What are the New Risks & Opportunities
in the Middle East Insurance Markets?

With competition in the regional insurance industry stiffening and profitability under pressure, more leading companies are gearing to attend the 6th Annual Middle East Insurance Forum (MEIF 2010), the region's largest and most influential annual platform for the international and regional insurance industry.



A panel of leading industry figures will provide new insights into the future trajectory of the regional insurance markets. Confirmed speakers for the Keynote Plenary Session at MEIF 2010 include: Ashraf Bseisu, Chairman of the Bahrain Insurance Association and President of the General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF); Jean-Louis Laurent Josi, CEO - Gulf & Middle East for AXA Insurance (Gulf) B.S.C.(c); André Arrago, Chairman of Hannover Retakaful; and Robert Peilow, the Managing Director of Strategic Account Solutions Middle East for Willis Limited.

Key Discussion Points will include:

  • Lessons from the global financial crisis: What can regulators do to further strengthen the insurance market?
  • What are the new risks and opportunities in the Middle East insurance markets?
  • Tapping new growth curves: What is the future outlook for industry growth beyond the current recessionary environment?
  • Tackling the challenge of current low insurance penetration levels in the Middle East
  • Competition and consolidation in the regional insurance industry:
    Assessing the scope for mergers and acquisitions to strengthen capabilities

Some experts are projecting that growth in the Middle East insurance market will be substantially above international norms over the long term and an international panel of expert speakers at MEIF 2010 will tackle the challenge of unlocking new growth opportunities in the regional insurance market. However, even with the rapid expansion of the industry, the liberalisation of markets and the entrance of many of the major international players, current growth levels have only scratched the surface of the potential in the Middle East.

This cautious optimism in the industry also acknowledges that the region has a number of key challenges to tackle if growth potential is to be fully realised.