GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 Concludes with High-Level Industry Discussions and the 15th Golden  Shield Excellence Awards

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 Winner 

Broker of the Year Marsh 

Insurance System Integrator of the Year Tech Mahindra 

Insurance Ecosystem Enabler of the Year Emirates Vehicles Gate (EVG) Life Insurer of the Year Zurich Life Insurance Middle East Excellence in Digital Transformation InsureMO 

Health Insurer of the Year Daman Insurance 

Audit Service Provider of the Year Baker Tilly (UAE)

Best Insurance Brand Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) Best InsureTek Solution TCS BaNCS 

Digital Insurer of the Year Sukoon Insurance 

Excellence in Insurance Growth & Performance National General Insurance (NGI) Insurance Technology Leader of the Year Newgen Software 

Takaful Company of the Year Abu Dhabi National Takaful Company Insurance Technology Platform of the Year EnoviQ Technologies 

General Insurer of the Year Orient Insurance 

Digital Transformation Partner of the Year Tech Mahindra 

Customer Experience Award Dubai National Insurance (DNI) InsureTek Core Transformation Leader of the Year TCS 

InsureTek Excellence in Partnership eSanad 

Excellence in Motor Insurance Intelligence AutoData Middle East 

Excellence in Underwriting Performance Union Insurance 

Leading Claims Manager of the Year Sedgwick 

Excellence in Medical Tourism & Insurance Services AM Health Hub 

Motor Insurer of the Year Qatar Insurance (QIC) 

Excellence in Digital Insurance Distribution NEXSYS 

Educational & Training Initiative of the Year Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Middle East Law Firm of the Year Al Tamimi & Company 

Reinsurance Broker of the Year Marsh Re 

Digital Insurance Broker of the Year Policybazaar.ae 

Best InsureTek Preferred Partner of the Year KGiSL 

Loss Adjusting Firm of the Year Arab Loss Adjusters (ALA) Young Leader of the Year Michele Grosso, CEO, Democrance Personality of the Year Hammad Khan, CEO, Sukoon Insurance Lifetime Achievement Awards

• 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. 

Event Website: https://www.insuretek.org/dubai-2026/