Dubai International Financial Centre posts $4.2bn in DIFC insurance premiums for 2025
DIFC insurance premiums reached $4.2 billion in 2025, marking 20% year‑on‑year growth as Dubai strengthens its position as a global insurance hub.
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) recorded gross written premiums of $4.2 billion in 2025, a 20% increase compared with the prior year, as activity across underwriting and broking accelerated. DIFC insurance premiums doubled in volume compared with 2022, underscoring sustained momentum in the emirate’s reinsurance and specialty risk markets. This performance reaffirms DIFC’s role as a primary hub for registration, structuring and documentation of insurance and reinsurance contracts across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
Brokered business climbs to $3.4 billion
Brokered premiums processed through DIFC exceeded $3.4 billion in 2025, representing 14% growth from $3.0 billion in 2024. The expansion of broker-mediated activity reflects stronger demand from corporate and institutional clients seeking regional placement and global capacity. Brokers based in the centre accounted for a meaningful share of transactions as clients pursued tailored terms for complex and cross-border risks.
Property and casualty lead underwriting growth
Growth was led by higher volumes in property and casualty insurance, supported by rising demand for corporate property programs and liability coverage. Specialty lines such as marine, aviation and transport also contributed to the uptick as global trade and logistics activity recovered. Underwriters reported renewed appetite for tailored solutions that combine risk-transfer with capital-efficient reinsurance structures.
Market depth expands with more than 135 firms
DIFC now hosts more than 135 insurers and reinsurers engaged in underwriting, broking, captive management and bespoke risk-transfer arrangements. The concentration of licensed firms has strengthened the centre’s ecosystem, enabling faster placement and more competitive capacity. Firms cited DIFC’s legal and regulatory framework, regional access and professional services cluster as key enablers of growth.
Fresh licences bolster sector through 2025 and early 2026
Regulators granted licences to 28 new insurance-related firms during 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, broadening the market’s service offering and talent base. New entrants include specialist underwriters, brokerages and risk-service providers targeting niche segments. Licensing activity reflected policy efforts to attract long-term capital and to deepen the pool of capacity available for large and complex risks.
Executive perspective and strategic priorities
DIFC Authority CEO Arif Amiri said the insurance and reinsurance sector continues to strengthen DIFC’s global standing after the centre recorded the 2025 premium milestone. He noted that Dubai’s placement among the world’s top 10 financial centres for insurance reinforces a strategy to build market capability, attract durable investment and support sustainable regional growth. DIFC leadership emphasized ongoing initiatives to expand product offerings and international partnerships.
DIFC’s 2025 results highlight the emirate’s evolving role as a market for large-scale placement, treaty structuring and the administration of self-insurance programmes. Continued inflows of licences and brokered business are likely to sustain momentum as regional insurers and multinational clients seek flexible solutions. The centre’s mix of specialist capacity and regulatory clarity positions it to capture incremental share of cross-border insurance and reinsurance flows.
Looking ahead, the DIFC aims to translate premium growth into deeper capital markets linkages and more comprehensive insurance ecosystem services. Stakeholders say continued focus on talent development, regulatory agility and connectivity with global reinsurers will be critical to sustaining the centre’s trajectory. By building on the $4.2 billion premium base, DIFC is positioned to play a larger role in regional risk transfer and financial resilience.