Officially 20!
News Snippets
From Hormuz to Singapore: How insurance markets and economies are absorbing ME geopolitics
ME conflict creates uneven risks for GCC corporate sectors
Appetite for property risk unaltered despite ongoing ME conflict
Saudi Arabia: GDP growth projected to slow to 1.7% in 2026 amid regional headwinds, per IMF
AI surge offsets ME energy drag as Singapore economy expands 6% in 1H2026
LMA excludes indemnity for Hormuz Strait transit fees amid sanctions concerns
GIC Re upbeat on opportunities in MENA region
Life reinsurance market at an inflection point
Market discipline to drive 1/1 aviation renewals amidst ME conflict
Climate shift prompts market-wide reassessment of Middle East disaster risks
ME cyber insurance market to continue to grow as buyer base expands
The next competitive advantage for (re)insurers in the Middle East: data capabilities, not capital
Beyond growth: Building sustainable MGA platforms in the Middle East
Building capacity for the world's mega projects
Soft pricing masks realities of the Middle East energy insurance market
Cyber insurance expands in GCC as resilience takes centre stage
Takaful on a growth trajectory in Turkiye
Middle East insurers shift beyond claim payouts to risk intelligence
The next port of call for India's maritime industry is a P&I Club
AXA Gulf acquisition transforms GIG from mere regional contender to unified MENA powerhouse
MENA
GCC: Population size estimated at over 62m in 2025
Middle East: AXA XL posts US$115m loss in 1H2026 for the region
MEA & India: Insurance rates fall across all lines in 2Q2026
Egypt: Qatari-controlled bank to establish non-life insurer
Jordan: Insurance Federation builds digital platform for motor underwriting
Kuwait Re maintains profitability through robust reserving and disciplined risk selection
Morocco: Insurance industry records strong 21.4% rise in net income in 2025
Morocco: Competition Council advocates motor insurance pricing reform
Oman: Insurance market reports topline expansion but softer profits in 1H2026
Oman Re reports 49% growth in 1H net profit to US$8.6m
Qatar: Central bank highlights strong 2025 profitability in insurance sector
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Re's 2Q profit soars by 118%, lifting 1H earnings
Saudi Arabia: Higher claims pressure Tawuniya's interim results
Tunisia: Reinsurer sees modest first-half growth in premiums in tough environment
Turkiye: First rules issued for loss investigators
UAE: Orient posts strong financial results for 1H2026
UAE: Miller and Shields combined unit to be rebranded Shields Miller on completion of acquisition
Global
Willis Re launches global life reinsurance practice
70% of insurers report dramatic rise in violent luxury watch thefts
El Nino could add to credit pressures for weaker sovereigns and some corporate sectors
Insurers face Nat CAT losses in 1H2026 consistent with the 21st-century average
Takaful
Egypt: Takaful operations fuel insurance industry growth
Indonesia: Hajj Ministry and Shariah insurers collaborate on pilgrimage insurance eco-system
Indonesia: Takaful insurers see investment returns turn negative in 1Q amid market weakness
Kyrgyzstan: President signs amended home insurance law introducing takaful
Malaysia leads global sukuk issuance in 1H2026
Pakistan: Regulator grants general insurer the nod for takaful window operations
Palestine: Takaful company launches IPO
Qatar: Al Khaleej Takaful posts higher first-half profit on stronger underwriting and investment income
Turkiye: Takaful market reports 13.6% real growth in contributions in 1H
Uganda: Pioneer takaful operator receives Shariah certification
Products and Alliances
People on the move
SPECIALTY INSURANCE
REINSURANCE
The Middle East life reinsurance market is evolving as insurers shift towards protection-focused business models, while reinsurers expand their role beyond risk capacity to support product innovation, underwriting and portfolio management. Trust...
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In an exclusive interview with Middle East Insurance Review, GIC Re’s Chairman-cum-Managing Director Mr Hitesh Joshi explains why the region, despite the current geopolitical challenges, remains vital to the reinsurer’s growth strategy.
In September 2006, the first issue of Middle East Insurance Review (MEIR) was launched, becoming the voice of the insurance sector in the Arab world and an intellectual platform for insurance professionals at every level.
The continued geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran have become a systemic risk event for the insurance and reinsurance sectors.
Corporate sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are unevenly exposed to Middle East war risks that are shifting from immediate operational disruption to prolonged uncertainty that could weaken confidence, delay investment, and slow the...
In the property insurance market, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East has been primarily felt through supply chain disruption and project delays, particularly in the construction sector, according to Africa Specialty Risks (ASR) Senior...
Airspace closures, fuel price volatility and aviation risk not limited to aircraft in flight are just some issues reinsurers will face as 1/1 renewals draw closer. Despite these pressures, renewals will still depend on the fundamentals: reinsurer...
Multilateral credit insurers are converting complex sovereign, trade, and mega-project exposures into viable, pre-underwritten risks for the global specialty reinsurance market, says Dr Khalid Khalafalla, CEO of The Islamic Corporation for the...
In the wake of continued geopolitical tensions and reignited military strikes in the Middle East, a distinction between classes of business has emerged. The marine, aviation, war and political violence branches have seen a clear reassessment of both...
Digital transformation, tighter regulatory requirements and rising cyber awareness are driving demand for cyber insurance beyond the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with SMEs increasingly turning to cyber insurance. Despite the increasingly complex threat...
Participation insurance (takaful) in Turkiye has maintained strong steady growth in recent years, driven by increasing customer demand and regulatory developments that have strengthened its institutional foundation, says Neova Sigorta CEO, Mrs...
The insurance industry in the Middle East is confronting a new era of systemic risk driven by geopolitical tensions, climate volatility and rapid technological transformation. As these forces converge, insurers and reinsurers are evolving into...
With a marine insurance pool already in operation and functioning successfully in India, the next move for the country’s maritime industry would be the establishment of a P&I Club.
In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Middle East Insurance Review, we bring you retrospective stories highlighting, each month, a momentous event from the past two decades that has shaped the MENA risk landscape. In our ninth retrospective...
The total population of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is estimated at 62.8m in 2025, with an average annual growth of 3.5%, according to the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat). GCC states accounted for around 0.8% of the world’s...
AXA XL, the P&C and specialty risk division of Paris-headquartered AXA Group, has reported a EUR100m ($115.4m) loss related to the Middle East for the first half of this year.
Composite insurance rates in the second quarter of this year decreased 16% in India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region, the biggest fall across all regions analysed, according to Marsh, the global leading insurance broker.