The Arab International Women’s Forum and Arabia Insurance are delighted to release this event report, a summary of the discussions and recommendations to emerge from a flagship inaugural panel collaboration earlier this year, ‘Advancing Women’s Leadership in Insurance: Bridging the Gender Gap in the MENA Region’. This event was designed to address an issue of vital importance to the MENA and beyond – the empowerment, progression and championing of women leaders in the vital insurance sector.
The insurance industry in the MENA region is poised for substantial growth, fuelled by economic diversification, expanding infrastructure investment, and rising demand for services. The sector also offers considerable potential for innovation, particularly through the emergence of ‘insurtech’ start-ups and scale-ups that are reshaping traditional models of insurance. At the same time, the sector is navigating ongoing challenges, including socioeconomic uncertainties, geopolitical tensions, rapid advancement of technology and AI, and the pressing imperatives of climate change and sustainability. The event brought together leaders in the sector to reflect on how we lead, how we support one another, and how we create spaces in which every voice is heard, seen, and valued in the sector. Some of the action points to emerge from the discussion include:
Establish more formal mentorship programmes to connect junior women with senior leaders in the insurance industry.
Invest in learning and development programmes to upskill women in the insurance sector, particularly in areas like data science, digital transformation, and governance.
Leverage digital platforms and networking initiatives to facilitate knowledge sharing and support among women in the insurance industry.
Promote flexible work options and clear company targets to ensure fair representation of women at all levels.
Integrate gender diversity as a key component of insurers’ ESG strategies, both in terms of internal practices and supporting women-led businesses.
AIWF and Arabia Insurance will elaborate on these recommendations at a special industry roundtable event to be held in early 2026 in Dubai. We look forward to collaborating with all distinguished speakers and stakeholders in the sector to further explore some of the dimensions and dynamics that were discussed in this first session, towards designing a structured. Industry-led and importantly, women-led programme for empowerment and inclusion in MENA insurance. AIWF and Arabia Insurance extend our warmest thanks and appreciation to our valued chairs and speakers whose expertise and insights contributed to a robust discussion and the impactful series of recommendations that emerged from this event:
Haifa Al Kaylani OBE, President & Founder, Arab International Women’s Forum
Elie Khoury, CEO of Arabia Insurance
Grace Doro, Chief Legal Counsel, Arabia Insurance
Serge Flouty, UAE Country Manager, Arabia Insurance
Raja Al Mazrouei, CEO of Etihad Credit Insurance, Chairperson of the Harvard Business School MENA Advisory Board
Rasha Mukayed McClelland, Managing Director at Howden Guardian Insurance Brokers
Raghad Hammad, Partner and Co-Head of the Insurance and Reinsurance Practice at BLK Partners
Mina Saheb, Founder of the Women in Insurance Network in the UAE
Yasser Akkawi, Chairman and Founder of Capital Concept in Lebanon
