3 December 2014
The 23 November saw the highly successful launch and inaugural event of the new Gulf Actuarial Society (GAS) in Dubai.
The society covers the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and has been created with the specific aims of bringing together IFoA members based in the region, and providing networking and CPD opportunities for all actuaries in the area.
Hosted by founding member Cathy Love Soper and IFoA CEO Derek Cribb, the GAS event allowed them the opportunity to meet and to talk to members in the region to ascertain what it is that they are looking to gain from their new society.
When asked about her reasons for setting up GAS and her hopes for the future of the society Cathy Love Soper commented:
"There are around 100 IFoA members in the region but currently no group which represents their specific interests, as actuaries working in the Gulf. An IFoA society for actuaries in the Gulf would not only bring more of a sense of community for these actuaries, but I believe it would also raise the profile of the wider actuarial profession in the region.
I am hoping that the new society will also bring about a better support network for the IFoA members here, many of whom are relatively isolated (in that they don’t work with any other qualified actuaries) – for example, through ‘joined up’ CPD events and through providing a network to discuss professional issues with.
The new society will also be open to non-IFoA actuaries, and people who work in actuarial roles, in the region. It may be that some of these people decide to join the IFoA in due course (whether through the new CAA route or the Fellowship) which would benefit the IFoA. But I am also keen to open our doors more widely as this seems the best way to bring in more Gulf nationals as well as ex-pats, which would make our society more meaningful and sustainable, and fits nicely with this year’s “diversity” theme for the IFoA!"
Find out more about the Gulf Actuarial Society its members and events by visiting their webpage.