- Essential, Extra and Elite products mark Zurich’s entry into UAE motor insurance sector
- Products include new-to-market features: roadside assistance people cover, GCC roadside assistance and a 12-month ‘hire car no-claims holiday’
- First international insurer in the UAE to provide free desert roadside assistance for 4x4 drivers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; October 16, 2011: Zurich, one of the world’s leading insurance groups, today announced the launch of a range of new motor insurance products tailored to the unique requirements of drivers in the UAE.
The three covers – Essential, Extra and Elite – are available with a number of new-to-market features, including roadside assistance people cover, GCC roadside assistance and a 12-month “hire car no-claims holiday.”
Zurich’s roadside assistance people cover means if a customer is stranded over 200 kilometres from home, the insurer will provide up to AED 500 towards either a hotel stay or return transport.
For customers who travel outside the UAE, whether for work or holidays, Zurich has also made roadside assistance available anywhere within the GCC.
The company’s 12-month “hire car no-claims holiday” rewards customers who have not made a claim during the previous year with up to AED 1,000 with which to hire a car in the UAE – for instance, if they have family or friends visiting – or in their home country.
Maroun Mourad, CEO of Zurich's General Insurance operations in the Middle East, said the company undertook extensive research among target customers before devising the new offerings.
“We identified a number of gaps in the market and developed three motor insurance packages with value-added features tailored to meet the needs of UAE drivers,” he said. “For instance, the UAE has a very high number of people who enjoy off-road driving, and that’s why we are now the first international insurer in the UAE to offer free roadside assistance in the desert for 4x4 drivers.”
Other features available include new car replacement for up to 18 months, cover for personal belongings up to AED 6,000 and a hire car for up to 10 days in the event a customer’s vehicle is out of action following an accident. Zurich also gives customers the flexibility to select a number of optional extras to design a policy that is tailored to their own unique requirements.
The launch of Zurich’s motor insurance proposition marks the company’s entry into the retail insurance market and is the first of many product launches scheduled for this year and 2012. In the coming months, Zurich will continue to increase its retail presence in a number of regional markets, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and the UAE.
“We will accomplish our goals by extending the global Zurich promise – of delivering when it matters most – to our local customers and by adapting our offering to meet their specific needs,” said Mourad.
About Zurich:
Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurance provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, as well as other markets. It offers a wide range of general and life insurance products and services for individuals, small businesses, mid-sized and large companies, and multinational corporations.
Zurich employs about 60,000 people, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Financial Services Ltd (ZURN) is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
For further information, please visit: www.zurich.com.
For further information, please contact:
Zoë Gould
Head of Marketing & Communications, Middle East
Zurich
Tel: 971-4-3647316
Liam Turner / Tameem Al Kintar
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600
Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: l.turner@asdaa.com / t.alkintar@asdaa.com
