Insurance

A string of global natural disasters in 2011 did have an impact on some of Qatar’s local insurers that have overseas exposure, with the sector overall seeing a general slowdown. Cumulative net profits for the five Qatar Exchange-listed insurers rose 5.17% in 2011, a decline in profit growth from 2010. Yet while penetration rates for insurance products are low, at 0.89%, more than 85% of Qataris are in the 15- to 64-year-old demographic, and there is optimism that growth from this base can be high. Another reason to expect growth is that there are few compulsory insurance rules in Qatar. Third-party motor liability and professional liability for engineers are the only two categories currently obligatory. Given these factors, the sector is expected to remain competitive, within an increasingly regulated market.