IMA Middle East & Africa

What IMA Middle East & Africa does

IMA Middle East & Africa is the regional operating arm of the Institute of Management Accountants, Inc. (IMA, Inc.), a US-based professional membership association with more than 100 years of history and 140,000+ global members. Headquartered in Dubai (Block 3 Office G14, Dubai Knowledge Park) with an additional office in Cairo, the entity serves accounting and finance professionals, students, academics, and corporate employers across the Middle East and Africa. Its core offerings are three certifications — the CMA (Certified Management Accountant, $210 enrollment plus $345 per exam part), the CSCA (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis, $900 program fee), and the FMAA (Financial and Management Accounting Associate, $299 exam fee) — supplemented by an AI in Finance Micro-credential launched in 2025. Certification exams are administered globally through Prometric testing centers, while membership, continuing education, and credential management are delivered through the myIMA online portal.

The business model combines recurring membership subscriptions (Student, Academic, and Professional tiers) with one-time certification and exam fees, generating the bulk of association revenue. Distribution runs through direct online enrollment on the myIMA platform, a tiered network of approved CMA training providers, academic curriculum integrations with at least nine named universities (SP Jain, Abu Dhabi University, Prince Sultan University, Qatar University, KFUPM, German Jordanian University, and others), and enterprise staff enrollment programs with corporate employers. Strategic MoUs with the UAE Ministry of Finance (2025), the American Accounting Association (Oct 2025), and LEORON Professional Development Institute (Jan 2026) extend IMA's reach into government finance, academic research, and enterprise risk/COSO training respectively.

The regional hub itself operates with approximately 15 employees and functions primarily as a marketing, partnerships, and member-services node within the global IMA, Inc. structure; no separate financials are disclosed. The organization's competitive position rests on the IMA brand's century-plus heritage, the employer recognition of the CMA credential (evidenced by CSCAs and CMAs employed at Chevron, Microsoft, IBM, Nestlé, Shell, Pfizer, and others), and the structural lock-in created by its training provider and university channel network across the MEA region.

Name

IMA Middle East & Africa

Legal name

Institute of Management Accountants, Inc.

Website

https://imamiddleeast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMA Middle East & Africa is the Dubai-headquartered regional arm of the Institute of Management Accountants, delivering the CMA, CSCA, and FMAA certifications, AI in Finance micro-credential, and membership services to accounting and finance professionals, students, academics, and corporate employers across the Middle East and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certifications and Membership Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM) (EDANAIAD)

Keywords

• Professional certifications
• Management accounting
• Continuing professional education
• Professional membership association
• Finance training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: IMA generates revenue through various membership tiers including Student, Academic, and Professional memberships. Members pay annual dues and receive access to continuing education, career resources, networking, and certification programs.
2. CMA Certification Fees: Revenue from CMA certification program including $210 non-refundable enrollment fee and $345 per part exam fees. A special promotion of 40% off CMA entrance is periodically offered.
3. CSCA Certification Fees: Revenue from CSCA certification program at $900, which includes enrollment, one exam attempt, and two-year access to the IMA strategy and competitive analysis learning series.
4. FMAA Certification Fees: Revenue from FMAA certification at $299 exam fee, with exam consisting of 80 multiple-choice questions and approximately 50 recommended study hours.
5. Continuing Education and Training: Revenue from ongoing education courses, webinars, exam preparation, and certification programs offered through approved training providers and IMA's own resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IMA Middle East & Africa is the regional arm of the Institute of Management Accountants, delivering professional certifications (CMA, CSCA, FMAA, and AI in Finance Micro-credential), tiered membership subscriptions, and continuing education to accounting and finance professionals across the Middle East and Africa. Certifications are administered through Prometric testing centers, supported by a network of approved training providers, academic partners, and corporate staff-enrollment programs, with delivery via the myIMA online member portal.

Product overview

IMA Middle East & Africa offers a portfolio of professional certifications for accounting and finance professionals at various career stages. The core offerings include the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) as the flagship certification, the CSCA (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis) for strategic planning skills, and the FMAA (Financial and Management Accounting Associate) as an entry-level credential. Additionally, IMA provides an AI in Finance Micro-credential for future-ready skills. The organization supplements these certifications with membership programs, a network of approved training providers, continuing education resources, and the myIMA member portal for credential and career management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CMA (Certified Management Accountant): The flagship certification program for management accountants, validating mastery of accounting and financial management knowledge.
• CSCA (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis)
• FMAA (Financial and Management Accounting Associate)

Products and services

• CMA (Certified Management Accountant) Certification Flagship two-part professional certification for accounting and finance professionals covering a comprehensive body of knowledge in accounting and financial management, intended for individuals working in or aspiring to management accounting roles.
• CSCA (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis) Certification Professional certification designed to prepare accountants and finance professionals for strategic management roles, covering strategic analysis, creating competitive advantage, and strategy implementation.
• FMAA (Financial and Management Accounting Associate) Certification Entry-level certification demonstrating proficiency in the fundamentals of financial and managerial accounting and global business language, available in English and Arabic, intended for students and early-career professionals.
• AI in Finance Micro-credential Micro-credential program focused on building AI fluency and practical AI skills for today's finance professionals, including predictive analytics applications in financial analysis and decision-making.
• IMA Membership Annual membership program with Student, Academic, and Professional tiers providing access to dynamic networking, learning experiences, continuing education courses, webinars, exam prep, leadership opportunities, career resources, and reduced certification pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% increase in total compensation for CMA credential holders aged 20-29 compared to non-holders globally (IMA 2021 Global Salary Survey)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• LEORON Professional Development InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026IMA and LEORON Professional Development Institute signed a strategic MoU to expand COSO training across the Middle East region.
• American Accounting Association (AAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025IMA and AAA partner to strengthen accounting education and research in the Middle East through collaborative initiatives.
• UAE Ministry of FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMA and the UAE Ministry of Finance signed a strategic MoU to introduce the CMA and FMAA certifications in the UAE, promoting professional development in government finance roles.
• SP Jain Institute of Management & ResearchmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner offering CMA curriculum and student enrollment pathways.
• German Jordanian UniversitymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner for academic membership and student certification programs.
• Abu Dhabi UniversitymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner for academic membership and student certification programs.
• Prince Sultan UniversitymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner for academic membership and student certification programs.
• Qatar UniversitymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner for academic membership and student certification programs.
• King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner for academic membership and student certification programs.
• Khalifa International Foundation for Water & EnvironmentminorOthersPartner organization for student enrollment and academic programs.
• Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) AcademymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic and training partner for finance professionals in Dubai's financial center.
• Lebanese Association of Certified Public Accountants (LACPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for accounting professional development in Lebanon.
• Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for accounting professional development in Saudi Arabia.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationTesting partner for administering CMA, CSCA, and FMAA certification exams through their global testing center network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants): CIMA offers the CGMA designation and is the closest management-accounting peer to IMA's CMA program; the two credentials frequently compete head-to-head for the same management accounting candidates globally and in MEA.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): ACCA is a global professional accounting body offering the ACCA qualification, directly competing with CMA and FMAA for mid-career finance professionals across the Middle East and Africa, with strong regional presence and local language support.
• CFA Institute: CFA Institute administers the Chartered Financial Analyst program, the dominant investment-focused credential that competes with CMA/CSCA for the same pool of ambitious MEA finance professionals seeking career credentials.

Regional players

• CPA Australia: CPA Australia is an Asia-Pacific based accounting body with growing MEA presence (e.g., Dubai office) offering CPA Program credentials that overlap with CMA/FMAA for finance professionals in the Gulf and Africa.
• CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand): CA ANZ offers the Chartered Accountant designation with growing MEA presence through partnerships; competes with CMA for senior finance professionals in the Gulf region.
• SOCPA (Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants): SOCPA is the local Saudi accounting credentialing body and a strategic partner of IMA; it represents the local credential competitor that IMA must coexist with for Saudi-based finance professionals.

Broad incumbents

• AICPA & CIMA (Association of International CPAs): The AICPA-CIMA联合 entity offers the US CPA credential and the CGMA designation, providing a broader portfolio of accounting certifications that competes with IMA across multiple professional tiers including the entry-level.

Others

• SOX/IFRS/COSO Training Providers (LEORON Professional Development Institute): LEORON is a regional training partner that has just signed an MoU with IMA to expand COSO training across MEA; it represents the broader ecosystem of corporate finance/compliance training providers that compete for the same enterprise training wallet.
• The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA): IIA offers the CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) credential, addressing an adjacent finance profession to CMA with strong adoption in MEA enterprises and government entities.

Emerging players

• Open edX / Coursera / edX Professional Certificate providers: Massive open online course platforms and emerging micro-credential providers compete at the entry-level with FMAA and the AI in Finance micro-credential by offering lower-cost, self-paced alternatives to finance professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ima-middle-east-&-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMA Middle East & Africa