The road to Damascus
Syria
As Syria is reborn, insurers hope to follow
The place for (re)insurance in the new Syria
Syria's insurance sector mirrors systemic collapse
Insurance: Syria's hopes for post-Assad recovery
Industry challenges for 2025
Challenges and opportunities in Egyptian insurance 2025
Adapt, innovate and thrive
Capacity, pricing and commissions will dominate renewal discussions
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
Jordan
Jordan insurance market would benefit from M&A
Medical insurance surges amid rising costs
Geopolitics casts shadow on insurance sector
Emerging focus on ESG worries insurance broker clients
Proactive approach to building confidence and trust
Reinsurance: Local expertise, global vision
Jordan takaful market expands with new entrant
Yemen
Health insurance shines in turbulent Yemeni market
Yemen insurance growth in time of turmoil
General
Marine insurance and decarbonisation framework
Insurers tackle new risks and shipping challenges
New marine risks in cyber space and shipping lanes
New UAE insurance broking regulations
View from India - India rolls out the red carpet to foreign players
Growth opportunities abound for smart insurance brokers
Nat CAT an increasing concern among cedants
Reinsurance: A need for collaboration
Climate and awareness to shape insurance growth
Saudi Arabia headlining GCC insurance M&A
Nineteen winners centre stage at the 11th Middle East Insurance Industry Awards
Middle East Insurance Industry Awards winners' insights
MENA
MENA: MoU to boost financial sector in Morocco and Qatar
MENA: HDI Global launches its Middle East operations
Algeria: Algeria aims for prominent role in trade insurance in Africa and Arab-Muslim world
Algeria: Government to bar use of cash for mandatory insurance premium payments
Bahrain: Medical liability insurance law set to be amended
Bahrain: Lawmakers push for compulsory health insurance for visitors
Egypt: Claims growth exceeds premium increase from 1Q to 3Q 2024
Jordan: Central bank issues draft insurance bill
Jordan: United Nations Development Programme signs MoU with insurance federation
Morocco: ACAPS strengthens its role in international insurance bodies
Saudi Arabia: Insurers must maintain underwriting discipline in 2025
UAE: Medical costs projected to jump by 11.5% in 2025
UAE: Cyber threats rise sharply in 2024, expected to worsen with new technologies
Global
Global: IAIS adopts Insurance Capital Standard to promote resilient insurance sector
Global: Climate change commands over a third of insured weather-losses this century and rising
Global: Politics, innovation to influence insurance sector's fate
Takaful
Egypt: Takaful contributions grew by 36% in 3Q2024
Nigeria: Promising prospects for nascent takaful market
Pakistan: Province to launch takaful provider to run govt-funded life insurance scheme
Saudi Arabia: ICIEC signs strategic reinsurance agreements to boost global trade
UAE: ADNTC preserves A- Excellent rating
Uzbekistan: United Nations Development Programme creating new avenues for takaful
Product bites
People on the move
SPECIAL FOCUS - Syria
MARKET PROFILE - Jordan
Jordan’s market has had to face a complex array of risks in 2024. APEX’s Ms Hanadi Suyyagh says local expertise is being primed to address these challenges by developing bespoke solutions that cater to diverse risk profiles.
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INSURANCE - General
The Middle East has long presented insurers with geopolitical complexities, but recent developments have queered the pitch even further. GIG Gulf’s Mr Cenk Bilgin explained how marine insurers are making sense of escalating conflicts and...
The events that are unfolding in Syria could prove to be the basis for a significant boost to the insurance sector in the country – but it will require something of a Damascene conversion from the old to the new to make this happen.
The recent upheaval in Syria is clearly a significant event for all in this strategically-vital country – as well as for those bordering it, including Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon. But what does it mean for the insurance sector?
An unanticipated putsch in Syria is being viewed as a means to effect positive transformation in a war-riddled nation. The regime change is unlikely to alter the risk environment in the broader region substantially and could create opportunities for...
The devasting impact of Syria’s 13-year conflict and sanctions on its economy have become evident from the dramatic implosion of its insurance market. Karam Shaar Advisory’s Mr Benjamin Fève compares the Syrian insurance sector...
The global insurance and reinsurance market continues to face significant hurdles, driven by three primary risks: Climate change, geopolitical tensions and cyber attacks. These challenges are reshaping the industry, compelling insurers to adopt...
The biggest issues that may face the Egyptian insurance industry in 2025 are identified and analysed by GIG Egypt’s Mr Alaa El-Zoheiry.
The Middle East insurance sector in 2025 will be defined by technological innovation, emerging risks and the urgency of climate resilience, says Liva Insurance Oman’s Ms Hanaa Al Hinai.
Although the sector continues to grow in Jordan, non-traditional and life insurance lines remain underdeveloped, commanding a modest share of the pie. Motor and medical insurance lines continue to dominate the market portfolio, but claims are...
Jordan’s life and health insurance sector was shaped by several significant factors in 2024, including regulatory changes, market growth and technological advancements. However, constraints such as unemployment and economic instability...
Regional geopolitical challenges have slowed the Jordanian economy, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting GDP will dip to 2.5% in 2025, from the 2.7% recorded in 2023. We examine how the general insurance market fared.
Conflict, economic hardship and regulatory reform continue to weigh on Yemen’s insurance sector. Yet, pockets of resilience - particularly in medical insurance - are emerging, offering cause for optimism. United Insurance Company’s Mr...
Despite risks in Yemen’s operating environment, which includes geopolitical tensions, high inflation and rising costs, the overall picture of the insurance industry is one of confidence and growth, according to Yemeni Qatari Insurance’s...
Marine and hull insurance are integral to the global maritime industry, providing risk management that underpins international trade and economic stability. We examine the role of the Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance which have emerged as a...
As armed insurgents threaten global shipping and maritime lanes and cyber interference rears its head, marine insurers are scrambling to keep pace. Insurwave’s Mr Stefan Schrijnen details how technology and data-driven solutions are informing...
Tales of insurance M&A deals often focus on synergies. The synergies arising from the AUB Group’s acquisition of Tysers are plain to see, say Messrs Mike Emmett and Tom Wilson. Middle East Insurance Review spoke to them to find out what...
As awareness of climate-related risks grows due to weather events, demand for Nat CAT cover is rising, Misr Emirates Takaful Life Insurance - SALAMA’s Mr Mohamed Hussien told Middle East Insurance Review.
The insurance market in the GCC has expanded considerably in the past few years and is expected to maintain its growth in the foreseeable future. However, weather-related risks and geopolitical tensions continue to plague the market, reinforcing the...
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is driving transformation in the kingdom’s insurance sector, with rising demand for health, life, property and niche project-specific coverage. While infrastructure expansion and private sector growth create...
The GCC, led by Saudi Arabia, is experiencing an active phase of M&A activity as its insurance markets enter a period of substantial consolidation. Moody’s Ratings’ Mr Mohammed Ali Riyazuddin Londe weighs in on how this is...
The winners of the 11th Middle East Insurance Industry Awards were the cream of the crop, selected by a high-powered 20-member judging panel who chose from 150 entries representing the region’s top insurers.
The 11th Middle East Insurance Industry Awards honoured 19 winners on 27 November 2024 in a ceremony at Atlantis the Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We spoke to the awardees to find out what the accolade means to them.
Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA), the legal and tax arm of the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Casablanca Finance City Authority, the managing entity of Casablanca Finance City in Morocco.
On 15 October, HDI Global inaugurated its new office in Dubai, marking an exciting milestone for the company’s expansion into the Middle East.
Algeria aspires to become a major player in facilitating and ensuring trade in Africa and the Arab-Muslim world to support initiatives promoting fair and dynamic international trade, said finance minister Laaziz Faid, in a report by Algeria Press...