GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 Concludes with High-Level Industry Discussions and the 15th Golden
Shield Excellence Awards
Dubai, UAE | 4 November 2026
GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 successfully concluded its two-day international conference on 4
November, bringing together leading insurance executives, technology innovators, policymakers and
industry professionals to address the evolving priorities of the global insurance and InsurTech
ecosystem.
Held as part of Dubai Future Finance Week, under the theme Reimagining Insurance. Together., the
conference brought together more than 450 delegates and industry professionals and 45+
distinguished speakers, creating a platform for strategic dialogue, knowledge exchange and
collaboration across the insurance and financial services sectors.
The second day featured four high-level panel discussions addressing some of the most critical
developments shaping the insurance industry, followed by the prestigious 15th Edition Golden
Shield Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements and leadership across the
insurance and InsurTech landscape.
Day Two: Leadership, Innovation and the Future of Insurance
The second day opened with the CEO Panel: Insurance Leadership in a New Era – Resilience,
Recovery & Growth in the UAE and GCC, moderated by Dr. Aftab Hasan, Founder & Chairman of
GAIP.
The panel brought together Brad Simpson, MENA Risk Management Leader and Deputy CEO at
Marsh UAE; Mustafa Oliyath Vazayil, Managing Director at Gargash Insurance; Mutaz Dabbagh,
General Manager at National General Insurance; Walter Jopp, CEO at Zurich Middle East; and Neeraj
Gupta, CEO at Policybazaar UAE.
The discussion explored the evolving insurance landscape across the UAE and GCC, focusing on
leadership priorities, market resilience, recovery strategies and sustainable growth opportunities in a
rapidly changing business environment.
The second panel, Beyond Coverage: Reinventing Health & Life Insurance Through Digital
Innovation, was moderated by Michele Grosso, Co-Founder & CEO of Democrance. The panel
featured Jatin Sainani, Regional Head of Digital & Innovation at Lockton MENA; David T. Youssef,
Managing Director at VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI); Rizwan Munir, Managing
Director at Star 2 Advisory; and Ali Fareed Lutfi, Senior Executive Officer – Health at Salama Islamic
Arab Insurance Company.
The discussion examined how artificial intelligence, digital health, healthcare integration and
personalised insurance products are transforming health and life insurance across the UAE, GCC and
wider Middle East. Key areas included medical inflation, claims management, AI-driven underwriting,
preventive healthcare and digital insurance distribution.
The third panel, The Future of Motor & P&C Insurance: Smarter Underwriting, Pricing & Risk
Management, was moderated by Muhammad Zeeshan Haider, Head of Marketing &
Communications at Al Wathba Insurance. Panellists included Ahmed Fares of EVG; Maryam Zandi,
General Manager – Insurance at AutoData Middle East LLC; Mohammad Rashid Ali, Chief Information
Officer at ABNIC; Harkaran Singh, Senior Vice President at KGiSL; and Chiranth Patil, Co-Founder of
Riskcovry.
The panel addressed the changing dynamics of motor and property and casualty insurance,
highlighting the importance of technology-driven underwriting, smarter pricing models, connected
vehicles, telematics, predictive risk analytics and portfolio resilience.
The fourth panel, The Claims Revolution: AI, Fraud, Loss Adjusting & the Future of Customer Trust,
was moderated by Dr. Abhishek Jajoo, Founding Partner & Group CEO of AJMS Global. The
discussion featured Piyush Dubey, Partner at Kearney; Manu Rana, Chief Product & Technology
Officer at Policybazaar.ae; Clive Burrows, Principal at Baker Tilly; and Shehreyar Salim Azim, Chief
Operating Officer at RAK Insurance.
The session examined the transformation of the insurance claims lifecycle through artificial
intelligence, digital forensics and advanced claims assessment. Discussions also focused on fraud
detection, claims leakage, regulatory compliance, litigation and the balance between automated
decision-making and human expertise in maintaining policyholder trust.
Collectively, the four discussions highlighted the importance of leadership, technological
advancement, customer-centric solutions and stronger industry collaboration in shaping a more
resilient and intelligent insurance ecosystem.
15th Edition Golden Shield Excellence Awards
A major highlight of the second day was the 15th Edition Golden Shield Excellence Awards, held
from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Serdaal Ballroom, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort &
Marina.
The prestigious awards ceremony recognised organisations and individuals demonstrating
outstanding achievements, innovation, leadership and meaningful contributions to the insurance and
InsurTech industries.
The awards celebrated excellence across 33 industry categories, alongside two Lifetime Achievement
Awards recognising distinguished contributions to the sector.
The 15th Golden Shield Excellence Awards recognised the following winners:
Award Category
Broker of the Year
Insurance System Integrator of the Year
Insurance Ecosystem Enabler of the Year
Life Insurer of the Year
Excellence in Digital Transformation
Health Insurer of the Year
Audit Service Provider of the Year
Winner
Marsh
Tech Mahindra
Emirates Vehicles Gate (EVG)
Zurich Life Insurance Middle East
InsureMO
Daman Insurance
Baker Tilly (UAE)
Best Insurance Brand
Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC)
Best InsureTek Solution
Digital Insurer of the Year
Excellence in Insurance Growth & Performance
Insurance Technology Leader of the Year
Takaful Company of the Year
Insurance Technology Platform of the Year
General Insurer of the Year
Digital Transformation Partner of the Year
Customer Experience Award
TCS BaNCS
Sukoon Insurance
National General Insurance (NGI)
Newgen Software
Abu Dhabi National Takaful Company
EnoviQ Technologies
Orient Insurance
Tech Mahindra
Dubai National Insurance (DNI)
InsureTek Core Transformation Leader of the Year TCS
InsureTek Excellence in Partnership
Excellence in Motor Insurance Intelligence
Excellence in Underwriting Performance
Leading Claims Manager of the Year
eSanad
AutoData Middle East
Union Insurance
Sedgwick
Excellence in Medical Tourism & Insurance Services AM Health Hub
Motor Insurer of the Year
Excellence in Digital Insurance Distribution
Educational & Training Initiative of the Year
Law Firm of the Year
Reinsurance Broker of the Year
Digital Insurance Broker of the Year
Best InsureTek Preferred Partner of the Year
Loss Adjusting Firm of the Year
Young Leader of the Year
Personality of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Qatar Insurance (QIC)
NEXSYS
Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Middle East
Al Tamimi & Company
Marsh Re
Policybazaar.ae
KGiSL
Arab Loss Adjusters (ALA)
Michele Grosso, CEO, Democrance
Hammad Khan, CEO, Sukoon Insurance
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Management: Mustafa Oliyath Vazayil
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Leadership: Abbas Bolurfrooshan
The awards ceremony recognised the achievements of established industry leaders as well as
emerging innovators, highlighting the organisations and individuals driving progress across insurance,
technology, digital transformation and customer experience.
Advancing the Global Insurance Ecosystem
The successful conclusion of GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 marks another important milestone in
bringing together the international insurance and InsurTech community.
Across two days of industry discussions, expert perspectives, networking engagements and award
recognitions, the conference reinforced the importance of innovation, collaboration and forward
thinking leadership in addressing the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of insurance.
Through its international conference platform and Golden Shield Excellence Awards, GAIP continues
to provide opportunities for industry stakeholders to exchange knowledge, recognise achievements
and build meaningful connections across the global insurance ecosystem.
About GAIP – InsureTek
The Global Association of Insurtech Professionals (GAIP) is an international platform committed to
connecting insurance professionals, industry leaders, technology innovators and decision-makers.
Through its international InsureTek conference series and Golden Shield Excellence Awards, GAIP
advances industry collaboration, knowledge exchange and technological innovation while recognising
excellence and achievements across the global insurance and InsurTech ecosystem.