Middle East Insurance Sector Sees Key Legal and Regulatory Shifts in Latest Quarterly Review

Norton Rose Fulbright’s Middle East Insurance team has released the fifth edition of its quarterly newsletter, providing a comprehensive overview of the latest legal, regulatory, and market developments impacting the insurance sector across the Middle East.

The newsletter offers detailed analysis of recent court decisions that affect insurers, reinsurers, and intermediaries operating in the region. Notably, it highlights rulings from the Dubai Court of Cassation concerning the invalidity of arbitration clauses that lack explicit re-adoption in amendment agreements. Additionally, the court reaffirmed the principle of res judicata, barring subsequent monetary claims against insurers where such claims have already been adjudicated between the insured and a third party.

Emerging trends receive focused attention, with deep dives into critical areas such as cybersecurity, data privacy, and political risk—issues increasingly relevant to insurers navigating the evolving risk landscape.

The newsletter also concentrates on arbitration developments, including insights from the DIAW 2025 session on arbitrating insurance disputes in the Middle East. Updates from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates detail ongoing efforts to modernize arbitration frameworks and incorporate artificial intelligence into dispute resolution processes.

Market insights are enriched by an interview with Kenny Gray, Chief Claims Officer at Zurich Insurance (DIFC), who discusses prevailing claims trends and sector developments.

Beyond the Middle East, the newsletter touches on pertinent UK developments. On 21 May 2026, the UK government announced that the foreign permanent establishment (PE) exemption will become mandatory for UK-resident companies, a change with potential implications for multinational insurers.

Further, the newsletter reviews the February 2026 judgment by the UK First-tier Tribunal in Charge My Street Limited v HMRC [2026] UKFTT 318 TC, which addresses the VAT treatment of public electric vehicle (EV) charging services, a matter relevant to insurance clients involved in emerging green technologies.

This edition serves as a vital resource for legal practitioners, insurers, and intermediaries seeking to stay abreast of the dynamic regulatory and judicial environment shaping the Middle East insurance market and related international developments.