Click, Chat, Choose: Insurance Decisions on AI-Search In Middle East
People aren’t browsing providers; they’re asking AI-Search who to trust and get insured. Read on to know more about this exciting wave in the world of AI.
Hi there,
In this edition we explore a fascinating trend. A highly regulated sector like Insurance within the Financial Services domain is now undergoing a massive shift with users increasingly shifting their insurance decisions to platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity & Co-Pilot. Read on to learn more.
📊 AI Search Shift: UAE & GCC Snapshot
53% of expats in Dubai now use AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) to compare insurance providers before visiting a website.
41% of health, auto, and travel insurance queries in the UAE are now AI-generated.
38% of SMEs in the region ask AI for corporate insurance recommendations instead of searching manually.
1 in 3 prompts lead AI to recommend global providers (AXA, Cigna, Bupa) over regional brands.
👥 Consumer Prompt Behaviors (Real AI Queries)
Individuals & Families:
🔹 “Best health insurance in UAE for maternity.”
🔹 “Cheapest car insurance in Dubai for expats.”
🔹 “AXA vs Orient — which one covers dental?”
SMEs & Businesses:
🔹 “Which insurance company is best for employee health plans in UAE?”
🔹 “Top insurance brokers in Dubai for startups.”
Medical Tourism + Frequent Flyers:
🔹 “Best annual travel insurance for Saudi visa holders.”
🔹 “Which provider covers emergency care globally?”
🌍 Regional Highlights
Dubai:
AI is recommending “international insurers” 2x more than local brokers due to structured data gaps.
Abu Dhabi:
Low AI recall for TPA and corporate coverage — SMEs are discovering global players first.
Saudi & Qatar Consumers:
Growing prompts like “Halal travel insurance providers” and “Family coverage under 1000 AED.”
Expats from India, UK & EU:
Most queries begin with “Which insurance company covers…” instead of searching provider names.
🏢 Provider & Broker Playbook: Who Shows Up in AI?
AXA Gulf → high visibility in auto & travel.
Cigna → strong in expat and family plans.
Bupa Arabia → rising for premium coverage queries.
MetLife → scattered mentions, weak plan mapping.
Orient Insurance / Oman Insurance → low AI recommendations.
Bayzat / Policybazaar UAE → better recall than many brokers.
💡 Insight: AI isn’t comparing policies — it’s naming providers.'
🔍 SearchScore Spotlight (Powered by Searchscore.AI)
Here’s how UAE insurance brands currently rank in AI visibility:
✅ AXA Gulf → 78/100
✅ Cigna Middle East → 74/100
⚠️ Bupa Arabia → 61/100
⚠️ MetLife Gulf → 49/100
❌ Orient, Oman, and Daman → Under 45/100 (low citations)
❌ Most brokers → Under 40/100 (rarely mentioned)
🔮 DareAISearch POV
Consumers no longer compare 10 tabs. They ask one AI engine and trust the answer. If your plans, pricing, and positioning aren’t machine-readable, you don’t exist in the new discovery journey — no matter how strong your brand is offline or on Google.
Tomorrow’s policy buyers won’t click comparison sites — they’ll act on AI’s recommendation.
📌 Stat of the Week
👉 “By 2027, AI will influence over 45% of insurance purchase decisions in the GCC.” - DareAISearch Forecast
Ready to kickstart your AI-Search Journey?
Prove your brand’s AI search readiness. See how visible your brand is on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini and act on a tailored plan to climb the ranks.
Best,
Team SearchScore.AI