Comment - Sampling the local goods.

(From Reinsurance)

By Isobel McCalman, Editor.

It is always going to be a struggle to convince anyone who doesn't ever get to do it, that international travel for business is a chore.

And fair enough in many respects. The opportunity to visit Bahrain, where the hospitality is endless, the food is excellent and the Gulf is warm enough to swim in, is always going to be a welcome respite to the January blues.

But there is still work to be done - however much of an effort it may be to convince those left at home of that fact. The Middle East insurance conference was the first of its kind, hosted by the Bahrain Monetary Authority and on the evidence presented over the two days, it looks certain to become a regular event to add to the calendar. The region has a diverse range of markets with an equally wide variety of insurance requirements (some of which I hope are reflected in the coverage of the event in this issue, pages 26-29) but the overall impression is of a market opening out and offering a massive opportunity to the insurance industry.

The growing awareness of a need for insurance has been greatly enhanced by the development of takaful products and countries in the region making more regulatory moves towards compulsory insurance. As ever with opportunities in a growth market there ...