The stars shone at the inaugural Middle East Insurance Industry Awards (MIIA) in Dubai last November, showing that the industry has much to be proud of. Companies across the region, ranging from local players to multinationals, received top honours at the Awards. A panel of 25 distinguished judges – drawn from local, regional and international leaders in the insurance industry – showed their passion and commitment to the selection process, putting in a gruelling number of hours to read and rate the 200-odd entries.
The process culminated in the Awards dinner in Dubai, where 13 winners were recognised for their excellence in 14 categories. We salute them, and capture their excitement as they share with us what their victories mean to them, what they intend to do for the industry and how they will celebrate.
Life Insurance Company of the Year
MetLife has been a pioneer in life insurance in the Middle East & Africa since 1953 and currently operates in 11 countries across the region. On behalf of MetLife, I would like to thank all our clients, distribution partners and employees for their trust and loyalty throughout these years and which has helped make this award possible. Our corporate strategy to grow emerging markets can only support our leadership position and commitment to driving further growth in the region in the coming years. We are delighted to have achieved this recognition which is a testimony to our values – “Put Customers First, Be The Best, Make Things Easier, Succeed Together” – and would like to congratulate Middle East Insurance Review for this important industry award initiative.
Mr Julio Garcia-Villalon,
Regional Head of MetLife Middle East & Africa
General Insurance Company of the Year
It is a privilege to have been chosen as the General Insurer of the Year at the first Middle East Insurance Industry Awards. It is a testimony to our company’s successful strategy and comprehensive product portfolio as well as AXA’s reputation to deliver consistent first-class services. This recognition also rewards the hard work and commitment of all AXA Gulf employees across the region who ensure that we constantly deliver our strategy and targets. Becoming the most preferred company in the insurance industry is our goal, and we need to relentlessly invest to ensure we always meet customer needs. To see people recognising our efforts to distinguish ourselves from others is without any doubt the greatest recognition that AXA Gulf’s employees could receive.
As a company, we have achieved a unique success in offering creative ideas, global reach and highly flexible service capabilities matching the best-in-class insurance solutions to make our clients’ lives easier. We have invested a lot to remain close to our customers, listen and respond to their expectations as customers are looking for a one-stop trustworthy insurer. Over the years, we differentiated ourselves through all these elements and one of these has been innovation where we leveraged our strong worldwide assets and resources to lead the game. We will do our best to continue that trend.
Mr Alexis de Beauregard,
Chief Officer - Marketing and Retail Product Offering, AXA Gulf
Health Insurer of the Year
Aetna International is honoured to have been awarded Health Insurer of the Year by the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards. This award recognises our position as a leader in global health care coverage and the value our customers place on our deep expertise and differentiated product offer.
We are sharing the good news with our stakeholders, who include our employees, business partners, brokers, customers and members, thanking each of them for their contribution to our success in the international health care market.
This is the latest achievement for Aetna International following a number of recent accolades, including the International Insurer of the Year award at the World Health Tourism Congress held in Dubai, Health Insurance Daily’s Best Group International Private Medical Insurance Provider 2014, and Professional Adviser magazine’s Best in Class for Commitment to Healthcare Support in the International Fund & Product Awards 2014.
Mr Richard di Benedetto,
President, Aetna International
Family Takaful Company of the Year & General Takaful Company of the Year
All Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
We truly feel privileged on being chosen as winners by such a distinguished judging panel and would like to thank Middle East Insurance Review for providing a credible platform for the industry to demonstrate their excellence.
The criteria laid down by the judging panel serves as a good guideline for the aspects of our business that we should consistently look into. The winners have set the benchmark for the industry, including themselves, to work towards raising the bar every year.
We are celebrating our “double win” by sharing the winning moments with all our stakeholders, particularly our staff and customers, availing the opportunity to thank them for their efforts and continuous patronage.
Mr Ali Ibrahim Al Abdulghani,
CEO, Qatar Islamic Insurance Company
Educational Service Provider of the Year
BIBF is immensely proud to have won this prestigious award. It affirms the exceptional quality and outstanding performance of the Institute, at a regional level.
As a thought leader in the field of education, BIBF has led industrial innovation across multiple business sectors. We continue to create specialised programmes to help our students stay abreast of developing markets, and strategically partnered with the world’s best in order to serve the labour market and meet the training needs of a growing financial sector. We have also helped a number of international entities establish a solid base in the region.
BIBF has consistently sought to cater to the region’s needs, providing internationally-recognised, quality professional insurance education. We are the only institute in the world to offer the globally-accredited Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) Designation Qualification entirely in the Arabic Language and are currently working on several exciting projects, including an accredited qualification for insurance supervisors.
Mrs Solveig Nicklos,
Director of BIBF
Innovation of the Year
We are very glad to have received the Innovation of the Year Award at the inaugural Middle East Insurance Industry Awards. It is an industry-wide recognition of ActiveLife as an innovation like no other in the region. We realise that innovation is rare in our industry but it is certainly possible, if given the proper thought and nurtured.
ActiveLife began as a small idea to help people exercise more regularly with a minor Facebook community back in early 2012. Through a broader vision of mobilising the UAE to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, ActiveLife managed to attract more than 250,000 people to its events over the past two years.
The award is a cause of celebration for the company and especially the team responsible for ActiveLife. It is certainly an encouragement for Daman to continue introducing innovative concepts to the industry. After all, “innovation” itself is a key corporate value of ours which we have stood by since our inception eight years ago.
Dr Michael Bitzer, CEO,
National Health Insurance Company – Daman
Service Provider of the Year
Milliman Middle East is delighted to have won the first Middle East Insurance Industry Awards for the category of Best Service Provider 2014. To be recognised by the top industry leaders in the region and abroad is a testament to our commitment and dedication to the MENA region to deliver the highest quality consultancy services across all lines of service.
This accolade is also a testimony to the insurance industry itself which has realised the value of quality actuarial input if it is to develop into a mature and solid industry. Through our all-round quality service provision, and through our Milliman Academy for insurance training and development, Milliman is committed to continue support the industry to reach internationally recognised levels of best practice.
This is a moment of joy for Milliman, and we would like to thank all our clients over the past six years since our inception in the region for their support and for understanding the value of our input in the region.
Mr Safder Jaffer, Managing Director & Consulting Actuary – Middle East & Africa, Milliman
Law Firm of the Year
We are honoured to receive the inaugural Middle East Insurance Industry Law Firm of the Year Award. The award bears testimony to the team of talented insurance specialists we have in the region.
Our goal is to remain at the forefront of issues affecting the industry and to continue to provide both local and global insurers with business-like specialist legal advice that takes into account the many on-going developments in the region.
We will continue to engage with the market by publishing topical monthly legal updates, developing our comprehensive insurance regulatory database and hosting regular market events, which we hope will evolve as our practice grows further. Our vision is to provide the market with full legal service capability across the region whenever and wherever needed.
We would like to thank the market for supporting our practice and the trust they place in our team.
Mr Wayne Jones,
Partner, Clyde & Co
Broker of the Year
Aon Middle East LLC is delighted to be awarded the accolade of the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards’ Broker of the Year for 2014. This is a tangible reward for all of the efforts that our staff have put in over the past 12 months, having consistently gone above and beyond for their clients, constantly delivering excellence.
To win at the inaugural awards, which was judged by an esteemed panel of both regional and international industry nature, was made extra special due to the transparent nature of the judging criteria and process and the quality and quantity of our competitors.
We will certainly not rest on our laurels and will strive to maintain the same standards that won us the award, whilst looking to enhance our offering in order that we continue to lead the way in the Middle East.
Mr Antoine Khattar,
CEO, Aon Middle East LLC
Reinsurance Broker of the Year
UIB winning the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards’ Reinsurance Broker of The Year award for 2014 was such an honour. This was especially so when one considers the gravitas of the panel of judges that had adjudicated over the many vying contenders and then selected team UIB as the worthy winners in a truly professional and transparent process. This recognition by the industry’s most respected peers serves to further enthuse and motivate UIB to remain the frontrunner in raising the bar of professionalism and to continue to serve as ambassadors of excellence for our industry.
Mr George J Kabban,
CEO, UIB (DIFC) Ltd
Retakaful Company of the Year
Hannover ReTakaful B.S.C. (c) is extremely delighted on being awarded Retakaful Company of the Year at the very first Middle East Insurance Industry Awards. We accept the award with much jubilation and enthusiasm, and celebrate the success with our staff who have helped us tread on the path of success and growth, with their dedication and sincerity.
Being recognised and awarded at an industry-wide platform bestows upon us the responsibility to ensure we continue to service our clients and markets with utmost professionalism, integrity and efficiency to ensure overall profitable and sustained development of the takaful industry.
The company is committed to:
• Actively contributing to the growth and development of the Islamic insurance industry in accordance with Shariah principles, by being flexible and innovative in our products and services;
• Building and developing long-term business relationships, and delivering services that meet and exceed takaful companies’ expectations;
• Being the operator of choice for Shariah-compliant companies;
• Securing growth into selected products and markets, creating value for all our stakeholders;
• Engaging with the relevant regulatory bodies to contribute in shaping the future regulations that will define the scope of (re)takaful;
• Developing, nurturing and training young professionals in the field of retakaful; and
• Providing a conducive learning culture for our staff, our most valued asset.
Hannover ReTakaful endeavours towards the betterment of takaful/ retakaful industry, which will always be a continuous one, bearing in mind that success is not a destination but a journey.
Mr Mahomed Akoob,
Managing Director, Hannover ReTakaful
Reinsurer of the Year
It is a tremendous honour for us to be awarded the inaugural Reinsurer of the Year Award. This industry-wide recognition encourages us to work even harder to improve upon what we have built all along in terms of commitment to our regional markets and value added to our stakeholders. For many years, Arig has strived to develop the industry regionally, not just locally. Our vision for the MENA insurance industry is to become strong, vibrant, innovative and supporting the underlying economic development of the region. We will work hard and continue to pursue products, services and innovation. To achieve this, we must rely on the expertise of our staff, market knowledge, sound corporate governance practices and robust risk management practices. I would like to celebrate this victory by dedicating this award to the employees of Arig (past and present), our board of directors and all our business partners.
Mr Yassir Albaharna,
CEO, Arig