H.E. Rasheed M. Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, will on the 7th of February deliver a Keynote address at 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. This high-profile opening session will play a meaningful role in generating new strategic insights into the future outlook for the regional insurance industry.

Now in its 6th year, MEIF 2010 will provide a substantial platform to not only review lessons from the global financial crisis, but to also define the winning business strategies that will shape the next phase of development in the regional insurance markets. The plenary session at MEIF 2010 will focus on the key issues, including: What regulators can do to further strengthen the insurance market; the new risks and opportunities in the Middle East insurance markets; tapping new growth curves beyond the current recessionary environment; tackling the challenge of current low insurance penetration levels in the Middle East; and competition and consolidation in the regional insurance industry - assessing the scope for mergers and acquisitions to strengthen capabilities.

Topical Perspectives from Industry Leaders:

• The Development of Global Reinsurance after the World-Wide Financial Crisis by André Arrago, Chairman, Hannover ReTakaful B.S.C
• The Arab Insurance Markets - Navigating to Safe Harbor by Ashraf Bseisu, Chairman, Bahrain Insurance Association, & President, General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF)
  
• AXA Lessons from the Worldwide Crisis by Jean-Louis Laurent Josi, Chief Executive Officer - Gulf & Middle East, AXA Insurance (Gulf) B.S.C.(c)
• "The Way Forward" from a Broker and Client Point-of-View by Robert Peilow, Managing Director: Strategic Account Solutions Middle East, Willis Limited
  

With the regional insurance market entering a new phase of exciting development characterised by the introduction of tighter supervision, new compulsory insurance, liberalisation and the opening of markets, more than 400 delegates, representing decision-makers from Arab and international insurance and reinsurance companies, regulatory agencies, brokers, banking and finance organisations, will participate in the Forum.