Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020
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Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Morocco to Begin Compulsory Insurance for Natural Disasters Early 2020

Compulsory insurance against natural and terrorist disaster damages will begin in Morocco in early 2020, according to Nouman Essami, director at the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance.

His comments were made Monday during the opening of the 26th Afro-Asian Federation of Insurance and Reinsurance (FAIR) Conference held in Morocco.

Essami pointed out that the mechanism of securing catastrophic cases in Morocco, whether resulting from nature or from human activities such as terrorism, has been put in place in recent years.

He said all the concerned legal provisions are ready in addition to the formation of a solidarity fund against disasters.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Supervisory Authority of Insurance and Social Welfare (ACAPS) Hassan Boubrik told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new insurance act will be compulsory and cover all Moroccan residents.

On how the insurance works, Boubrik said it would be included as a special article in all insurance contracts, except for life insurance.

For those who do not have insurance contracts, Boubrik explained that they will benefit from the newly created Disaster Solidarity Fund, whose director has been recently appointed by the Moroccan King.

He said the Fund will be operational starting early 2020.

The Conference kickstarted Monday in Marrakech and witnessed the participation of 1,100 insurance and reinsurance companies from both continents.

The general assembly of the Afro-Asian FAIR has elected Morocco as president of the federation for the next two years.

FAIR’s board of directors handed over the presidency from Bahrain’s Yassir al-Baharna to Morocco’s Youssef Fassi Fihri during the opening ceremony.

The Kingdom is a founding member of the Afro-Asian FAIR in 1964 in line with the implementation of the principles of the Bandung Declaration on cooperation among Non-Aligned Countries.



UAE, Australia Conclude Negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia. WAM
The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia. WAM
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UAE, Australia Conclude Negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia. WAM
The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia. WAM

The UAE and Australia have finalized negotiations on a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries that will, once ratified and implemented, represent Australia’s first trade deal with a country in the MENA region, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Tuesday.

The UAE-Australia CEPA will streamline trade processes, eliminate tariffs on a wide range of goods and services, create new opportunities for investment, and encourage private-sector collaboration in priority sectors, WAM said.

The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia, with bilateral non-oil trade reaching US$2.3 billion in H1 2024, an increase of 10 percent from H1 2023.

The UAE is Australia’s leading trade partner in the Middle East and its 20th largest partner globally. As of 2023, the two countries have also committed a combined $14 billion to each other’s economies, with more than 300 Australian businesses operating in the UAE in sectors such as construction, financial services, agriculture, and education.

The “CEPA will unlock significant opportunities for UAE businesses and provide Australian companies with a gateway to new markets across the MENA region,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said.

As for Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, he stated: “Australian exports are expected to increase by $460 million per year, but this deal means more for Australia than just numbers. A trade agreement with the UAE will facilitate investment into key sectors, which is important to achieving our ambition of becoming a renewable energy superpower.”

Foreign trade remains the cornerstone of the UAE’s economic agenda. In 2023, the UAE’s non-oil trade in goods reached an all-time high of $712 billion, a 14.3 percent increase compared to 2022 – and 36.8 percent more than 2021.

A CEPA with Australia will be a significant addition to the UAE's foreign trade network, which is helping to propel non-oil foreign trade towards its target of AED4 trillion ($1.1 trillion) by 2031.