UAE

The Central Bank of the UAE replaced its 2022 takaful rules with a regulation effective September 14, 2026 that requires each operator to run a legally separate takaful fund, use a wakala-based model at all times and, for conventional insurers with Islamic windows, obtain approval and keep separate accounts and sharia governance.

The Central Bank of the UAE's Insurance Company Licensing Regulation (Circular 4/2026), in force from August 14, 2026, replaces the 2009 Insurance Authority rules, treats foreign insurers as branch applicants only, sets 60-business-day application and decision windows and lets the regulator remove senior managers and board members.

The one-year grace period under Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 closed on September 16, and a law-firm newsletter reports the central bank granted no blanket extension; fines can reach AED 1 billion.

The Central Bank of the UAE's September Quarterly Economic Review forecasts 1.6% growth in 2026 and 10.4% in 2027, while second-quarter bank assets reached AED 5,594 billion and first-half insurance premiums rose 11.0%.

Central Bank of the UAE statistics reported by Khaleej Times show gross written premiums rising 14.9% to Dh74.8 billion in 2025, with industry profit up from Dh2.6 billion to Dh4 billion, claims of Dh46.2 billion, 17.3 million policies and 58 insurers operating.

Demand for war-risk and political-violence insurance is rising in the UAE, with GIG Gulf offering optional war cover at three levels, while Marsh says Middle East political violence capacity has shrunk from more than $1 billion to $250 million to $350 million and rates have risen from 0.2%–0.3% to 3%–10%.

In December 2025 Al Wathba Insurance invested in Cell 27 of Lloyd's London Bridge 2 protected cell company, becoming the first UAE-based insurer to access the Lloyd's market this way, with returns expected from an underlying portfolio of more than $100 million of global property and casualty premium from financial year 2026.

UAE insurers wrote Dh74.8 billion of gross premiums in 2025, up 14.9%, with health up 16.3% to Dh30 billion and profit rising to Dh4 billion from Dh2.6 billion, and the central bank's June 2026 review reported premiums growing about 15.1% in the first quarter of 2026 to roughly Dh27.5 billion.

The Central Bank of the UAE fined an unnamed branch of a foreign bank Dh20 million, about $5.5 million, for significant and repeated failures under its anti-money laundering and sanctions frameworks, and fined the branch's head of compliance and money laundering reporting officer Dh300,000, according to reports dated June 24, 2026.

Sapiens announced on June 1, 2026 that a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has invested in the insurance software company and become a significant minority shareholder, alongside a move of its global headquarters to Holborn in central London and an AI strategy for insurers; the stake, amount and valuation were not disclosed.

Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025 consolidated UAE banking and insurance regulation under the Central Bank, widened the regulatory perimeter to technology platforms and gave regulated firms a one-year transition ending in mid-September 2026.

Central Bank of the UAE data reported by Khaleej Times shows gross written premiums of Dh74.8 billion in 2025, up 14.9%, with health premiums of about Dh30 billion (up 16.3%), industry profit of Dh4 billion and a solvency ratio of 199%; mandatory basic health insurance for private-sector employees and domestic workers took effect across the emirates on January 1, 2025.

Insurance Business (June 15, 2026) reports that war-risk premiums rose from about 0.1% to around 1% per S&P Global, that hundreds of ships remain stranded, and that insurers want evidence a US-Iran deal is holding before pricing normalises.

Alpen Capital's GCC Insurance Industry report, covered by Khaleej Times on May 21, 2026, forecasts premiums of $61.8 billion by 2030 at a 4.9% CAGR, with Saudi Arabia growing at 5.9% and the UAE at 4.1%.

Khaleej Times reports the UAE health and medical insurance segment is projected at about $10.11 billion in 2026 and $15.04 billion by 2031, while Gulf News details the Dh320 basic employer-funded cover for private-sector and domestic workers that began on January 1, 2025.