UAE · Corporate activity
WTW becomes sole shareholder of Al-Futtaim Willis ↗
WTW became the sole shareholder of Al-Futtaim Willis, Atlas Magazine reported.
GCC MARKETS
GCC insurance news
Selected by Axxion’s GCC market monitor from regulators and the regional insurance press. Each item links to the original report. Updated 9 October 2026.
Kuwait · Regulation
Kuwait regulator tells insurers to report their share of national staff
Kuwait's insurance regulator directed insurers to disclose the number and percentage of Kuwaiti nationals in their workforce, the Asia/Middle East Insurance Review reported.
GCC-wide · Catastrophe and exposure
Hormuz shipping traffic falls to two-month low as tanker attacks increase ↗
Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic dropped to its lowest level in two months as attacks on tankers in the area increased, The National reported.
GCC-wide · People
Sedgwick appoints new CEO for Middle East ↗
Sedgwick appointed a new CEO for its Middle East operations, Middle East Insurance Review reported.
UAE · People
DIFC Insurance Association appoints Ahmed Rajab as Chairman ↗
The DIFC Insurance Association appointed Ahmed Rajab as its Chairman, the Asia/Middle East Insurance Review reported.
Bahrain · Regulation
Bahrain central bank grants AU Group an insurance brokerage licence ↗
Bahrain's central bank granted AU Group an insurance brokerage licence.
GCC-wide · Financial results
AM Best affirms Active Re's 'A' rating; capital stays at strongest level
Active Re's risk-adjusted capitalisation remained at its strongest level, the Asia/Middle East Insurance Review reported.
Kuwait · Financial results
AM Best assigns First Takaful 'B' rating after KWD6m capital injection
First Takaful's financial performance in Kuwait was boosted by its investment results.
Saudi Arabia · Catastrophe and exposure
Saudi airports attacked as Yemen's west coast battle intensifies ↗
Saudi airports were attacked as the battle on Yemen's west coast intensified.
Oman · Claims handling
Oman insurers record over 21,700 road accidents in Q2 2026 ↗
Oman insurers recorded more than 21,700 road accidents in the second quarter of 2026.
Qatar · Financial results
Beema maintains strong profitability ↗
Beema maintained strong profitability.
Saudi Arabia · Financial results
Saudi insurance market doubles revenue over four years ↗
Saudi Arabia's insurance market doubled its revenue over the past four years.
UAE · Corporate activity
Orient Insurance to open takaful window ↗
Orient Insurance is to open a takaful window.
GCC-wide · People
Marsh Re names Nathalie Zaatar and Talal Sharif Middle East co-heads ↗
Marsh Re appointed Nathalie Zaatar and Talal Sharif as co-heads for the Middle East, Reinsurance News reported.
GCC-wide · Catastrophe and exposure
GPS spoofing adds to Middle East maritime challenges ↗
GPS spoofing was reported as an added challenge for maritime operations in the Middle East.
UAE · Catastrophe and exposure
India condemns strike on oil tanker owned by Dubai company in Strait of Hormuz ↗
India condemned a strike on an oil tanker owned by a Dubai company in the Strait of Hormuz.
UAE · Financial results
ADNIC's earnings balanced between underwriting and investment income ↗
ADNIC's earnings are described as balanced between underwriting and investment income.
UAE · Regulation
DFSA amends credit rating agency and prudential reporting requirements ↗
The DFSA made targeted amendments to its credit rating agency and prudential reporting requirements.
UAE · Regulation
UAE sets four-week deadline for Dh50 million-plus businesses to appoint e-invoicing provider ↗
UAE businesses with revenue above Dh50 million have less than four weeks left to appoint an e-invoicing service provider, per the reported compliance deadline.
UAE · People
Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance confirms Charbel Yazbeck as CEO ↗
Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance has confirmed Charbel Yazbeck as its CEO.
UAE · Corporate activity
WTW receives regulatory approval to fully own Al-Futtaim Willis ↗
WTW has received regulatory approval to own 100% of Al-Futtaim Willis.
UAE · Technology and AI
Dubai launches agentic AI accelerator for public-facing government services ↗
Dubai launched an agentic AI accelerator aimed at transforming public-facing government services.
UAE · Regulation
DFSA issues feedback statement on Consultation Paper No. 174 ↗
The DFSA issued a feedback statement on Consultation Paper No. 174.
Oman · Financial results
Oman insurance firms investments exceed RO 903 million by Q2 2026, FSA reports ↗
Oman's Financial Services Authority reported that insurance firms' investments topped RO 903 million by the second quarter of 2026.
UAE · Regulation
CBUAE and Bank Al-Maghrib sign MoUs on supervisory and payment cooperation ↗
The Central Bank of the UAE and Bank Al-Maghrib have signed two memoranda of understanding covering supervisory cooperation, Islamic finance, and interlinking payment systems.
GCC-wide · Financial results
Middle East takaful insurance generated 23.2 billion dollars in gross premiums in 2015 ↗
Middle East takaful insurance generated US23.2 billion in gross premiums in 2015.
UAE · Corporate activity
WTW takes full control of UAE broker ↗
WTW took full control of its UAE broker after buying out the Al-Futtaim stake, according to Intelligent Insurer.
UAE · Financial results
AM Best confirms ADNIC credit rating ↗
AM Best confirmed the credit rating of Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC).
UAE · Regulation
CBUAE and Central Bank of Syria sign MoU on financial and technical cooperation ↗
The Central Bank of the UAE and the Central Bank of Syria have signed a memorandum of understanding on financial and technical cooperation.
UAE · Corporate activity
WTW gets approval for full control of UAE JV AFW ↗
WTW received regulatory approval to take full control of its UAE joint venture AFW, according to Reinsurance News.
UAE · Catastrophe and exposure
UAE health resilience remains strong, survey finds ↗
A survey found UAE health resilience remains strong, with most people confident they can adapt to change, according to Asia / Middle East Insurance Review.
UAE · Technology and AI
HAYAH launches PRISM and FiRe resilience measurement tools ↗
HAYAH unveiled two new tools, PRISM and FiRe, to measure market and personal financial resilience.
Kuwait · Financial results
Kuwait Re global expansion backs Al Ahleia A3 rating affirmation ↗
The A3 rating of Al Ahleia was affirmed, supported by Kuwait Re global expansion, according to Middle East Insurance Review.
Kuwait · Financial results
Kuwait mid-tier takaful firms seen maintaining underwriting profitability and capital buffers ↗
Kuwait mid-tier takaful firms are expected to maintain underwriting profitability and adequate capital buffers, according to Middle East Insurance Review.
GCC-wide · Distribution
GCC insurers sign new bancassurance partnerships ↗
Insurance companies in the GCC have signed new bancassurance partnerships, according to Middle East Insurance Review.
UAE · Corporate activity
InsuranceMarket.ae rebrands under new legal name ↗
InsuranceMarket.ae, a UAE insurance brokerage, adopted a new legal name as part of its continued growth in the UAE market.
Qatar · Technology and AI
QIC adds new features to its digital ecosystem ↗
Qatar Insurance Company (QIC) introduced new features to its digital ecosystem.
Oman · Claims handling
Motor insurance claims frequency rises in Oman ↗
Atlas Magazine reported a rise in motor insurance claims frequency in Oman.
Saudi Arabia · Regulation
Saudi Arabia introduces new pricing criteria to curb excessive insurance price competition ↗
Saudi Arabia's insurance regulator introduced new pricing criteria aimed at reducing excessive price competition in the market, according to Middle East Insurance Review.
Kuwait · Regulation
Kuwait Insurance Regulatory Unit issues Circular No. 20 of 2026 on Kuwaiti national employment reporting ↗
Kuwait's Insurance Regulatory Unit issued Circular No. 20 of 2026 adopting a standard form for insurance companies to report the data and percentages of Kuwaiti national employees working in the sector.