Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the research is to identify the impact of the characteristics of the audit committee on the disclosure of the main matters in the Saudi industrial companies listed in the stock market. It also aimed to reveal the relationship between audit committee characteristics and the disclosure of material matters in Saudi industrial companies listed in the stock market. Furthermore, the study sought to determine the extent of statistically significant differences regarding the impact of audit committee characteristics on corporate disclosure attributable to demographic variables. Methods: To achieve the objective of the study, a descriptive analytical approach was followed, and a questionnaire was built as a tool for the study. The study population consisted of workers in the Saudi industrial companies listed in the stock market, and a random sample consisting of (171) workers in the Saudi industrial companies was chosen. Results: The study found a high level of paragraphs such as the audit report, the independence of the audit committee, the presence of an audit committee member specialized in financial matters, the size of the audit company and the type of audit company (financial or non-financial). It was also found that there is a relationship between the characteristics of the audit committee (the audit report, the independence of the audit committee, and the presence of an independent audit member) and the disclosure of the main matters in the Saudi industrial companies. It was also found that there are statistically significant differences about the effect of the characteristics of the audit committee on disclosing the company's affairs due to the gender variable and the differences are in favor of males while there are no statistically significant differences about the effect of the characteristics of the audit committee on the disclosure of the company's affairs due to the variables (years of experience, educational qualification, region). Conclusion: Based on these results, the study concluded the necessity for the primary references to clarify in detail the procedures carried out by the reviewers. This would contribute to the clarification and improvement of the report, working towards the independence of the review committee to enhance and increase the value of the disclosed information, among other recommendations.