Marine hull war, marine cargo war and political violence business are seeing "extreme" stress levels, driven by vessel attacks, energy facility and property attacks, premium spikes and growing uncertainty around claims development., says Howden Re Business Intelligence.
Munich Re has announced the retirement of Mr Daniel Cossette, who has decided to conclude his tenure after 19 years. He is succeeded by Mr Gavin Maistry as Chief Executive for Life and Health APAC and MEA.
Rising geopolitical tensions have increasingly affected insurance markets across the GCC, driving stronger demand for specialty insurance products such as war-risk, marine, political risk, and cyber insurance, according to Dubai-based investment banking advisory firm Alpen Capital.
GCC insurers entered the ongoing regional geopolitical escalation from a position of relative strength, with 1Q2026 results continuing to reflect strong premium growth and profitability across most markets, according to a report by research and consulting firm Insurance Monitor and Lux Actuaries and Consultants.
OdysseyRe has announced the appointments of Ms Anne-Claire Serres and Mr Tegwen Gromellon as Co-Chief Underwriting Officers of its EMEA division, effective 1 July.
For the insurance industry, and especially the Political Violence & Terrorism (PVT) business, the war in the Middle East may lead to significant losses in some areas and new risk assessments for selected key industries and regions, according to the "Political Violence and Civil Unrest Trends 2026" report from Allianz Commercial.
In this edition of the MEIR Dialogue, we speak to Norton Rose Fulbright's Partner and Head of Middle East Insurance Shabnam Karim on the far-reaching impact of the current conflict in the Middle East on the regional and global (re)insurance industry. The ongoing hostilities have created an extraordinarily complex risk environment, and insurers, reinsurers, brokers, and policyholders alike are grappling with a range of coverage, claims, and regulatory challenges that extend well beyond traditional war and terrorism exposures.
The global outlook remains highly uncertain amid an increasingly prolonged confrontation and fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. Drawn-out negotiations, ongoing shipping blockades and the risk of military escalation threaten the truce's durability, says Moody's Ratings (Moody's) in its "Global Macro Outlook (May 2026 Update)" report.
Hannover Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers, has reported a strong start to 2026, continuing positive trends from recent quarters, despite the uncertainties created by the Middle East conflict.
Reinsurance giant Munich Re has allocated EUR90m ($105.6m) in the first quarter of this year for claims for damages from the Middle East armed hostilities, according to the company's CFO, Mr Andrew Buchanan.