IHC Approved Auditors

Services We Offer as IHC Approved Auditors in UAE

As DMCC approved auditors in the UAE, we provide a comprehensive range of financial and compliance services tailored for businesses operating within the Dubai International Humanitarian City. Explore our services below to see how we can support your business.

IHC Audit Requirements and Regulations

Legal basis

IHC operates under regulations issued by the IHC Authority, now branded Dubai Humanitarian, which governs licensing, member registration and compliance standards for the free zone. Licensed entities must maintain adequate financial records and appoint an auditor from the Authority’s list of approved auditors. The Authority specifically prohibits the appointment of an auditor who may reasonably be perceived to have a conflict of interest, or who may reasonably be perceived not to be independent of the entity’s affairs, reflecting the governance standards expected of humanitarian and non-profit organisations operating in the zone.

Who must comply

IHC hosts a mixed community of UN agencies, international non-governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations, and fully commercial companies, including logistics, warehousing, trading, professional services and manufacturing entities supporting the humanitarian supply chain. All licensed entities are subject to the same annual audit requirement, regardless of whether they operate on a non-profit or commercial basis. Organisations applying for a humanitarian licence category must additionally meet a specific code of ethics: the entity must be non-religious, must follow a democratic decision-making process, and must maintain organisational independence.

Penalties for non-compliance

Missed audit deadlines attract monthly financial penalties, and audited financial statements are a required part of the annual licence renewal process, alongside an active lease agreement and current insurance coverage. Failure to renew before licence expiry results in further penalties, and continued non-compliance can affect an organisation’s ability to continue operating within the free zone.

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Audit Process, Deadline and Documents Required

Filing deadline and submission process

Audited financial statements must be submitted within 90 days of the end of the entity’s financial year, as part of the annual licence renewal process conducted through the IHC digital portal. Renewal also requires an active lease agreement and current insurance coverage, so the audit should be scheduled alongside these other renewal requirements rather than treated as a standalone filing.

Step-by-step audit process

1. Maintain financial records — keep a full account of money received, transferred and expended throughout the year.
2. Prepare financial statements — reflecting assets, liabilities, and all sales and purchases, supported by transactional and contractual documents.
3. Appoint an approved auditor — confirmed to have no conflict of interest with, and no lack of independence from, the entity.
4. Complete the audit — the auditor verifies the accounting standards and principles used and confirms whether the accounts give a true view of the entity’s financial affairs.
5. Submit within 90 days of the financial year-end, alongside lease and insurance documentation, as part of licence renewal.

Documents required

Record of all money received, transferred and expended, documentation of assets and liabilities, records of all sales and purchases of goods, transactional and contractual documents, Memorandum and Articles of Association, valid trade licence and lease agreement, and confirmation of the accounting standards and principles applied in preparing the accounts.

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Why Choose Farahat & Co. as Your IHC-Approved Auditor

Farahat & Co. is an approved auditor for the Dubai International Humanitarian City and works with both non-profit humanitarian organisations and commercial companies licensed in the zone. Given IHC’s specific auditor independence requirements, we confirm at the outset of every engagement that no conflict of interest exists between our firm and the entity, in line with the Authority’s governance expectations for humanitarian and non-profit licensees.

Beyond IHC, Farahat & Co. holds approvals across more than 20 UAE free zones, including DMCC, JAFZA and DIFC, giving organisations and commercial groups with multiple UAE entities a single audit partner. We also support IHC-licensed commercial companies with UAE Corporate Tax compliance, including Qualifying Free Zone Person qualification, which depends on maintaining the audited financial statements this free zone already requires.

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About Dubai International Humanitarian City: Free Zone Profile

The Dubai International Humanitarian City was founded in 2003 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, through the merger of Dubai Aid City and Dubai Humanitarian City. Now branded Dubai Humanitarian, it is the world’s only independent, non-profit humanitarian free zone, hosting a community of UN agencies, international NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and commercial companies. The zone is located in Dubai’s southern corridor, with direct connectivity to Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port, supporting both air and sea freight for global humanitarian supply chains.

IHC’s licensed activities span logistics, warehousing, general trading, professional services and consultancy, alongside construction and manufacturing operations producing goods for humanitarian supply chains. Real estate activities are permitted for entities managing organisational assets. This combination of humanitarian and commercial licensing under a single authority makes IHC’s regulatory and audit framework distinct from purely commercial free zones.

Frequently Asked Questions