The aggregate value of M&A deals in the region increased 42% to reach US$44.8 billion in 2012 compared to $31.6 billion a year earlier, according to figures compiled by Ernst & Young.
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Foreign investors face greater expropriation risks in countries across the MENA region attempting to drive regime changes, Marsh and Maplecroft said in a jointly released Political Risk Map 2013.
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Health benefits - medical insurance, dental and vision - top the lists of benefits offered by employers in the Middle East and around the world, said Mercer in a survey.
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The need to comply with government cyber legislations has further encouraged businesses to implement network security solutions, fuelling the market's growth in the region, said Frost & Sullivan.
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Gross premiums increased by around 9% y-o-y to BHD184.11 million (US$488.3 million) by the end of September 2012, said the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).
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Bahrain has set up a Supreme Council for Health as part of its efforts to develop a national health strategy and monitor the development and application of quality standards for health services, said media reports.
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Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company (BKIC) posted a slight increase in net profit by 1.4% y-o-y to BHD4.21 million (US$11.2 million) in 2012. Its fourth-quarter net profit amounted to BHD1.11 million, compared with BHD0.68 million for the same period in 2011, due to the reduction in provisions for impairment of investments made during the last quarter.
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rab Insurance Group (Arig) has reported a full-year net profit of US$15.3 million for 2012, compared with a net loss of $19.1 million in 2011. It said its reinsurance book and investment income both contributed to the rebound.
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Allianz Egypt has denied rumours about planning to exit the Egyptian market, said market reports. On the contrary, the insurer intends to expand in the country despite the political and economic situation.
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A second domestic insurer will start providing protection & indemnity (P&I) coverage for tankers carrying Iranian crude from mid-March, according to a senior official at supervisory body Bimeh Markazi.
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A plan to float the prices of compulsory third-party liability (TPL) car insurance in Jordan has been postponed for two months by the Jordan Insurance Federation (JOIF) and the Insurance Commission, said the Jordan Times.
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Scrapping the Insurance Commission of Jordan (IC) is now no longer part of the government's restructuring plans as previously announced, and the IC will remain as the regulatory and supervisory body for Jordan's insurance industry, Minister of Public Sector Development, Dr Khleef Al Khawaldeh told Middle East Insurance Review in an interview.
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Oman Investment Fund (OIF) is in advanced talks to buy Dubai Group's near 42% stake in Oman National Investment Corp Holding (ONIC) from a unit of Dubai's ruler's personal investment firm, said media reports citing sources familiar with the matter. The stake is estimated to be worth US$59 million.
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Doha Insurance Company (DIC) posted a net profit of QAR60.3 million (US$16.6 million) in 2012, down 8.4% y-o-y, due to lower core income and higher total expenses.
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The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has organised a training session for healthcare providers on a formalised coding structure for the system in Qatar, as part of its plans to launch the National Health Insurance Scheme, said media reports.
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Emirates Insurance Company (EIC) saw its gross premium income grew slightly by 0.3% y-o-y to AED645 million (US$175.6 million) in 2012. Net earned premium increased by 3.8% to AED244 million mainly due to an increase in motor business and the contribution by its new International Division.
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Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) has signed an exclusive partnership with the Society of Engineers - UAE (SoE), a semi-government sector and a non-profit organisation with around 29,000 members, to provide tailor-made insurance solutions for engineers within various industries.
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NBAD Trust Company (Jersey) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), has launched a new Wealth Builder Plan, which allows employers to offer their expatriate staff greater rewards through corporate savings and pension schemes.
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A new unified pricing system that has lowered the prices of over 6,000 medications by up to 40% is expected to affect medical insurance premiums, according to media reports citing a senior official from the UAE Ministry of Health.
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Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of Dubai's Department of Economic Development, facilitated AED5 billion (US$1.4 billion) worth of exports through local firms and factories last year, against AED3 billion in 2011. It concluded 92 deals in 2012, up 119% y-o-y.
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