—Banking & Financial Services
Internal audit software for banks, built around what GCC central banks expect.
Every GCC central bank expects an independent internal audit function that reports to a board audit committee. ControlVista is the audit management software that gives bank audit functions a risk-based plan, a defensible engagement file and a committee-ready view — on infrastructure the bank controls.
Supervisors and audit bodies across the GCC
- SAMA
- CBUAE
- QCB
- CBB
- CBO
- CBK
- IIA Standards 2024
—What's Different
Why audit in banking & financial services is different.
The supervisor reads your audit file
Central-bank examiners and external quality assessors test whether the plan was genuinely risk-based and whether the work supports the opinion. A plan in Excel and evidence in email rarely survive that reading.
Evidence that can't leave the bank
Customer, credit and transaction evidence is some of the most sensitive data a bank holds. Many GCC banks will not place it in a vendor's multi-tenant cloud — which rules out most audit SaaS.
Findings the committee tracks to closure
The audit committee wants high-risk findings, owners and ageing in one view — and independent verification that a fix works, not a status the business marked complete.
—Across the GCC
Who sets the bar, country by country.
- Saudi Arabia
SAMA
The SAMA Principles of Internal Auditing for Local Banks (effective 2022) govern board oversight, audit-committee duties and internal-audit independence, reinforced by SAMA's 2024 governance principles.
- UAE
Central Bank of the UAE
The Internal Controls, Compliance and Internal Audit Regulation requires a permanent independent internal audit function and an audit committee that approves the annual risk-based plan.
- Qatar
Qatar Central Bank
QCB Bank Instructions (Part VII) require an independent internal audit department reporting to a board audit committee of at least three directors, following IIA standards.
- Bahrain
Central Bank of Bahrain
The CBB Rulebook's volumes for conventional and Islamic banks set high-level controls, including the audit committee and the internal audit function.
- Oman
Central Bank of Oman
CBO regulations cover corporate governance, risk management, internal audit and compliance for licensed banks.
- Kuwait
Central Bank of Kuwait
The CBK Corporate Governance Instructions (2019) mandate an audit committee, and banks may not outsource internal-control assessment to their external auditor.
—How ControlVista Fits
One audit record, from risk to verified closure.
A risk-based plan the examiner can follow
Risk-ranked audit universe, coverage rotation and board approval — so you can show how risk drove every line of the plan.
VistaFieldAn engagement file that stands up
Walkthroughs, RACM-based testing and evidence in the file, with preparer → reviewer → approver sign-off captured as the work happens.
VistaResolveFindings verified, not self-certified
Auditee self-service for responses, segregation of duties on verification, and 30 / 60 / 90-day escalation.
VistaReportThe committee pack from live data
Plan progress, high-risk findings and action ageing — board-ready in English and Arabic.
—Frequently Asked
Questions audit leaders ask.
Can ControlVista run inside the bank's own data centre?
Yes. ControlVista is on-premise by default — deployed in your data centre or private cloud. We have no access to your engagement files, and source-code escrow is available for procurement sign-off.
Is ControlVista a GRC platform for the bank?
No. It is audit management software for the internal audit function, which is independent of management and reports to the audit committee. It gives internal audit its own system of record rather than replacing the bank's risk or compliance tooling.
Does it follow the IIA 2024 Standards?
Yes. The IIA 2024 lifecycle — universe, plan, engagement, opinion, action — is the spine of the five modules. Several GCC central banks, including QCB, explicitly expect internal audit to follow IIA standards.
Can committee reporting be produced in Arabic?
Yes. English and Arabic live on every user-facing field, so reports and committee packs render natively in both languages.
—Request a demo
See ControlVista run your audit lifecycle, end to end.
A 30-minute walkthrough with the team that built it — from the audit universe to the board-ready committee pack, in English and Arabic.
A product of Vantage Technologies.