In terms of gross written premium (GWP), the UAE’s insurance market has ranked first within the MENA region since 2008. In 2018 it had the highest insurance penetration and density levels in the GCC, at 2.9% of GDP and $1195, respectively. Abu Dhabi’s insurers play an important role in the sector, but as of 2020 they faced a number of changes...
Two of the biggest trends in global insurance in recent years are premium growth in emerging markets and the rising importance of technology across the supply chain. The latter has come to be referred to as insurtech, a potentially disruptive trend that heralds both threats to and opportunities for incumbents and newcomers alike. While...
The global sukuk (Islamic bond) market entered 2020 on the back of a strong year. Total worldwide issuance reached $162bn in 2019, up from $129bn the year before, according to credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P). While the global market volatility introduced by the spread of Covid-19 in early 2020 has undeniably...
As one of the UAE’s two major financial centres, Abu Dhabi has played a prominent role in the development of the nation’s Islamic financial services (IFS) sector. In January 2020 Islamic banks accounted for about 18% of total banking sector assets in the country, according to the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). In the local capital markets,...
The use of sophisticated algorithms in wealth management is leading to improved efficiency and transparency in the financial services sector, benefitting both providers and clients. In particular, so-called robo-advisers are disrupting the industry and helping to boost financial inclusion. Primarily concentrated in developed markets such as...
Abu Dhabi’s capital markets started 2020 on a positive note, bolstered by solid gains on the exchange’s main index in 2019. Similarly, the local debt market ended 2019 favourably, with the UAE ranking as the biggest issuer of fixed-income instruments in the GCC that year. Although much remains to be seen as global markets deal with the twin...
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