OREANDA-NEWS.  Loss events, overcapacities in the reinsurance market and lower investment returns resulted in a US$ 4.4 million loss to the Arig Group for the year 2015 (2014: profit of US$ 15.6 million). Parent company Arig and its corporate member at Lloyd’s generated gains of US$ 2.1 million from underwriting activities (2014: US$ 14.3 million) whereas Takaful Re, a subsidiary of Arig, produced a loss of US$ 1.3 million (2014: loss of US$ 8.3 million) to the Group. Investment returns reached US$ 14.3 million but were down 30% yearon-year (2014: US$ 20.5 million) as markets declined towards the end of 2015.

The Group’s net result for the fourth quarter 2015 alone was a loss of US$ 5.8 million (Q4 2014: profit of US$ 6.0 million).

Arig’s Gross written premiums decreased to US$ 220.4 million over the year (2014: US$ 315.3 million) as a result of shifts in the Lloyd’s portfolio, cyclical cutbacks and the influence of exchange rate developments. A series of mid-size insurance losses and the reduced premium pool pushed the Group’s combined ratio up to 106.6% (2014: 101.7%).

Yassir Albaharna, CEO of Arig, commented: “We are obviously not satisfied with our 2015 result and are streamlining the Group for better performance and capital efficiency. It was therefore decided that Takaful Re, in which we hold a 54% stake, should cease underwriting. Equally we are revisiting activities that have remained below our expectations while boosting those with strong returns.”

Arig’s shareholders’ equity stood at US$ 244.2 million on 31 December 2015 (end of 2014: US$ 264.5 million) with a book value per share of US$ 1.23 (end of 2014: US$ 1.34).

About Arig

Arig is one of the largest Arab-owned, professional reinsurance providers in the Middle East and Africa. Arig is listed on the stock exchanges in Bahrain and Dubai and offers a wide range of reinsurance products and services. Arig’s subsidiaries include Takaful Re (Dubai), Gulf Warranties (Bahrain) and Arig Capital Ltd. (UK).

Arab Insurance Group (B.S.C.) is a reinsurance firm regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain.