QIC Group Unites MENA Insurtech and Fintech Ecosystems Under One Strategic Platform in Doha
Qatar Insurance Group (QIC Group, QIC), the leading insurer in Qatar and the MENA region and a pioneer in digital innovation, today announced the launch of the 4th MENA Insurtech Summit and the inaugural MENA Fintech Summit, both of which will be held concurrently under one unified platform on May 11–12, 2025 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
Sheikh Hamad bin Faisal Al Thani, Chairman of QIC Group, commented:
“At QIC Group, we recognize that innovation and digital transformation are vital to securing Qatar’s economic future. These summits reflect our commitment to advancing national strategies by creating meaningful platforms that connect talent, technology, and investment. By hosting both insurtech and fintech ecosystems under one roof, we aim to reinforce Qatar’s position as a leader in digital financial innovation for the region.”
Following the Chairman’s remarks, Mr. Salem Al Mannai, CEO of QIC Group, added:
“We are proud to lead this initiative as part of our commitment to national priorities and our ambition to position Qatar as a destination for innovation and capital. These summits are more than just events—they are strategic platforms designed to attract global players, empower startups, and connect decision-makers across the financial services value chain. By bringing the fintech and insurtech ecosystems together under one roof, we are unlocking powerful opportunities for dialogue, investment, and cross-sector collaboration that will serve Qatar and the region for years to come.”
The co-located summits represent a significant step in QIC Group’s vision to position Qatar as a regional hub for digital transformation. Aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Qatar Central Bank’s National Fintech Strategy, the dual event aims to accelerate cross-sector innovation, foster a robust digital ecosystem, and drive long-term economic diversification.
Over 1,500 participants are expected to attend, including global thought leaders, regulators, startup founders, venture capitalists, and C-level executives from the insurance and tech sectors. The summits will feature dedicated programming tracks for insurtech and fintech, with opportunities for convergence through joint sessions on emerging technologies and future trends.
The MENA Insurtech Summit will explore the theme: “The Impact of AI on the Insurance Value Chain,” offering deep insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping underwriting, claims, distribution, and customer engagement. Meanwhile, the MENA Fintech Summit will convene financial innovators and disruptors to explore the future of digital finance, focusing on emerging products, AI-powered solutions, and digital transformation in banking and financial services.
The event will also feature:
Keynote speeches from senior officials and global experts
Interactive panels and hands-on workshops covering:
Artificial intelligence in finance and insurance
Embedded insurance models
Open banking frameworks and regulatory shifts
Data governance and cybersecurity
Cross-border fintech innovation and startup funding
A curated Demo Day for startups from the 2025 MENA Insurtech Accelerator
Immersive Innovation Zones spotlighting cutting-edge solutions from local and international startups
Strategic partnerships further amplify the summit’s national relevance. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) joins as the lead strategic partner for both summits, while Commercial Bank of Qatar and Ooredoo Fintech serve as strategic partners of the MENA Fintech Summit—highlighting a unified public-private commitment to advancing Qatar’s digital future.
Continuing his remarks, Al Mannai added:
“Innovation has always been at the core of QIC’s business. These summits are a natural extension of that vision—bringing together government, enterprise, and entrepreneurs to build the infrastructure, talent, and trust needed for a vibrant digital economy. We see these platforms as catalysts that will strengthen Qatar’s position as a regional leader in fintech and insurtech innovation.”
As the founding and organizing entity, QIC Group reaffirms its role as a national enabler of innovation, ecosystem connector, and strategic contributor to the future of financial services across MENA.
Registration is now open on the official summit platforms: MENA Insurtech Summit 2025 Summit 2025 – MENA InsurTech
MENA Fintech Summit 2025 MENA Fintech Summit – MENA InsurTech
QIC: For the 4th consecutive year at the prestigious MENA II Awards 2025
Qatar Insurance Company (QIC), the leading insurer in Qatar and the MENA region, has been crowned “Insurer of the Year in Qatar” at the prestigious MENA II Awards 2025 (formerly the MENA IR Awards) for the fourth consecutive year. QIC received this recognition at the program’s annual ceremony held last week in Dubai, which was attended by representatives from insurers, regulators, and rating agencies across the region.
This award highlights QIC’s exceptional strategy and its milestones in establishing the region’s first insurance-powered digital ecosystem. Over the past 12 months, QIC has excelled in delivering cutting-edge insurance and non-insurance solutions through its award-winning mobile application (QIC App), web portal (qic.online), and other distribution channels. As a result, QIC has been able to offer a wider range of retail customer segments in Qatar and other key GCC markets the convenience of managing their insurance needs, from onboarding to claims, while ensuring financial protection and the ability to live, drive, and travel worry-free with QIC.
Mr. Salem Al Mannai, CEO of QIC Group, said: “Our consistent presence in key rankings and recognition by prestigious awarding bodies, such as the MENA II Awards, are strong testaments to QIC’s success in transforming the insurance landscape regionwide. Customer convenience has always been a top priority for us at QIC, and this is the true secret to our status as the most trusted insurer in Qatar for more than six decades. We remain committed to rewarding our customers’ loyalty with the best and most innovative solutions and helping each of them achieve financial wellbeing in Qatar, the MENA region, and around the world.”
The MENA II Awards (formerly MENA IR Awards) are among the most prestigious in the regional insurance industry. Every year, the program recognizes outstanding insurers who have excelled in implementing innovative business strategies and delivering innovative solutions to customers. Nominees are judged by a panel of industry leaders, including chairpersons, CEOs, and experts from professional associations, with winners selected based on criteria such as innovation and product quality, financial performance and growth, and customer satisfaction.
Markel appoints Jennifer Gebran as Head of Casualty in MENA region
Markel, the insurance operation within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), today announced the appointment of Jennifer Gebran as Head of Casualty for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with immediate effect.
In her new role, Gebran will be responsible for developing the region’s casualty underwriting strategy – one centred on enhanced underwriting capabilities and the delivery of profitable growth. She will also be tasked with developing stronger relationships with new and existing brokers, other distribution partners and clients, to help establish Markel as a market leader for casualty underwriting in the MENA region. Gebran will play a key role in supporting Markel’s plans to strategically expand its footprint in the MENA region, by establishing a strong onshore presence with a highly experienced and empowered underwriting team.
Gebran joins Markel from Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, where she served as Assistant Vice President in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). With more than 13 years of underwriting experience, specialising in the Gulf, Middle East and North Africa, Gebran brings a wealth of expertise in the casualty and contingency facultative reinsurance sector.
Prior to her tenure at Berkshire Hathaway, Gebran spent 11 years with Liberty Specialty Markets, where she progressed from Underwriting Assistant to Assistant Vice President. At Liberty Specialty Markets, some of her principal duties included managing underwriters and spearheading growth initiatives into new geographies, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and North Africa. She began her underwriting career at Jardine Lloyd Thompson in 2008.
Based in Dubai, Gebran will report to Max Robbie, Senior Executive Officer at Markel, Dubai. Her appointment follows the formation of a new International Casualty team within the Specialty division last year, led by Graeme Ivory, Director of International Casualty.
Commenting on the appointment, Robbie said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer to the team. Companies across the MENA region face a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and responding to these requires a deep understanding of the local business environment. I’m confident that Jennifer’s knowledge of the local market, along with her excellent relationships and connections in the region, will be a huge asset to our business, particularly as we continue to expand our International Casualty portfolio to meet the specific needs of our MENA clients.”
QIC becomes the first insurer in the MENA region to become a signatory of ‘Principles for Sustainable Insurance’ of UNEP-FI
Qatar Insurance Company (QIC), the leading insurer in Qatar and MENA region, has signed the United Nations Environment Programme-Finance Initiative’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance (UNEP-FI PSI), making it the first insurer in the Middle East to sign the global agreement.
Launched at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the UNEP-FI PSI serves as a global framework for the insurance industry to address Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. The PSI initiative is the largest collaborative agreement between the UN and the insurance industry.
By becoming a signatory, QIC becomes part of a global network of insurance stakeholders committed to integrating ESG along their value chain. These Principles are more comprehensive than just financial metrics used typically in the industry, which will provide a platform for QIC to strengthen their business governance model.
“QIC strives to create a sustainable business while contributing to global economic resilience and is conscious of the impact on climate, biodiversity, poverty, education, and ethical standards. QIC intends to leave a positive footprint and becoming a signatory of the ‘Principle for Sustainable Insurance’ helps QIC integrate ESG-compliant and sustainable behavior throughout its value chain. Together with our stakeholders, we shall work towards achieving a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive society” said Salem Al-Mannai, QIC Group CEO.
Qatar Insurance Company Q.S.P.C. (QIC) is a publicly listed composite insurer with a consistent performance history of over 50 years and a global underwriting footprint. Founded in 1964, QIC was the first domestic insurance company in the State of Qatar. Today, QIC is the market leader in Qatar and a dominant insurer in the GCC and MENA regions. QIC is also one of the largest insurance companies in the MENA region in terms of gross written premiums and total assets. It is listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization in excess of QAR 6.5 billion. QIC was crowned as the best online insurance company in the Middle East at the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards 2022.
Aon Middle East Named Broker/Distributor Of The Year At 2022 MENA Insurance Review Awards
Aon Middle East was recently recognized by peers and industry leaders as the Broker/Distributor of the Year at the 2022 MENA Insurance Review Awards, an annual recognition of Middle East and North Africa insurers, reinsurers and brokers that have demonstrated top performance, innovation and excellence in the MENA insurance industry over the past year.
Jord Ostrom, chief commercial officer of Aon Middle East, said, “As a firm, we are committed to providing clients with bespoke industry-leading solutions across the Middle East. We are immensely proud of our people and the collaborative culture we have established, and the trust given to us by clients and peers.”
Aon was recognized specifically for its Aon United approach, enabling teams to deliver the best of Aon with a one-firm mindset to address new client needs across the region.
QIC ranked as Top Investment House from the MENA region for the fourth year in a row
Qatar Insurance Company, the leading insurer in the Middle East and North Africa region has been ranked as the “Top Investment House” by The Asset magazine for the fourth year in a row. The survey ranked top investment houses in Asian G3 bonds (issued by Asian issuers in USD, EUR and JPY) based on the number of votes won where QIC garnered the most votes by their Astute Investors.
More than 430 different institutions including asset managers, hedge funds, private banks, banks, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds were evaluated and shortlisted during the survey. The ranking methodology used for the survey was based on the number of votes received from top-rated analysts, economists and strategists, sales teams and traders in these institutions. The ranking score was subject to a weighting methodology and was announced in The Asset magazine’s January 2022 issue and on TheAsset.com.
Commenting on the latest accomplishment, Mr. Salem Khalaf Al Mannai, QIC Group CEO stated, “We are honored to be ranked as the Top Investment House from the MENA region for the fourth consecutive year. The prestigious ranking serves as a testament to the resounding success of our business strategy built along a customer-centric and technologically progressive approach, ably backed by the investments team.”
“Investments are a cornerstone for the success of our business. Not only does this showcase the goodwill and reputation that QIC has built over the years of its operation, but also brings to the fore our passion and commitment in maintaining our status as a market leader in the insurance and investment management space”, Al Mannai added.
The Asian G3 Bond Benchmark Review has been conducted annually since 1999, providing a wealth of data on the product needs of institutional investors and the market penetration of institutions active in the Asian G3 bond market and Asian CDS space.
Founded in 1964, QIC was the first domestic insurance company in the State of Qatar. Today, QIC is the market leader in Qatar and a dominant insurer in the GCC and MENA region. QIC is one of the highest rated insurers in the Gulf region with a rating of A/Stable from Standard & Poor’s and A(Excellent) from A.M. Best. In terms of profitability and market capitalization, QIC is also the largest insurance company in the MENA region. It is listed on the Qatar Exchange and has a market capitalization of over $ 4bn.