Swiss Re, the globally recognized Zurich-based reinsurer, and RIQ, an AI-native reinsurance platform based in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a comprehensive framework for collaboration. This partnership, announced during Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, focuses on advancing capacity solutions, optimizing risk origination opportunities, and scaling AI-enabled capabilities within the UAE.
This alliance represents a strategic convergence of global reinsurance expertise and frontier artificial intelligence technology. By integrating RIQ’s advanced analytical platform with Swiss Re’s vast experience in risk modeling and capital deployment, the partnership is poised to develop highly sophisticated and efficient Reinsurance Solutions in UAE, reinforcing the emirate’s ambition to become a central hub for global risk transfers and innovation in the insurance sector.
What is Reinsurance Solutions in UAE?
Reinsurance Solutions in UAE refer to the services and products offered by reinsurance companies (insurers for insurance companies) to help primary insurers manage and distribute their risk exposures. The reinsurance market in the UAE is particularly dynamic due to its role as a regional financial hub and its commitment to digital transformation.
Key aspects of these solutions in the UAE context include:
- Capacity Deployment: Providing the capital and security required by local insurers to underwrite large or complex risks (such as massive infrastructure projects or high-value commercial properties).
- Risk Origination: Identifying, assessing, and structuring new pools of risk, often through specialized vehicles like captives or sidecar arrangements, particularly within the regulatory framework of ADGM.
- Technological Advancement: Increasingly, these solutions are defined by technology. The integration of advanced analytics and AI is vital for accurately pricing risks in new sectors (like cyber and digital assets) and improving operational efficiency, thereby elevating the standard of Reinsurance Solutions in UAE.
How this Partnership will benefit the users
The collaboration between Swiss Re and RIQ provides substantial benefits to the reinsurance ecosystem, primary insurers, and institutional investors active in the region.
Enhanced Underwriting Accuracy
By leveraging RIQ’s AI-native platform, which integrates advanced analytics and machine learning, Swiss Re can achieve far greater precision in underwriting. This means risks are priced more accurately, minimizing volatility for both the reinsurer and the primary insurer.
Innovative Risk Transfer
The partnership will explore advanced risk transfer solutions and institutional investment vehicles. This could lead to the development of new, high-yield investment products that offer institutional investors regulated exposure to insurance risk.
Market Development
The joint initiatives will inject deep expertise and technological sophistication into the local market, fostering talent development and accelerating the overall maturity of Reinsurance Solutions in UAE and the broader risk ecosystem.
Efficient Capital Deployment
Improved risk origination and analytical capabilities ensure that reinsurance capital is deployed more efficiently and effectively, allowing local insurers to increase their capacity and coverage limits responsibly.
About Swiss Re
Swiss Re is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance, and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer. Founded in Zurich, the company operates globally, applying its deep knowledge and capital strength to anticipate and manage risks ranging from natural catastrophes to emerging cyber threats. Its engagement in the UAE, through this partnership, highlights the strategic importance of Abu Dhabi as a growth market and a hub for financial innovation.
About RIQ
RIQ is an innovative, AI-native reinsurance platform launched in June 2025 by IHC, in partnership with global financial heavyweights BlackRock and Lunate. Headquartered in the ADGM, RIQ’s core value proposition lies in its ability to integrate artificial intelligence and advanced analytics directly into the underwriting, capacity deployment, and investment management processes. RIQ is built to challenge traditional reinsurance models by delivering superior accuracy and efficiency through proprietary technology.
Way Ahead
The MoU establishes a clear framework for Swiss Re and RIQ to pursue joint initiatives across technology, risk, and capacity. The collaboration is expected to accelerate the development of highly specialized Reinsurance Solutions in UAE, particularly those addressing complex or newly emerging risks. A joint working framework will govern the initiatives, ensuring responsible and transparent AI adoption.
By pooling the global scale of Swiss Re with the technological agility of RIQ, this partnership is setting a new global benchmark for how advanced analytics can transform the foundational business of risk transfer, solidifying Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a future-forward centre for finance and risk management.
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