Insurers in UAE, Gulf region who fail to find buyers could be forced out of the market

The region's insurance industry has been undergoing consolidation; this trend is expected to continue in the coming years as large players dominate

Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 3 Dec 2024, 3:52 PM

Last updated: Tue 3 Dec 2024, 8:34 PM

The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the UAE and GCC insurance industry will see smaller players being forced out of the market if they are not able to find buyers, according to a global rating agency.

The UAE and broader Gulf region's insurance industry has been undergoing consolidation and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years as large players dominate the market.

According to Moody’s Ratings’ analysis, 10 M&A transactions have been completed or been underway over the past 12 months.

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“Consolidation will create winners and losers, with smaller insurers that are unable to find acquirers being forced out of the market over time,” said Mohammed Ali Londe, vice president and senior analyst at Moody’s Ratings.

The GCC insurance market remains significantly fragmented, with the region’s $40 billion annual premium revenue shared between around 190 insurance companies.

Around 50 per cent of the premium volume is earned by the top five insurers in each market, which tend to be larger and more sophisticated players, with the remainder spread over a large number of smaller companies.

“This concentration of small and sometimes sub-scale insurers contributes to intense price competition as companies compete for market share. This has led to earnings' volatility and pressure on capital adequacy for some insurers. Competitive pressure is exacerbated further by a concentration of demand around compulsory insurance such as motor and medical cover,” said Moody’s Ratings.

GCC insurers are also increasingly attracting interest from strategic investors such as banks, sovereign wealth funds or wealthy individuals.

Moody’s analysts added that stake-building by such investors can provide insurers with additional capital and improve their overall financial flexibility, while, in some cases, also expanding their distribution and enhancing their brand recognition.

“Consolidation allows GCC insurers to diversify their product range, distribution network and customer base, while also unlocking synergies across various operational areas. M&A typically allows these groups to enter new markets and increase their sales more quickly than organic growth would permit,” said the global rating agency.

Moody’s added that consolidation is credit-positive for the GCC insurance sector as it enables firms to achieve economies of scale, enhancing solvency and profitability. However, the positive impact on creditworthiness may take time to manifest due to short-term challenges such as operational integration, customer retention and alignment of strategies and cultures.

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