Forging a healthy path forward
In it for the long haul
Awards Special
7th Middle East Insurance Industry Awards highlight sector's resilience amidst tumultuous times
Kuwait
Laying the groundwork for a more sustainable market
Market in transition
Talent
Towards a digitally-ready workforce
Succession planning key to achieving longevity
Pensions
Saving for retirement in the evolving pensions landscape
Plugging the UAE savings gap
Telehealth and the bottom line
Cyber
Is your data updated?
Bancassurance
Bancassurance: Can both sides win?
New regulations shape the future of bancassurance
MENA: COVID-19 accelerates change in the reinsurance market
MENA
MENA: Reinsurers to hike premium rates next year
GCC: Counterparties' tightening liquidity poses hurdle to insurers' recovery of receivables
GCC: Oman will be first to impose personal income tax
Bahrain: Insurers invest in health insurance claims management firm
Egypt: Council of Ministers approves draft insurance law
Egypt: Motor committee lays groundwork to ensure proper technical underwriting
Lebanon: Fears arise over possible lapses in reinsurance cover
Lebanon: GlobeMed partners with university to launch diploma programme
Morocco: Regulator to promote financial inclusion and innovation in digital drive
Morocco: Reinsurance business outpaces direct insurance in 1H
Oman: Dhamani platform links patients' insurance and medical records
Saudi Arabia: Better pricing dynamics improve operating environment for reinsurer
Saudi Arabia: Localisation ratio edges up in sector
Turkey: Insurers' ratings under pressure
Turkey: COVID-19 spurs more people into saving money
UAE: Almost all insurers are engaged in price undercutting
UAE: More than 50% of residents avoid hospital visits due to COVID-19
Global
COVID-19 accelerates health insurance industry change
Lloyd's sees higher pandemic losses than estimated
Top 10 insurance markets will get hammered in 2021
UK: Survey reveals the real cost of mental health
Global output decline of $12tn too big for insurers
Takaful
Bahrain: Solidarity plans second merger in 3 years
Indonesia: Takaful operators eye international-scale shariah insurance operations
Malaysia: Takaful market resilient in face of COVID-19
Saudi Arabia: Merger of Gulf Union and Al Ahlia Cooperative Insurance takes shape
Saudi Arabia: 2 insurers sign MoU to study potential merger
UAE: Bank to sell stake in 2 insurers to Orient Insurance
Product bites
People on the move
COUNTRY PROFILE - Kuwait
Buy Now
FEATURE - Talent
Insurers will need to adapt to the changing workforce dynamics as the shift to integrating new, innovative technologies within their business accelerates in an increasingly automated world.
FEATURE - Pensions
The pandemic has further reinforced the need for new, flexible ways to help expatriate employees save for the future – rather than just rely on end-of-service gratuities, says Ms Reena Vivek of Zurich Workplace Solutions.
INSIGHTS - Cyber
As the shift to digitalisation accelerates, data hygiene is imperative and must remain high on the list of priorities for all business sectors, says Mr Justin Whelan of HFW.
We end 2020 still harangued by COVID-19 even as some markets enter the third or fourth wave of the virus. We hear the jingling of more than three vaccines sleighing in with more than 90% relief and protection.
Cigna CEO – MEA and SEA Jerome Droesch discusses building synergies between the two regions in his new portfolio and the importance of understanding the changing market needs, enhancing operational efficiency and adjusting to the COVID-19...
Düsseldorf-based Deutsche Rueck AG is all set to enter the Middle East markets, focusing primarily on traditional property and casualty reinsurance business. Head of Middle Eastern markets Tarik Aouad explains the company’s plans in the...
This year’s award winners proved their mettle and commitment to the sector despite the ongoing global health crisis.
The COVID-19 crisis adds pressure on the already fractured insurance sector in Kuwait, but the establishment of a specialised regulatory body to deal with the market’s thorny issues and set new laws offers a glimmer of hope for the future of...
The regulatory overhaul in the Kuwaiti insurance market will help improve the standards of the sector, which remains full of potential backed by the country’s strong fundamentals and low penetration rate, says Ms Emily Thompson of AM Best.
A ready talent pipeline is especially crucial in the broking community where internal continuity will help maintain and strengthen relationships and potentially foster even greater levels of trust, says Mrs Yolla El Khoury of ACE Holding.
Recent reforms in end-of-service benefits for the region’s expatriate workforce offer employers a number of options to attract and retain talent, say Ms Ashika Tailor and Mr Michael Brough of Willis Towers Watson.
With employers under increasing pressure to find cost-effective healthcare solutions, telehealth is becoming an invaluable benefit for UAE organisations, says Mr Joe Hawayek of vHealth.
The answer is yes, says Mr Addal Sarwar of RSA, but we need to be digital.
Mr Simon Isgar of BSA looks at insurance distribution channels in the UAE life market and the possible changes ahead.
Reinsurance rates have been hardening in the last two years but the COVID-19 pandemic and challenging geopolitical conditions have accelerated change in the market, said speakers at a webinar on reinsurance organised by the General Arab Insurance...
Reinsurance companies will reduce their capacity in addition to increasing premium rates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, said media reports citing Jordan-headquartered Apex Reinsurance Brokers CEO Zuhair Al Atout.
Insurers in the GCC countries are exposed to substantial levels of receivables, putting them at risk of increased provisioning and exacerbating pressure on their profitability, said Moody’s Investors Service in a report.
Oman is set to become the first country in the GCC to introduce an income tax on individuals to reduce a growing fiscal deficit.