Howden Re, the global reinsurance and strategic advisory arm of Howden Group, has announced that it has secured a full reinsurance license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate from Dubai International Financial Centre.
This license, along with Howden Re’s office expansion in the Middle East will see an expanded Dubai operations build on Howden's current broking services, with a focus on its treaty, facultative and MGA reinsurance.
The Dubai operations will be co-led by Julian Samengo-Turner, Head of IMEA and Attilio Tornetta, newly appointed Head of Treaty & Regional Retro, MEA. Sheena Kotecha, Head of Operations IMEA, has also been appointed Senior Executive Officer.
Tornetta, who joined Howden Re in 2023 as Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, will focus on developing the firm’s Treaty proposition and expanding its footprint across the Middle East and Africa.
Recently, Howden announced its entry into Saudi Arabia with a dedicated reinsurance operation and expansion into South Africa under the leadership of Gary Ankorn and deepened its presence in India under Minesh Jani, Head of Reinsurance India.
Mario Baotic, Head of International Growth Markets, Howden Re, commented: "The Middle East is a rapidly evolving market, where demand for sophisticated reinsurance support is booming. We appreciate DIFC’s ongoing confidence in Howden and their partnership in enabling our growth through this license. This development clearly demonstrates Howden Re’s continued international expansion, our ambition to deepen our regional presence, and our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our clients globally.
