From Editor-in-Chief

Interview with regulator - Stepping up as a "watchdog"

Lebanon's insurance regulator has been proactively stepping up its supervision beyond set perimeters and even collaborating with other ministries. Read our exclusive interview with Commissioner Walid Genadry.

Is "life" resilient to muted economic progress in Lebanon?

Messrs Mazen Abouchakra and Elie Daaboul of Gen Re assess the performance of Lebanon's life insurance market and provide an outlook based on recent market and regulatory developments.

Political violence insurance - Political risk and political violence in MENA Business as usual

Mr Crispin Hodges of Beazley takes stock of recent political developments in the MENA region and looks at the preparedness of the insurance market in dealing with these risks.

Political violence insurance - Hitting the mark in political violence

Political risk and political violence insurance should not be seen as just another source of premium income, as these covers often need customised solutions, says Ms Magda Pastalatzi of Fenchurch Faris.

Does the Arab world need more reinsurance capacity?

Reinsurers in the Arab world need to look at ways of creating value and growing through alternative measures besides raising the level of capacity, says Ms Basma Barakat of Arab Re.

Aviation - Flying high: Outlook for Middle East aviation

Mr Vinodh Ramani of Frost & Sullivan looks at how the Middle East aviation industry is taking off, and the opportunities and challenges this presents to insurance providers.

Sudan: Unlocking the doors to success

Sudan's takaful industry is endeavouring to overcome the country's economic and political challenges by responding innovatively to the community's needs, while preserving the ethical values of takaful.

Sudan: A look from the outside - Taking takaful to the next stage

Takaful in the US: Prospects and possibilities

The First Amendment to the US Constitution may hinder the successful introduction of takaful in the US, but products could take off if marketed properly, says Ms Camille Paldi of the Franco-American Alliance for Islamic Finance (FAAIF).

Conference report: World Takaful Conference - Grappling with the fundamentals

Standardising takaful regulations, adopting prudent Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and setting the right pricing mechanisms were among key issues discussed at the 9th World Takaful Conference (WTC) in Dubai, where operators met to debate ways of...

A more regulated future in the UAE for bancassurance

Insurance policy marketing via banks, or bancassurance as it is known in other countries, is an important part of the UAE's insurance market, but has been largely unregulated to date. Ms Susan Dingwall and Mr Steven Hadwin of Norton Rose Fulbright...

A decade of growth in the Middle East

In 2014, Friends Provident International celebrates 10 years of operating in the Middle East. Mr Matthew Waterfield of Friends Provident International looks at how the business has grown to the full branch office that it has become today.

MENA: US$2.5 tln in construction projects underway

The MENA region currently has US$2.5 trillion worth of projects underway, with 87% of this total in the GCC, according to a Citi Research report. Saudi Arabia and the UAE together account for almost 60% of the total.

MENA: Droughts expected to worsen

The Middle East faced its driest winter in decades, prompting authorities to prepare to officially declare states of drought that are spreading beyond the Eastern Middle East to Morocco and as far south as Yemen, reported Reuters.

GCC: Higher employment growth and salary rises expected this year

More companies in the GCC are expecting to hire staff this year compared to last year, with Qatar leading the pack. At the same time, private-sector salaries in the region will rise at a faster pace compared to 2013 for most of the countries, said a...

Global: Energy insurance capacity at highest level this century

Theoretical insurance capacities in both the upstream and downstream oil and gas insurance markets have increased to the highest levels seen this century, according to a report by Willis.

Bahrain: Takaful International records 12% growth

Takaful International's gross takaful contributions increased 12% last year to BHD20.3 million (US$53.8 million).

Malaysia: Etiqa Takaful to raise US$93 mln with sukuk

Etiqa Takaful intends to issue a sukuk to raise MYR300 million (US$93.2 million), said credit rating agency RAM Ratings.

Malaysia: Manulife eyes takaful market

Manulife Holdings Bhd, a member of Canada-based Manulife Financial, wants to enter Malaysia's takaful market, said Group CEO Mark O'Dell.

Takaful business grows 12% to US$11 bln

The takaful business grew by 12% to US$10.8 billion in 2012, figures compiled by the latest World Islamic Insurance Directory (WIID) have estimated.

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