From Editor-in-Chief
Getting ready for an exciting chapter
Sowing the seeds for sustainable growth
New association hopes to make its mark quickly
Oman Re calls on insurers to improve standards
Pensions & Retirement Planning: Building the retirement nest
Pensions & Retirement Planning: Public pensions in MENA: A dangerous situation
Pensions & Retirement Planning: Taking responsibility for a comfortable retirement
Pensions & Retirement Planning: Meeting the pensions challenge through fiduciary management
Palestine: Need for a stronger regulatory role
Claims: Achieving efficiency through e-claims
Claims: Improving motor profits through claims management
Innovation: Innovating through the cloud
Innovation: New choices for motor insurers
Focus on sustainable Development: Is there a need for a green fund?
Health: Promoting sustainable health insurance
Health: Finding panaceas for health
Market Update: Earthquake in Lebanon and lessons for stakeholders
Takaful Review 2012: Easing inherent tensions in the takaful model
Gambia: Spearheading takaful in Gambia
MENA: Oil importers and exporters on different growth tracks – IMF
Mena & GCC: High-growth SAAME markets spawn rising demand for wealth protection
Mena & GCC: Maghreb: Impact Forecasting launches earthquake models
Bahrain: Arig achieves profit in 9M12
Bahrain: Trust Re posts 6% growth in 9M12
Iran inks insurance agreement with Afghanistan
Jordan: IC to be scrapped amid government austerity measures
Kuwait: Warba Insurance’s profit soars 80% to US$4.5 mln in 9M12
MIGA insures Libyan beverage and harissa plant
Oman: ONIC returns to profit on insurance growth
Qatar: QFC enacts special company and single family office regulations
Qatar: QIC premiums up 11% to US$599 mln in 9M12
Qatar: Energy and medical premiums boost Al Koot’s growth
Tunisia’s insurance sector on the road to recovery – Tunis Re
UAE: Financial activities contribute to 4.9% of Abu Dhabi’s GDP in 2011
UAE: Community Development Authority forms health insurance team
UAE: RSA launches reinsurance arm in DIFC
New UAE legislation to increase exposure for directors
UAE: ADNIC partners with MSH International
Insured losses from Sandy may hit US$25 bln
Over 70% of workers worldwide lack unemployment insurance – ILO
Egypt: Islamic finance association to create list of Shariah-compliant stocks
Hong Kong gets ready to be Islamic finance conduit in Greater China
Libya Insurance aims to become takaful operator
Takaful Malaysia aims to hire 1,000 agents by end-FY12
Malaysia: Great Eastern Takaful launches term product
Malaysia: Takaful scheme for rice crops may be expanded
Malaysia: AMMB moves to repurchase stake in JV
Malaysia: PruBSN’s 1H new business sales up 23%
Oman to amend tax laws to level Islamic playing field
Real estate firm to issue Oman’s maiden sukuk
Saudi Arabia: Property & engineering rates decline 10%
Saudi Arabia: ICEIC signs MoU with bank to support SMEs
Saudi Arabia: AXA sees slight growth in premiums in 3Q
Saudi Arabia: Al Rajhi Takaful returns to profit in 3Q
UAE: ADIB raises US$1 bln in world’s first perpetual sukuk
UAE: Abu Dhabi Nat’l Takaful profits up 10% in 9M12
Room for co-operation between takaful and conventional insurers – EAIC
IFSB releases draft guidelines on risk management for takaful
RGA celebrates MENA presence
Tackling bread and butter issues
Diary of Events
People on the Move
The ageing problem is brewing in the MENA region, with public pensions under stress. There are opportunities in the air, including outsourcing of pension schemes and special solutions for expats. Our Cover Story looks the current state of affairs as well as the future ahead.
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Generous benefit provisions and inefficient investment policies may see many public social pension schemes in MENA going into the red soon, says Dr Markus Loewe of the German Development Institute.
Long-term unit-linked regular savings plans are among the options available to expatriates wanting to secure their financial future. Mr Omar Shelbaya of Friends Provident International looks at the benefits of such plans, and what investors should look out for.
Outsourcing the day-to-day management of a pension scheme to a lead manager could help overcome the pensions challenge in the Middle East, says Mr Jahangir Aka of SEI Investments (Middle East).