Ahmad Al Qassabi appointed as next managing partner for Deloitte in Oman

Deloitte has appointed Ahmad Al Qassabi as its new managing partner for Oman – set to replace the retiring Anis Sadek from the start of next month.

With the professional services firm for just the past four and a half years, current Muscat-based partner and Omani national Ahmad Al Qassabi has been announced as Deloitte’s new managing partner for Oman. Al Qassabi will take up the role from the 1st of June, and replaces outgoing decorated managing partner Anis Sadek, who retires after nearly forty years in the business.

Formerly serving as the Director General of Issues and Disclosures for the Oman Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Al Qassabi crossed to Deloitte after more than 13 years with the regulator, which he joined after earning his bachelors in Accounting and Business/Management at the Sultan Qaboos University. He has since become a Fellow of the UK’s Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

At Deloitte, Al Qassabi handles key clients in the firm’s Audit, Financial Advisory and Consulting practice in Oman, as well as leading the firm’s corporate governance initiatives – said to be pivotal in Deloitte’s Omanization program (with the government continuing to step up its own efforts), which focuses on developing the skills and careers of Omani youth to enable them to hold leadership positions at the firm.“We continue to expand our offerings to the clients and market in Oman” said Deloitte Middle East CEO Omar Fahoum. “I am pleased that Ahmed brings his deep understanding of his country Oman’s market and clients to lead Deloitte’s practice in the Sultanate as part of the Deloitte ME network in the region.” In a statement, the firm noted its long association with the country, establishing its local branch in the early 1970s.

“Having worked closely with Ahmed over the past years, I know that he embodies the values and principles of our firm and I am happy to see him take this important step in his career, a role which will benefit both our clients and our people in Oman,” added outgoing managing partner Anis Sadek, who was in 2014 named ICAEW Chartered Accountant of the Year at the Middle East Accountancy & Finance Excellence Awards.

In a decorated 38-year career spanning almost six decades, Sadek has held senior leadership positions with three of the Big Four across the Gulf, initially joining Ernst & Young in 1981 following economics studies at Trinity College in Dublin. At EY, where he spent eighteen and a half years, Sadek rose to Managing Partner for its consulting practice, departing for KPMG upon its sale to Capgemini in 2001 – and repeating the process a year and a half later after preparing KPMG’s local consulting arm for its sale to Atos. From there, Sadek joined Deloitte as a managing partner in Dubai, taking on the Oman role in 2016.

“I am honoured and excited to lead the business in Oman,” said his successor Al Qassabi, with Deloitte suggesting the appointment of an Omani to the top position demonstrates its commitment to the country’s Vision 2040 economic development agenda. “Deloitte is a great firm and I will be pleased to continue working with our talented professionals in Oman to serve our clients and make an impact that matters.”