WE ARE
AKW Consultants
AKW Consultants is a leading professional service consultancy operating as the AKW Group of Companies, registered with the Dubai Economic Department and the DMCC, UAE. Our practice has been in existence in the UAE since early 2016, and the team has served 1,000+ clients across the GCC region.
We have significantly contributed to the transformation of local and global organizations by using an innovative approach to every project and maintaining an unrelenting commitment to quality and consistency. Our scope of services includes compliance, risk, and governance; tax advisory; accounting and audit; business consulting; company incorporation and liquidation; and management consulting.
Our Vision
Our vision is “Delivering Value,” as we are committed to delivering value to our clients through tangible outcomes. We strive to provide an impeccable experience for our clients, not just offer services. Our team of 35+ specialists based in the UAE aims to fill the gaps in the industry by offering value-added services around compliance, risk and governance, tax advisory, accounting and audit, and business consulting. The depth of experience and industry insights led by an approachable team can help our esteemed clients find solutions to reach their business goals.
Why Us?
✓ Holding a legacy of over a combined 40+ years of experience to help the customer navigate in the right direction.
✓ Having worked with over 1000+ businesses give us an edge in our diverse knowledge of various industries.
✓ Believe in delivering nominal yet value-adding services.
✓ A hands-on international and regional experience that helps clients bridge cultural and technical challenges.
✓ AKW’s AML Advisory Team is an association of Certified Anti-Money Launder Specialists (ACAMS), the International Compliance Association (ICA), Certified Fraud
Examiners (CFE), qualified AML Compliance Consultants, and subject matter experts, and is led by Ex-Director and Global Head of Client Due Diligence for AML Compliance, HSBC Middle East.
About Our CEO & Managing Partner
Faisal Ahmed serves as the Managing Partner & CEO of AKW Consultants, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the organisation. With over 23 years of global experience in financial crime compliance, anti-money laundering, tax advisory, and auditing, Faisal is a distinguished chartered accountant.
Faisal’s professional journey began with a strong foundation, spending over six years at KPMG before further honing his skills during an eight-year tenure at PwC in London. His dedication to excellence and his commitment to the industry led him to gain three years of invaluable experience with HSBC, where he held the prestigious position of Director and Global Head for Client Due Diligence for AML Compliance in both the Middle East and London offices.
Since early 2016, Faisal has been a driving force in the consulting world. He later established his sole proprietorship entities, AKW Tax Reclaim Accounting and Consultancy and AKW Consultants, in January and February 2018, respectively. Faisal has successfully overseen numerous turnkey AML compliance remediation projects, benefiting a wide range of institutions, including banks, finance companies, money exchanges, and DNFBPs.
Faisal is not only a seasoned practitioner but also a recognized subject matter expert in AML compliance. His expertise extends beyond the corporate realm, as he holds accreditation as a compliance and banking trainer at the prestigious London Institute of Banking and Finance. His remarkable contributions have been acknowledged with awards, including the “KYC Guru” award in 2020 and the “Best Compliance Team” award in 2021. The latter recognised his pivotal role in establishing the AML Compliance Framework for the first UAE cryptocurrency trading company in DMCC, Dubai.
Faisal Ahmed
Michael Wharton
Director of Business Strategy Advisory
Michael is a seasoned Director of Business Development and Marketing at AKW Consultants with a remarkable career that spans diverse industries. Since the inception of the company, he has played a pivotal role in driving AKW Consultants’ success and fostering its growth in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
He has co-founded Nova Web Solutions, where he applied his analytical prowess to solve complex business problems. Leveraging data analysis, tech solutions, and statistical models, he transformed Nova Web Solutions into an innovative player in the field.
Michael’s commitment to education led him to co-found EduAims, an educational consultancy catering to the needs of students seeking quality global education. As a result, over the past decade, EduAims has become the ultimate destination for aspiring students.
In addition to his work at AKW, Michael has contributed to scientific research as an Associate Researcher at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and published several papers.
Manali Chopra
Director of Accounting, Audit, & Tax
Manali is a highly accomplished Chartered Accountant with an extensive background in finance, accounting, audit, and taxation, boasting over 13 years of professional experience. Her unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results is widely recognized. Presently, she holds the position of Director of Tax Accounts and Compliance at AKW Consultants, where she leads a dedicated team responsible for upholding financial integrity across diverse industries. Her expertise spans taxation, internal audits, strict adherence to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), UAE regulatory compliance, and in-depth financial analysis.
In the fields of taxation and auditing, Manali shines as a beacon of knowledge. Her skill set includes comprehensive analysis of tax issues, precise written communication with tax authorities, and the optimization of tax credit claims. She excels in intricate financial statement reviews, complex statistical and financial analysis, as well as meticulous financial reporting.
As a taxation expert, Manali plays a pivotal role in overseeing and managing tax strategy and compliance for clients, ensuring strict adherence to UAE tax laws and regulations, encompassing Value Added Tax (VAT), Corporate Income Tax, and other relevant taxes. She also oversees and advise clients for the preparation and timely filing of tax returns and refunds, providing strategic tax guidance to ensure compliance with both local and global tax requirements while optimizing her clients’ tax positions.
She was also appointed as a Board Member of the esteemed Dubai Business Group for Accountants under the Chamber of Commerce umbrella and has been a panellist at several prestigious corporate tax forums.
Kenneth Khalkho
Director of Sustainability & Responsible Business Sourcing
Kenneth is a highly experienced non-financial auditor, consultant, trainer, and investigator with an impressive 27-year career spanning diverse sectors in India. He boasts a rich portfolio of national and international projects covering retail, manufacturing, finance, energy, pharmaceuticals, IT, education, government, and non-profit organisations. His expertise encompasses areas such as corporate governance, business ethics, fraud investigation, risk assessment, social audits, SDGs, ESG, EHS, CSR advisory, supply chain compliance, AML, skill development, training, and teaching.
Kenneth has served as Director at Ernst & Young, leading the supply chain compliance and integrity division within the Forensic & Compliance practice. He also worked as a Partner at Thinkthrough Consulting, specializing in sustainable development advisory. Kenneth’s career includes a stint as COO at Safeducate, a prominent skill development company in India’s supply chain and logistics sector. He played a pivotal role in training over 70,000 students in multiple cities across India.
Kenneth’s extensive involvement extends to partnering with various government initiatives and skill development missions. He has worked closely with organisations like the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), and state skill development missions.
Throughout his career, Kenneth Khalkho has demonstrated a keen focus on ethical business practices, supply chain integrity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. His impressive educational background includes a Master’s degree from the Delhi School of Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in History with Honours from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Kenneth’s insights have been featured in notable publications, highlighting his thought leadership in CSR, sustainability, and climate change.
Shomayle Ahmad Faruqi
Director of Cyber Security & IT Solutions
Shomayle is an accomplished cyber security architect and distinguished researcher, boasting a rich portfolio of over a decade’s worth of experience in the field. Holding a Bachelor of Technology degree in computer science, he has cultivated his expertise through collaborations with prestigious organizations such as KPMG, Deloitte, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, OTIS Elevators, SHELL, HCL, and Pine Labs, spanning a wide array of industries, including IT security consulting, financial services, product development, and IT/OT, IoT & Embedded Systems.
His extensive professional background primarily centres on network, application, and infrastructure security, with a paramount emphasis on the design and meticulous implementation of various industry standards. Shomayle is adept in managing compliance with stringent regulations such as ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI, PADSS, 62443 series, VISA PIN Security, Risk Assessments, Business Continuity Planning/Disaster Recovery (BCP/DR), threat modelling, Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), and cloud security. Notably, he is a seasoned ethical hacker, having conducted a multitude of comprehensive Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Tests. Furthermore, he excels as a cyber security trainer, adeptly catering to audiences ranging from novices to advanced audiences.
Shomayle’s illustrious career has seen him deliver outstanding cyber security projects across a spectrum of international locations, including France, Switzerland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United States.
