KPMG

===KPMG Lower Gulf===
Controversies around KPMG Lower Gulf first emerged in July 2022, when staff at the UAE division accused the multinational firm of neglecting multiple complaints filed against the Emirati CEO Nader Haffar. The employees, including former workers, alleged Haffar of fostering a "fear culture", where disagreeing with him led to employees getting "immediately sidelined or fired". Concerns were also raised after Haffar appointed his brother-in-law, Talal Cheikh Elard, as the head of clients and markets without disclosing the relationship to the partners.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/4a36d91b-2ba8-4790-8a11-d8b227b5eea5 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/4a36d91b-2ba8-4790-8a11-d8b227b5eea5 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Staff accuse KPMG of ignoring complaints about UAE boss|access-date=9 July 2022|website=The Financial Times|date=9 July 2022 |last1=Marriage |first1=Madison |last2=O'Dwyer |first2=Michael }}</ref> Both Haffar and Elard were accused of shouting at staff, slamming fists on tables, and acting against employees expressing "dissenting views". On 21 July, Haffar requested for a new election process for his position, which was to be governed by an external law firm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/70e76e6b-3e6f-468a-a7e8-00e91f377738 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/70e76e6b-3e6f-468a-a7e8-00e91f377738 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|title=KPMG to rerun election of UAE boss after governance complaints|access-date=21 July 2022|website=The Financial Times}}</ref>

The controversy resurfaced in September 2022, when the global bosses were urged to suspend Haffar, citing "[[nepotism]], [[cronyism]] and a culture of fear" under his leadership. In an email sent to KPMG International’s top executives, ten capital partners at the firm’s UAE branch asked them to address the "massive crisis" in the local company. They also raised concerns over the falling profits, affecting their pay. The average profits per partners fell, while they were not paid bonuses for 2021 due to "cash flow issues".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/a3658585-f704-495a-bc0a-62c90d027f55 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/a3658585-f704-495a-bc0a-62c90d027f55 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=KPMG partners in Dubai seek suspension of local leadership|access-date=16 September 2022|website=The Financial Times}}</ref>

In October 2022, the [[Financial Times]] published a report in which dozens of employees described that unethical employment practices at KPMG [[Saudi Arabia]] were commonplace and had left expatriate staff fearing for their personal safety and struggling with their mental health. Several former employees witnessed colleagues being fired abruptly for no reason, and put this down to hostility towards westerners from the largely Arab leadership team at KPMG Saudi Arabia. Racial tensions within the firm were also a problem, with [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]] language being used towards certain nationalities. The FT has viewed copies of three whistleblowing reports sent to KPMG International since 2018, alleging issues in Saudi Arabia practice, including wrongful terminations, failure to pay staff and concerns about personal safety in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/45f2eda8-9219-4aa5-9434-277d74ea175b |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/45f2eda8-9219-4aa5-9434-277d74ea175b |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The plight of expat workers at KPMG Saudi Arabia|accessdate=18 October 2022|website=Financial Times}}</ref>