BENEFIT has signed a strategic partnership with Zphin, the technology arm of PB Fintech, to develop an online platform for consumer lending, car insurance, credit cards and travel insurance, leveraging open banking infrastructure.
AXA Life Insurance Egypt, a subsidiary of France’s AXA Group, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Post for Investment (PIF), the investment arm of Egypt Post, to establish a microinsurance company under the new Unified Insurance Law. Supporting regulations are being worked out by the authorities.
The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has directed insurance companies to apply Egyptian Accounting Standard (EAS) No 50 on insurance contracts, starting with financial statements, for the year 2025.
The Ministry of Health’s decision to suspend a health insurance scheme for retired citizens and housewives has raised questions over its potential revival.
The Competition Council (CC) has pointed out major structural challenges facing the insurance market and other important sectors of the economy, stressing the urgent need to promote genuine competition.
Specialty MGA Africa & Middle East, a new provider of bespoke (re)insurance solutions, has set up its first representative office in the region in Casablanca, with approval from the Moroccan minister of finance.
Financial Services Authority (FSA) chairman Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Saqr has approved a regulation on co-insurance in the health insurance branch.
Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance has received approval from the Capital Market Authority to raise SAR150m ($40m) in additional capital through a rights issue.
Direct insurance companies in Tunisia recorded a strong showing in turnover for the first half of 2024, according to figures published by the General Insurance Committee.
Tunis Re is moving towards a structured and ethical ESG approach, according to Tunis Re head of technical division Mustapha Kotrane.
Dubai National Insurance (DNI) is celebrating three years of working together with the UAE Cycling Federation.
The Central Bank of the UAE has issued its new ‘Insurance Brokerage Regulation 2024’ that will take effect on 15 February 2025. This includes several new provisions to improve governance in areas like claims settlements, brokers’ remuneration and the collection of premiums.
Fitch Ratings has assigned UAE-based Union Insurance Company a first-time insurer financial strength (IFS) rating of ‘BBB’ with a positive outlook.
Watania International Holding (WIH), an investment and sole shareholder of Watania Takaful General (WTG) and Watania Takaful Family (WTF), has signed an agreement with Solution BI Middle East to deliver a new centralised data and business intelligence (BI) platform.
Orient Insurance, the biggest insurer in the UAE, has confirmed plans to expand into Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Australia.
Africa Specialty Risks (ASR), the pan-African and Middle East focused (re)insurance group, has announced that its UK-based entity is operating as a Lloyd’s service company, underwriting on behalf of ASR Syndicate 2454.
Reinsurers domiciled in MENA continued to benefit from positive pricing momentum over the recent renewal periods, albeit to a lesser extent than the global reinsurance market, according to a new report from AM Best.
Global
Global reinsurers will feel the impact of hurricane Milton, S&P Global Ratings (S&P) has said but it does not foresee Milton overstepping the sector’s annual catastrophe budgets. In aggregate, earnings assumptions for reinsurers should remain intact, the global credit rating agency said in an October report.
Lloyd’s last month published a scenario that reveals the global economy could be exposed to losses of $14.5tn over a five-year period from the threat of a hypothetical geopolitical conflict causing widespread disruption to global trade patterns and supply chains.
Takaful
The UNDP is working with partners to create the Global Takaful Alliance, the largest partnership of its kind, according to a statement posted on the website of the UNDP Insurance & Risk Finance Facility.
Takaful is experiencing fast growth in Algeria through an enabling legislative and regulatory framework. As the sector grows, it is likely that new players will enter the market, driving competition and innovation.
Takaful gross contributions have grown by 22.6% to EGP5.23bn ($107.5mn) in the first half of this year, against EGP4.26bn in the same period of the past year, outpacing the market overall growth rate of 22.1% and the conventional players’ 22% growth rate, according to the latest figures issued by the Financial Regulatory Authority.