Article by Nataile Hodgins
Partner, Head of Insurance, Regulatory & Compliance for Ocorian
A market that has matured — and been tested
The UAE has established itself as a leading regional insurance and reinsurance hub. Alongside its growth, its regulatory environment has become more sophisticated, more structured and more closely aligned with international standards. As the market has matured, so too have expectations of firms operating within it.
Recent conflict in the region has brought resilience into much sharper focus, moving it from a strategic concept to an operational requirement. For firms in the market, the challenge is no longer simply to prepare for disruption, but to demonstrate that they can continue to operate through it in a controlled, well-governed and well-documented way.
Where regulatory attention is moving
This changing environment is reflected in the regulatory agenda. Cyber risk and climate risk remain key priorities, but the recent disruption has also sharpened the focus on operational resilience. Regulators increasingly expect firms to demonstrate that critical compliance and governance functions can continue throughout periods of disruption, ensuring regulatory oversight and decision-making remain effective even under pressure.
Rethinking how compliance is delivered
For insurance and reinsurance firms, resilience depends not only on systems and business continuity plans. It also relies on the regulated functions that underpin effective governance, including regulatory reporting, compliance oversight, board reporting and engagement with regulators. These responsibilities cannot simply pause when circumstances become more challenging.
This raises an important question for firms reviewing their operating models: how can these responsibilities continue without interruption? For some, the answer may be strengthening internal capability. For others, it may involve complementing in-house teams with experienced external specialists who provide continuity, reduce key-person dependency and preserve access to senior regulatory expertise.
Regional expertise in practice
Ocorian provides insurance compliance support, including experienced Compliance Officers, MLROs, Risk Officers and wider day-to-day compliance support. This capability has been further strengthened by Ocorian’s acquisition of Clarity, which expanded its UAE-based regulatory and compliance offering and added further depth in outsourced support across both DIFC and ADGM. Through regular engagement with the DFSA and FSRA, we help clients maintain effective governance, meet their regulatory obligations and operate with greater confidence during periods of pressure.
If you are assessing what resilience looks like for your firm, get in touch – we would welcome a conversation about what we are seeing in the market.
