The ninth health insurance conference for the year 2025 begins in Dubai

The activities of the ninth Health Insurance Conference for the year 2025 were launched in Dubai today, with the participation of more than 200 experts and decision-makers in the sector at the local and regional levels.

The conference highlights very important topics, most notably the current situation of the health insurance market in the UAE and the current and future challenges. In its technical aspect, it addresses the role of artificial intelligence in risk management and preventing fraud in health insurance, digital transformation, its role in the sector administratively and technically, and blockchain technology in claims, analyses, and formulating policies and prices.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Insurance Federation, Khaled Mohammed Al Badi, said in the opening speech of the conference, “The insurance sector in the UAE receives great attention from our wise leadership and our government because of this sector’s positive impact on economic and social development,” pointing out that “health insurance has played and continues to play a vital role in promoting public health and facilitating access to comprehensive health services.”

He also pointed out at the same time “the extremely important role of this type of insurance in confronting crises, especially during the (Corona) pandemic, which has brought to the fore the importance of health insurance.”

Al Badi explained in the speech delivered on his behalf by the Executive Director of the Emirates Insurance Federation, Hussein Al-Sherbini, that the ideas and discussions that will be presented by the lecturers and participants will provide a platform to enhance collective and collaborative interaction, as researchers will address the technical and legal aspects covered by health insurance, in addition to trends and developments in this vital sector.

He stressed that the health insurance market in the UAE is likely to achieve better performance and growth during the year 2026 and the following years, pointing out that the market is witnessing corrective measures to evaluate the prices of health insurance policies in a technical and literal manner after insurance companies confirmed that the non-technical competition that prevailed in some years was of no benefit in the medium and long term.

Al Badi stated that insurance companies in the country have made important strides in benefiting from the digital revolution and launching many innovative products, indicating that the coming period will witness more of them as a solution to many challenges and a path towards the next stage of improving the level of service.

Health care sector

Al Badi pointed out that the health care sector in the UAE is preparing for strong growth driven by macroeconomic factors, the steady growth in the population, the high rates of aging, the expansion of the implementation of the compulsory health insurance policy to cover all the emirates of the country, and the prosperity of medical tourism. He expects that the economic diversification strategies led by the UAE government and national development plans will contribute to improving the levels of infrastructure and facilities for the health care sector and upgrading them to comply with the highest international standards.

Positive indicators

In statements on the sidelines of the conference, the Chairman of the Health and Life Insurance Committee at the Emirates Insurance Federation, Abdul Mohsen Jaber, confirmed that there are strong positive indicators that support expectations for the health insurance market to achieve better performance and growth during the years 2025 and 2026. It is likely (based on current trends and available data) that growth will exceed the rates recorded in previous years, driven by rising employment rates and thus increasing the number of employees eligible to obtain compulsory health insurance, in addition to economic growth, strengthening mandatory legislation and oversight, and governments continuing to expand the scope of compulsory health insurance. To include new categories such as residents and visitors and activate more stringent oversight mechanisms to ensure companies’ commitment to renewing and covering insurance for their employees and their families. All of this is supported by the growth of health awareness among individuals and institutions and the development of the digital infrastructure in claims management and electronic medical records, which contributes to raising the efficiency of services and reducing operating costs.

Insurance policy prices

In response to a question about the continuing complaints about annual increases in the prices of health insurance policies and estimates of the percentage of increase expected in 2026, Jaber said that the continued increase in complaints about annual increases is due to a complex and intertwined set of factors that affect the insurance and health care market globally and locally, most notably medical inflation, the high cost of services and treatment, the continuous increase in the prices of medicines and medical supplies, and modern diagnostic and therapeutic technologies such as surgical “robots” and advanced devices, in addition to excessive or unnecessary use in terms of resorting to completely unnecessary medical examinations or consultations. Frequently, governments impose new coverage requirements or expand basic benefits that insurance companies must provide.

Regarding price expectations for the year 2026, Jaber expected (based on an analysis of current trends in the health insurance market and economic factors) that the percentage increase in the prices of health insurance policies would range between approximately 5% and 10%, with the possibility that the percentage would be higher in the event of sudden increases in treatment costs or new legislative changes. However, he explained that these estimates are approximate and depend on the prevailing economic and health conditions, stressing that insurance companies are striving to achieve a balance between providing comprehensive health coverage and ensuring the sustainability of services to customers.

Operational efficiency

Regarding the most prominent challenges that have affected and are affecting the efficiency of performance in health insurance activity, Jaber said, “The sector is still facing a number of fundamental factors that hinder achieving the desired operational efficiency. The most prominent of these challenges is the continuation of irrational practices in the use of health insurance services, including the misuse of medical coverage by some beneficiaries, in addition to the inflation of medical bills and the high costs of services provided. Excessive dispensing of medications is also one of the main challenges that contribute to increasing the financial burden on insurance companies, which requires strengthening medical monitoring and auditing mechanisms.” And intensify awareness efforts to rationalize use and ensure the provision of services according to actual need.

Main axes

Regarding the most prominent features of the UAE Insurance Federation’s plan in the field of health insurance and the topics that will be focused on in 2026, Jaber said that it is based on three main axes, whose goal is to enhance the efficiency of the sector, improve the customer experience, and support financial sustainability.

The plan will focus in particular on educating the health insurance community and individuals extensively on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to increase the speed of approvals and claims and reduce operational errors, in addition to educating the community and individuals on developing applications and websites that allow the insured to manage their policies, and focusing on adaptation and comprehensive application of any new legislation or regulatory standards issued by the regulatory bodies in the country to ensure the highest levels of transparency and protection of the rights of the insured.