Source:  www.zawya.com

SALAMA-Islamic Arab Insurance Co. (PSC), one of the region’s leading Islamic insurance (Takaful) companies, hosted a special appreciation event to thank its partners and brokers for their long-standing loyalty and support to the company.

Held at the ultra-luxury Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest tower – the special appreciation event was attended by nearly 26 insurance brokers from the UAE and GCC states, apart from SALAMA’s, partners, clients, business associates and media representatives.

The event is part of SALAMA’s move to engage brokers and business partners as part of its invigorated growth strategy in the changed economic environment. During the grand evening, SALAMA also handed over mementos as tokens of appreciation to some of its partners and brokers.

“Our top priority is to provide service excellence to our customers across the region. As part of our commitment to fulfill our promise to our customers, it is fundamental that we, our brokers and partners need to understand and anticipate our clients’ needs and provide sound insurance solutions. The appreciation evening for our brokers-partners paved the way for us to streamline the roadmap as part of our future growth strategy in the region,” said Mr. Rafiq Halani, General Manager – General & Health Takaful at SALAMA.

He added: “We fully appreciate how valuable our brokers-partners are to the continued success of our firm and the simple fact is that, without their support, we would not have been able to achieve our success in this region. In our expansion strategy for 2010 and beyond, we have identified a joint initiative with our partners and brokers as a key step, amidst very strong trend and potential for Takaful products.”

Over the last three decades, SALAMA has a solid business profile in their traditional territories — Far East, Africa, and Middle East, which is further improving with geographical expansion, business growth and introduction of new life lines.

SALAMA’s growth has been accentuated by the encouraging demand for quality Takaful products across the region, driven by increase in per capita GDP, a youthful demography, increasing awareness, a greater desire for Shari’a-compliant offerings and increasing asset-based Shari’a-compliant financing.

“SALAMA’s achievement reflects the company’s legacy of principled leadership, operational excellence, strong financial results, and personalized customer service. We have provided a cornerstone for financial stability in the lives of thousands of families and businesses, safeguarding their investments and providing a quality of life and peace of mind,” added Mr. Halani.

The company has won recently the “Best Takaful Provider 2009” Award by Global Finance Magazine. It has a paid-up capital of US $300 million and is listed on the Dubai Financial Market.

About SALAMA Islamic Arab Insurance Company

SALAMA-Islamic Arab Insurance Company embarked from Dubai on its quest for expansion through acquisitions and participation in a number of Takaful and Re-Takaful companies in many Arab and Islamic countries. Today SALAMA is the largest Takaful and Re-Takaful Group in the world with a capital of USD 300 million (in excess of AED 1 billion).

Its financial strength can be gauged by the “A-” rating that it received from AM Best and “BBB+” by S&P. Among the prominent subsidiaries of SALAMA, is the wholly owned Tunisia-based BEST Re, the largest global Re-Takaful company, serving customers in more than 70 countries.