Moody's Investors Service has recently announced that it had assigned a first-time insurance financial strength rating of Baa2 to the Qatar Islamic Insurance Company 'QIIC'.

Qatar Islamic Insurance Company 'QIIC' was created in 1995 and was one of the first Islamic insurance companies in the world. Operating exclusively in the State of Qatar (although expanding into other Islamic markets), QIIC provides both life and non-life insurance to individuals and businesses in Qatar with gross contributions of QR159mm in 2007 and total assets of QR579mm.

The company ranks fifth in the Qatari insurance market when ranked by premium, and focuses mainly on retail and SME commercial lines of business. Although privately owned, QIIC is a well recognized financial institution in Qatar, with the Chairman of the Board being Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Al-Thani, a member of the ruling family. Sheikh Thani, together with his children and dependents and his wholly owned companies constitute a principal owner of QIIC. QIIC is run on the al-Wakala Islamic insurance model, which maintains separate accounts and funds for policyholders and shareholders.

Moody's notes that QIIC's rating reflects the potential support from its shareholders and the wider financial system. Thus, despite the absence of explicit guarantees, in the context of its role as the leading Islamic insurer in Qatar, QIIC's rating reflects Moody's view on the strong ability and potentially likely willingness of QIIC's main shareholders, and also the wider financial system, to support the company if it were to come under financial distress. Absent such support, the rating would be lower.

Moody's notes the main standalone strengths of QIIC are its extremely strong capitalization in relation to insurance risk, with underwriting leverage standing at a very low 50% as at end 2007. In addition, insurance profitability has been strong in recent years, with non-life combined ratios averaging 77% over five years and with overall policyholder surplus and shareholder profit at QR418mm in 2007 growing from QR323mm in 2006. More negatively, Moody's notes that QIIC's main challenges include managing the very high level of investment risk, as QIIC invests predominantly in Qatar equity and property markets (respectively 41% and 15% of non-linked assets).

In addition, Moody's notes the company's overall heavy exposure to Qatar both through insurance and investment risk, in particular as Qatar's insurance market is small in comparison to some Gulf peers, although it is growing at a strong rate.

Finally, as with many insurance peers in the region Moody's regards QIIC's risk management functions as modest, and would expect these functions to improve as the size and complexity of the business grows

Moody's said that upward rating pressure for QIIC may evolve over time from 1) a significant reduction in investment risk, either through wider spread of asset classes and/or geographic exposure and 2) through sustained profitable growth and international expansion reducing concentration risks

On the other hand, the rating may experience downward pressure from 1) a significant deterioration in the Qatari economic environment, particularly if the real estate market is impacted, 2) reduced underwriting profitability with QIIC's policyholders fund becoming reliant on investment income for over 80% of the policyholder's surplus generated and 3) any evidence of reduced likelihood of support from QIIC's main shareholders and business partners

At H108 QIIC recorded 5% growth in gross contributions to QR102MM from QR97mm at H107. Total policyholder surplus generated increased by 31% to QR13mm from QR10mm. Total policyholders surplus and shareholders equity stood at QR476mm (QR418mm YE07).