beginning. Commit by becoming an IMA member
now, buy the review materials, pay for the Exam and
schedule it right away.
2. Time Frame: Right now is the best time frame to schedule for
the exam and become a CMA this year. Start your review by
March 1 and take the Part 1 Exam by end of June. Start your
review in July 1 and take the Part 2 Exam by end of October.
You will receive the results of Part 2 by mid-December.
CMA Education Providers in Qatar
Qatar Finance & Business Academy (QFBA), Tel: 4496 8333
Qatar University, Continuing Education Office,
Tel: 4403 4024 / 4403 4026 / 4403 4027 / 4403 4025
Infocenter Training and Consulting, Tel: 4444 4497
Cambridge Academy for Training, Tel: 4414 5316
Madras Management Training Institute, Tel: 6646 9308
3. Time Schedule: The minimum requirement to study and
pass the exam is 120 hours per part. I say double or triple
the review time if you really want to be good in this field.
Hence, let’s say 300 hours per part. 2 hours/day x 22
working days=44 hours plus 6 hours/day x 8 weekend
days=48 hours. The total hours in a month are 92 and
multiply into 3.5 months (March 1 - June 15 and July 1 –
Oct 15) equals 322 hours. Take note, missing a review
even for just one day will surely take away the
momentum. We don’t want to swing back and forth. We
want to go steady and increase that momentum day in
and day out.
4. Pacing: You have 14 weeks in 3.5 months. There are
review materials which have 10 chapters in each part.
Aim to complete one chapter each week and one or more
topics in a day. Take the long chapters in two weeks and
what you have left are two weeks for the comprehensive
review. It feels good to accomplish something on a
daily/weekly basis.
That’s it. Once you are armed with this knowledge and
strategy, your review (self-review or training center) will be
organized in an efficient and progressive manner. This is what
I did with the above 4 simple steps when I got my CMA
certification in 2010.
I wish you good luck and I hope 2013 could be your CMA year.
Please don’t hesitate to email me for further guidance
(ricbali@richardbali.com). For more information about the
CMA, visit http://www.imanet.org/cma_certification.aspx
IMA Qatar Chapter Board of Directors
Imaqatarchapter1@gmail.com
http://qatar.imanet.org/
# Name Designation
1 Ez Tabra, MSc. Fin., CMA, CHFP, PMP President
2 Rami Zeitun, PhD, MSc. MSAF Vice President
3 Richard B. Ali, CMA, CPA Secretary
4 George Barakat Treasurer
5 Amin Chaar, CMA VP for Admin and Finance
6 Mohamad Jarrah VP for Business Development
7 Steve Adesola VP for Membership & Development
8 Mo'men Omar, CMA VP for Community Relations and Communications
9 Jawad Ahmed, CMA, CIA Director of Membership (Retention & Acquisition)
10 Hassan Mostafa, CMA Director of Public Relations
11 H. Md Maruff Webmaster
Newsletter Issue No.2: February 2013