Saudi Arabia: Call for locals to fill top ranks in health insurance sector
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Dec 2016
The Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) has unveiled a plan for Saudisation of jobs in the sector to fill leadership positions and groom local cadres.
Mr Mohammed bin Salman Al-Husseini, CCHI Secretary General, said that as the health sector represents 50% of the total insurance market, the Council seeks to localise leadership in the sector, reported Aleqt.
Mr Al-Husseini said that medical insurance premiums amounted to SAR10 billion (US$2.7 billion) for the first half of this year and could grow to SAR18 billion by the end of the year. The number of people with health insurance in the Kingdom stands at 12 million or around 40% of the total population. There are 27 insurance companies licensed to offer health cover in the Kingdom.
Mr Ayman Al-Senussi, a human resources specialist, said that there is an absence of Saudis in the top management ranks of the insurance sector despite the fact that insurance is one of the most important sectors of the economy.
He said: “Unfortunately, many insurance companies dispense with local cadres to reduce salaries.” He stressed the need to require insurance companies to train Saudis for leadership positions.
A human resources executive said that the localisation of jobs in the insurance industry would not be achieved merely by applying controls, but should be based on qualifications and experience. Time must be given for the transfer of expertise in localising jobs in the industry.
SAR1 = US$0.27