Inside Markel's Decade in the Middle East — Max Robbie on Risk, Regulation and the Road to 2030

FS Brew is the region's first podcast dedicated to insurance and insurtech across the UAE and the broader Middle East.In this episode, hosts Renjit Philip, Managing Partner at Futureu Strategy Group, and Vidya, Founder of FWD, sit down with Max Robbie, CEO of Markel International Dubai, to mark ten years of Markel's presence in the region and unpack where specialty insurance is headed next.Topics covered:Markel's ten years in the Middle East and how the market has evolvedDIFC's premium growth to 4.2 billion dollars in 2025, and how much reflects genuinely new risk versus relocated businessSaudi Arabia's RHQ mandates and local retention rules, and their effect on Dubai-brokered businessLessons from the April 2024 UAE and Oman floods and whether underwriting terms have structurally changedMarine and political risk across the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, and how Ports & Terminals and War & Terrorism are assessed togetherCyber insurance demand across MENA and whether it is broadening beyond financial institutions and data centresUnderwriting exposure at GCC data centre megaprojects, spanning construction, cyber and business interruption riskWhether current conflict-driven demand is a genuine tailwind for specialty insurers or an understated riskMarkel's Q2 combined ratio and the effect of Middle East conflict events on loss ratiosWhat makes a risk unacceptable, even with a strong broker relationshipEarly-stage collaboration between underwriters, brokers and engineering teams on MENA energy transition megaprojectsCompetition from Liberty, Zurich, Chubb and AIG in energy and construction, and what sets Markel apartMarkel's outlook for the GCC by 2030The episode closes with rapid fire questions on career lessons, leadership style and the innovations shaping the future of insurance in the region.00:00 – Introduction & Welcome01:10 – Max Robbie's Journey: Moving from London to Dubai04:11 – DIFC’s Premium Surge: New Risk vs. Market Relocation05:35 – Expanding Beyond Monoline: Cyber, Trade Credit & Growth06:15 – NatCAT & Flood Exposures: Rethinking Regional Risk & BI09:54 – Marine War Risk, Geopolitics & Supply Chain Disruption13:06 – How Markel Integrates AI & Data in Underwriting16:28 – The Data Center Boom: Multi-Line Risks & Sovereign AI18:19 – Energy Transition & Mega Projects in MENA20:10 – Financial Discipline: Balancing Growth, Reserves & Pricing23:34 – Specialty Capacity Influx: Acumen vs. Price Wars24:55 – Vision 2030: Why Talent is the Key Differentiator26:40 – Rapid Fire Round: Lessons, Leadership & Personal RisksSubscribe to FS Brew for more conversations with CEOs and experts shaping insurance and insurtech in the Middle East.Renjit Philip:work: https://www.futureu.coNewsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.onemorethinginai.com⁠⁠⁠Socials:Twitter / X: @renjitphilipLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip⁠⁠⁠Vidya Veerapandian:⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-veerapandian/⁠ #FSBrew #Insurtech #Insurance #Markel #DIFC #Dubai #MENA #Reinsurance #CyberInsurance #RiskManagement