Daman celebrates its first anniversary

Established on May 2006 following the issuance of Decree No. 39-2005 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, the company has already grown to be the largest health insurance company in the GCC region with an astounding 570,000 members signed up in its first 12 months of operation.

With a range of comprehensive health insurance catering to both UAE nationals and residents, the company has announced that it is finalizing expansion plans, which will see a roll-out of new products and services across the country. A key focus is the continued development of its international network, which has grown from an initial six to a current 18 countries, including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Germany, USA, UK, Spain, Russia, Austria, Switzerland and India, in addition to the UAE. Other plans also include branch expansions across the UAE and new products and services.

"It's been a very successful year. We've achieved many milestones, such as half a million members and a tripling of our international network to 18 countries. I'm also extremely proud that we are helping to raise standards across the healthcare industry in the UAE, through associating with partners that maintain international standards. However we do not plan to rest on our laurels by any means. We have ambitious plans that will allow us to continue growing throughout the UAE and we must continue to raise the bar in terms of quality standards,"

said Daman's CEO, Dr Michael Blitzer.

With its staff now numbering over 500, Daman recently announced an ambitious Emiratization goal of 17.5%. Other key achievements during the company's first year include the opening of its first four branches in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Daman was delighted to receive His Excellency Mr. Michael Gloss, Germany's Minister of Economics and Technology, who inaugurated its Al Bateen branch in February 2007. Moreover, Daman won the 'Best Medical Insurer of the Year' Award in INSUREX 2007.

Dr Bitzer concluded: "Every UAE resident deserves world-class healthcare. We will continue to strive for this as we enter our second year and remain focused on setting a regional benchmark for health insurance solutions for the benefit of everybody in the UAE."