# ISSA 5000 in the GCC: Who Has Adopted It and Who Requires Assurance

> Saudi Arabia and Oman have adopted ISSA 5000 and Qatar's adoption is in progress. Which GCC rules require sustainability assurance today, country by country.

**Source:** https://www.esgweise.com/insights/issa-5000-gcc-adoption-saudi-oman-qatar/
**Author:** Sumit Agarwal
**Published:** 2026-10-24
**Frameworks:** ISSA 5000, IFRS S1, IFRS S2
**Countries:** UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait

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## Key points

- The IAASB's September 2026 adoption list shows Saudi Arabia (SOCPA) and Oman (OACPA) as having adopted ISSA 5000, and Qatar as adoption in progress. The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait are not listed.
- In Saudi Arabia, SOCPA requires ISSA 5000 for voluntary sustainability assurance by its members. No Saudi rule requires listed companies to obtain assurance.
- Qatar is the only GCC market with an in-force assurance requirement: QFMA requires Main Market companies' sustainability reports to be assured by the external auditor, with ISSA 5000 referenced.
- Oman's FSA Decision E/7/2026 adopts IFRS S1 and S2 for the preparation and audit of sustainability reports, and the IAASB lists Oman as in progress for mandatory assurance. No assurance date or level has been set.
- In the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait assurance is encouraged or optional, not required.

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## Introduction

[ISSA 5000](/insights/issa-5000-sustainability-assurance-standard-explained/) takes effect for reporting periods beginning on or after 15 December 2026. How much that matters to a GCC company depends on two separate questions that are often run together:

1. **Has the country adopted ISSA 5000?** That decides which standard local assurers apply.
2. **Does any rule require the company to obtain assurance?** That decides whether assurance happens at all.

The answers differ across the six GCC states. This article sets them out from the IAASB's adoption list and the regulators' own texts. It complements our overview of [ESG disclosure regulation across the GCC](/insights/gcc-esg-disclosure-regulation-by-country/).

## The position at a glance

| Country | ISSA 5000 on IAASB list (Sept 2026) | Sustainability assurance required? |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Adopted: approved by SOCPA, required for voluntary engagements by SOCPA members | No |
| Oman | Adopted by OACPA; also listed as in progress for mandatory assurance | Not yet. Audit of sustainability reports contemplated, no standard, level or date set |
| Qatar | Adoption in progress | Yes for Main Market listed companies (QFMA). Not yet for banks, insurers or QFC firms |
| UAE | Not listed | No. Encouraged by principle |
| Bahrain | Not listed | No |
| Kuwait | Not listed | No. Optional |

## Saudi Arabia

The IAASB records that ISSA 5000 was **approved by the Auditing Standards Board of the Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA)** and is required for voluntary sustainability assurance engagements conducted by SOCPA members.

The effect is narrow and important. Assurance remains voluntary for Saudi companies: no CMA, Saudi Exchange or SOCPA instrument requires it, and the GCC exchange metric on assurance only asks whether data is assured. When a company does buy assurance from a SOCPA member, ISSA 5000 is the standard. The IAASB entry does not give a Saudi effective date, so whether SOCPA follows the international date of 15 December 2026 is not confirmed.

Saudi Arabia has not adopted IFRS S1 or S2. SOCPA has translated them into Arabic. Our article on the [Saudi Exchange ESG Disclosure Guidelines](/insights/tadawul-saudi-exchange-esg-disclosure-guidelines/) covers the reporting side.

## Oman

The IAASB lists Oman twice: **adopted** by the Oman Association Chartered Public Accountants (OACPA), as the IAASB names it, and **in progress for mandatory assurance**.

On reporting, the Financial Services Authority's Decision E/7/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 24 March 2026, adopts IFRS S1 and S2 "in the preparation and audit" of the financial or sustainability reports of listed public joint-stock companies and financial institutions. It contemplates audited sustainability reports but names no assurance standard, sets no date and does not say whether the financial auditor must be the assurer. A draft FSA circular described in May 2026 asks entities to prepare for audit and assurance readiness.

Read together, Oman is building toward mandatory assurance and has already adopted the standard it will most likely use. Companies in scope of E/7/2026 should plan their data processes on the assumption that ISSA 5000 assurance will follow.

## Qatar

Qatar is the only GCC market with an assurance requirement in force for corporate sustainability reports.

- **QFMA, Main Market listed companies.** QFMA's Guidance on Corporate Sustainability Reporting requires external assurance of the sustainability report by the external auditor, under Chapter Five of the Governance Code for Listed Companies (Board Decision No. 5 of 2025). It names ISSA 5000 and the IESBA's IESSA as the basis. QFMA's own forms and guidance page describes Qatar's adopting of ISSA 5000. The level of assurance and the first assured year are not stated.
- **QCB, banks and insurers.** The QCB Sustainability Reporting Framework states that a framework for assurance of sustainability information will be developed based on international assurance standards. No requirement yet.
- **QFCRA, QFC firms.** The QFCRA GENE rules contain no assurance requirement. According to the IFRS Foundation's jurisdictional profile, QFCRA has said it will develop an assurance framework based on ISSA 5000 and IESSA.

The IAASB lists Qatar as adoption in progress. Reporting under IFRS S1 and S2 applies from financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2026. See our guide to [IFRS S1 and S2 in Qatar](/insights/ifrs-s1-s2-in-qatar-what-listed-companies-must-know/).

FY2026 is the first IFRS S1 and S2 reporting year in Qatar. Because it begins before 15 December 2026, ISSA 5000 is not yet mandatory for that year under IAASB standards, though it may be applied early. FY2027 falls squarely in scope. An external auditor applying ISSA 5000 to FY2027 will be testing data created from 1 January 2027.

## United Arab Emirates

The UAE is not on the IAASB list in any category. No federal, emirate or free zone rule requires sustainability assurance for corporate reports. The UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group's Principles for Sustainability-Related Disclosures (June 2024) say reporting entities "should aim to use independent, third-party verification and assurance", which sets a direction but not an obligation.

That leaves UAE companies to decide which standard their assurance report cites. For periods beginning on or after 15 December 2026, the IAASB's position is that ISAE 3000 (Revised) no longer applies to sustainability information. An assurer that wants its report to state compliance with IAASB standards will use ISSA 5000.

## Bahrain and Kuwait

Neither appears on the IAASB list. In **Bahrain**, the Central Bank of Bahrain's ESG module asks, through a governance KPI, whether disclosures are assured, without requiring it. In **Kuwait**, the CMA's listing rules say a company "may seek external assurance", and the Boursa Kuwait ESG Reporting Guide 2026 marks assurance as not mandatory. Where a Kuwaiti company does obtain assurance, the assurance report goes in the sustainability report.

Across the GCC, adoption of ISSA 5000 is running ahead of any requirement to use it. The standard is arriving before the mandate.

## What this means for GCC companies

- **Listed companies in Qatar** need an ISSA 5000 assurance plan for FY2027 now, agreed with the external auditor.
- **Listed companies and non-bank financial institutions in Oman** should build processes to ISSA 5000 expectations before the assurance instrument arrives, not after.
- **Saudi companies seeking voluntary assurance** from a SOCPA member will receive an ISSA 5000 engagement.
- **Companies in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait** that obtain voluntary assurance, often for lenders, ratings or sustainability-linked finance, should ask which standard the FY2027 report will cite.
- **Groups reporting across several GCC markets** should design one set of data controls to the ISSA 5000 standard rather than country by country.

Our [readiness checklist](/insights/issa-5000-readiness-checklist-for-companies/) sets out what an ISSA 5000 assurer will expect to find.

## How ESGweise helps

ESGweise works across the GCC on sustainability reporting under IFRS S1 and S2 and on assurance under ISSA 5000 and ISO 14064-3. For companies whose external auditor will provide the assurance, we run the readiness work so the auditor's first engagement goes cleanly. See our [assurance](/services/assurance/) and [reporting](/services/reporting/) services.

## Sources

- IAASB, [Understanding ISSA 5000, Jurisdictional Adoption Details](https://www.iaasb.org/focus-areas/understanding-international-standard-sustainability-assurance-5000), updated September 2026, checked 24 October 2026.
- IAASB staff, FAQ: Applicability of ISSA 5000, ISAE 3000 (Revised) and ISAE 3410, August 2025.
- Financial Services Authority, Oman, Decision E/7/2026, Official Gazette No. 1640, 24 March 2026.
- QFMA, Guidance on Corporate Sustainability Reporting for Companies Listed on the Main Market, and Governance Code for Listed Companies, Board Decision No. 5 of 2025.
- Qatar Central Bank, Sustainability Reporting Framework according to ISSB Standards, November 2025, section 10.
- IFRS Foundation, Jurisdictional profile: Qatar, updated 4 June 2026.
- UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group, Principles for Sustainability-Related Disclosures, June 2024, principle 2.9.
- Central Bank of Bahrain, Rulebook Common Volume, ESG Module, January 2024.
- Capital Markets Authority, Kuwait, Executive Bylaws Module Twelve; Boursa Kuwait, ESG Reporting Guide for Listed Companies, 2026 edition.
- Saudi Exchange, ESG Metrics Guide (GCC Exchanges Committee metrics), January 2023.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Is ISSA 5000 mandatory in Saudi Arabia?

Not for companies. SOCPA's Auditing Standards Board has approved ISSA 5000 and requires it for voluntary sustainability assurance engagements conducted by SOCPA members. No CMA, Saudi Exchange or SOCPA rule requires a listed company to have its sustainability information assured. If a Saudi company chooses assurance from a SOCPA member, ISSA 5000 is the standard that member applies.

### Do Qatar listed companies need sustainability assurance?

Yes, for the Main Market. QFMA's Guidance on Corporate Sustainability Reporting requires external assurance of the sustainability report by the external auditor, under the Governance Code for Listed Companies, and refers to ISSA 5000 and the IESBA's IESSA. QFMA has not stated whether the assurance is limited or reasonable, or the first year it applies.

### Has the UAE adopted ISSA 5000?

The UAE does not appear on the IAASB's adoption list updated September 2026, in any category. There is no UAE rule requiring sustainability assurance. The UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group's disclosure principles say reporting entities should aim to use independent third-party verification and assurance, which is a principle, not a requirement.

### What standard should a UAE company's assurer use?

Ask the assurer which standard the report will cite. For periods beginning on or after 15 December 2026, an assurer that wants to state compliance with IAASB standards for sustainability information must apply ISSA 5000, because ISAE 3000 (Revised) no longer applies to sustainability information internationally after that date.

### Does Oman require sustainability assurance?

Not yet. FSA Decision E/7/2026 adopts IFRS S1 and S2 in the preparation and audit of sustainability reports of listed companies and financial institutions, but names no assurance standard, level or date. OACPA has adopted ISSA 5000 and the IAASB lists Oman as in progress for mandatory assurance, so a separate instrument is expected.


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Published by ESGweise Global LLC, Dubai. https://www.esgweise.com