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S&P Global: Saudi Arabia’s Insurance Market Is a Major Driver of Revenue Growth in Gulf Region

 Traffic jam on a street in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 Traffic jam on a street in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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S&P Global: Saudi Arabia’s Insurance Market Is a Major Driver of Revenue Growth in Gulf Region

 Traffic jam on a street in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
 Traffic jam on a street in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Islamic and Takaful insurance companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council region continue to benefit from favorable growth prospects, mainly driven by high demand for insurance in Saudi Arabia, the largest Islamic insurance market in the region, according to a report by Standard & Poor’s Global credit ratings agency.
Credit Analyst at S&P Global, Emir Mujkic, said: “While we expect overall credit conditions for Islamic insurers will remain stable over the next 6-12 months, consolidation will likely remain a hot topic among smaller and midsize players. About one-fifth of Islamic insurers in Saudi Arabia and about one-third in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) merged in recent years.”
He added that competition is expected to pick up in some markets, with anticipated interest rate cuts starting from September and potentially more volatile capital markets that could lead to “a sharp decline in earnings in 2025 if Islamic insurers fail to maintain their underwriting discipline.”
S&P Global estimated the Islamic insurance sector in the GCC region to expand by about 15 to 20 percent in 2024, with revenues exceeding USD 20 billion.
It also expected the Saudi market to remain the main driver of revenue growth in the GCC region.
“We expect the Saudi market, similar to the past two years, will be the main driver of topline growth in the GCC region. This is because Saudi Arabia, the GCC region’s largest Islamic insurance market, continues to benefit from higher economic growth. At the same time, authorities proceed with reducing the number of uninsured vehicles and have introduced new mandatory medical covers, leading to additional insurance demand and premium income,” the agency said in its report.

The Islamic insurance sector in the GCC region has expanded significantly over the past five years. Revenue growth was particularly strong during 2022-2023, when the sector increased by about 20 to 25 percent annually. This was mainly driven by the market in Saudi Arabia, which expanded by about 27 percent in 2022 and another 23 percent in 2023, the report stated.

 

 

 

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Türkiye's Central Bank Lifts 2026 Inflation Forecasts

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Türkiye's Central Bank Lifts 2026 Inflation Forecasts

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye's central bank on Thursday increased its estimates for inflation as officials try to rein in soaring price increases that have weighed on the economy for years.

The official inflation rate is now seen falling to between 15 and 21 percent by the end of this year, up from a previous forecast of 13 to 19 percent.

"We have increased our forecast range because of better visibility on certain risks," the central bank's governor Fatih Karahan said in a statement, without further detail, Reuters reported.

The forecast would still be a sharp decline from the annual inflation rate of 30.7 percent in January, following years of interest rate hikes in a bid to slow runaway price increases.

However, the official figures are disputed by ENAG, a group of independent economists that publishes its own data every month, with the organisation saying year-on-year inflation stood at 53.4 percent in January.

Türkiye has experienced double-digit inflation since 2019, making life increasingly more expensive for millions of people, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered interest rate cuts in a bid to spur growth.

The cuts sent the lira plunging on currency markets, further fuelling inflation and leading Erdogan to reverse his unorthodox policy in 2023.

But in January the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to 37 percent, citing a continued slowing of price increases.

 

 

 

 

Business

Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026
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Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Ports overseen by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported a 2.01% increase in container handling for January 2026, totaling 738,111 TEUs, up from 723,571 TEUs in January 2025. Transshipment containers rose significantly by 22.44%, reaching 184,019 TEUs compared to 150,295 TEUs the previous year.

However, the number of imported containers decreased by 3.23% to 284,375 TEUs, and exported containers dropped by 3.47% to 269,717 TEUs year-over-year, SPA reported.

Passenger numbers surged by 42.27%, totaling 143,566 passengers compared to 100,909 last year. Vehicle volumes increased by 3.31% to 109,097, and the ports received 886,908 heads of livestock, a 49.86% increase from the same period in 2025.

In terms of cargo tonnage, liquid bulk cargo rose by 0.28% to 14,102,495 tons, general cargo totaled 839,987 tons, and solid bulk cargo reached 4,263,168 tons. The total tonnage handled was 19,205,650 tons, reflecting a 3.04% decrease from the previous year. Vessel traffic recorded 1,121 ships, a slight decrease of 1.75%.

This increase in container throughput supports trade, stimulates the maritime transport industry, and enhances supply chains and food security. These achievements align with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's position as a global logistics hub.

In 2025, Mawani ports achieved a 10.58% increase in total handled containers, reaching 8,317,235 TEUs, while transshipment containers for the year rose by 11.78% to 1,927,348 TEUs.

Business

Oil Prices Edge Lower as IEA Reduces Demand Forecast

Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
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Oil Prices Edge Lower as IEA Reduces Demand Forecast

Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

Oil prices slipped on Thursday as investors weighed the International Energy Agency's lowering of its global oil demand forecast for 2026 against potential escalation of US-Iran tensions.

Brent crude oil futures were down 19 cents, or 0.27%, at $69.21 a barrel by 1232 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 8 cents, or 0.12%, to $64.55.

Global oil demand will rise more slowly than previously expected this year, the IEA said on Thursday while projecting a sizeable surplus despite outages that cut supply in January.

The Brent and WTI benchmarks reversed gains to turn negative after the IEA's monthly report, having derived support earlier from concerns over the US-Iran backdrop.

US President Donald Trump said after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday that they had yet to reach a definitive agreement on how to move forward with Iran but that negotiations with Tehran would continue.

Trump had said on Tuesday that he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if a deal is not reached with Iran. The date and venue of the next round of talks have yet to be announced.

A hefty build in US crude inventories had capped the early price gains. US crude inventories rose by 8.5 million barrels to 428.8 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, far exceeding the 793,000 increase expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.

US refinery utilization rates dropped by 1.1 percentage points in the week to 89.4%, EIA data showed.

On the supply side, Russia's seaborne oil products exports in January rose by 0.7% from December to 9.12 million metric tons on high fuel output and a seasonal drop in domestic demand, data from industry sources and Reuters calculations showed.