Arab insurance growth ‘high on the agenda’, says CII Regional Director

Gaenor Jones, who was recently awarded Woman Leader of the Year at the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards, said: “I don’t think there are many Arab countries that don’t have insurance growth high on the agenda. We are seeing insurance playing a more pivotal role with regulators and governmental departments, and these actions, as well an increase in upskilling, are putting the Middle East insurance sector on a global platform, and the region is receiving recognition for its development and success.”

The conference, which took place in Oman, held the largest gathering of insurers in the region, and covered topics such as industry trends, emerging risks, technological advancements, and evolving legislations. When asked about steps the CII has taken to support students within the region, and engage with the market, Gaenor advised that the most popular CII qualifications are available in both English and Arabic, and study units have also been ‘internationalised’, replacing the UK focus with neutral terminology to cater to Middle Eastern students.

Ms Jones added: “The CII has been supporting the UAE Central Bank and Emirates Institute of Finance with their Emirati programme, increasing the technical knowledge of UAE nationals so they can occupy leadership roles in the sector.”

The CII Middle East office was set up in Dubai in 2018, and has since worked with and supported regulators, corporates, and other entities throughout the region to upskill and boost technical expertise. There are currently over 2,500 CII members based across the Middle East.