In the frame of the cooperation between CMA and Central Bank of Bahrain for exchanging experiences and recognizing regulatory and supervisory experiences in the neighboring insurance markets, CMA visited the Central Bank of Bahrain during the period from 27th -28th October, 2014. The delegation included; Rashid Al Rashdi, Junior Specialist of Compliance and Inspection Department, Ahmed Al Harrasi, Junior, and Ali Feda Al Lawati, Specialist of Compliance and Inspection Department.
The visit comes within the plan set by the Directorate General of Insurance Supervision of CMA to visit a number of neighboring countries to get introduced to their legislative and regulatory methods, specify the reality of Omani market, and consider the development requirements for the next stage. In this regard, CMA employees went through the procedures taken for issuing regulations of insurance sector in Bahrain, and the licensing arrangements for insurance companies and companies of free professions related to insurance. They were also introduced to the qualification required for hiring in the leading positions in companies operating in insurance sector, and to the approved financial audit systems, besides the mechanisms of reserves adequacy and pricing, and way of dealing with insurance complaints and inquiries.
It is worth to mention that the Central Bank of Bahrain is the regulatory entity for the insurance sector in Bahrain. The insurance market in Bahrain consists of 27 national insurance companies, and 11 branches of foreign insurance companies carry on the business of insurance, reinsurance, Takaful, re-Takaful, and subsidiary private insurance companies inside Bahrain.