Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa achieved exceptional performance in 2024, delivering 28% growth in top-line revenue and a remarkable 233% increase in earnings while maintaining strong client satisfaction across all product and service lines. This growth reflected strategic regional expansion, product transformation, and a sustained commitment to connected, purpose-led care experiences.
A significant leadership milestone occurred with Leah Cotterill’s appointment as CEO for Cigna Healthcare MEA (excluding KSA), becoming the first woman to lead an international health insurer in the UAE. This appointment reinforced the organisation’s focus on inclusive leadership and strengthened regional alignment.
SmartCare by Cigna, the UAE’s first open-access health insurance solution launched in 2021, underwent comprehensive optimisation in 2024. The reimagined product features enhanced portfolio-level analytics, improved claims adjudication, and a substantially upgraded digital experience through the SmartCare app. Key features include UAE Pass integration, smart provider search, appointment booking, in-app claims submission, and telehealth consultations with e-prescriptions.
In Saudi Arabia, Cigna Insurance launched ClassicCare, a locally-tailored healthcare plan reflecting regulatory excellence and deep market understanding. The Saudi operation expanded to 71 team members, relocated to a state-of-the-art Riyadh facility, acquired 65 new clients, and renewed over 160 clients while maintaining a persistence rate above 90%. This growth aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s private sector development goals.
Africa witnessed transformative growth as Cigna shifted from commercial support to full-service healthcare operations. The regional team expanded from 85 to 408 employees, now anchored in Kenya and serving the continent from within. The operation expanded to 10 local insurance partners and launched localised claims, customer support, and clinical services, with a workforce representing over 60 languages.
Community engagement remained central to Cigna’s mission. The Cigna Run & Fitness series attracted over 12,000 registrations across the UAE, while Connect for Health webinars provided free expert-led health education throughout the year. The Employee Benefits Plan roadshow in Dubai reached over 800 low-income and blue-collar workers, providing wellness checks, medical consultations, and multilingual support to enhance benefit literacy and healthcare access.
The 2024 Cigna International Health Study, launched in UAE and Kenya, provided detailed insights into employee well-being across five domains, informing strategic discussions with CEO and HR leaders throughout the region and positioning employee health as a strategic organisational lever. M