Daman launches ambitious new business strategy as the company turns 15

• New strategy focuses on sustained government partnership, growing insurance footprint, continued achievement of operational excellence, and integrating innovative smart solutions across the sector

Abu Dhabi, UAE: The National Health Insurance Company – Daman has launched its ambitious new business strategy, to help it transform its business operations going forward, as the company celebrates 15 years as the UAE’s biggest health insurer.

The strategic vision is based around four central pillars that will help Daman continue to evolve its service offering and bring the latest innovations to its members across the country, as the UAE looks ahead to its centenary celebrations in 2071.  

The four central pillars of Daman’s new corporate strategy are: sustaining the extensive partnership the company has established with government entities; increasing Daman’s product value proposition; the continued achievement of operational excellence across the company; and providing innovative smart solutions that lead the wider sector.

Commenting on the launch H.E. Khalid bin Shaiban Al Muhairi, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Company – Daman, commented: “Over the past fifteen years, Daman has been an integral element of the Abu Dhabi Government strategic vision for the development of the Emirate’s insurance and healthcare sector. Through a comprehensive health insurance system, all Abu Dhabi citizens and residents have access to a dependable, sustainable quality health care coverage in line with the Government’s vision.

“Now, in its fifteenth year, the company enters a new stage, at a time when the UAE is celebrating the Year of the 50^th, our new strategic direction has been crafted principally to ensure that the company meets the aspirations of UAE Centennial 2071,” His Excellency  added.  

Sustained government partnership

Daman has been a long-term strategic partner of the Government and the continuation of that mutually beneficial relationship will be at the very heart of Daman’s business strategy, as it looks towards the next 50 years. Since its foundation, Daman has supported the Government to design, implement and monitor a high-quality healthcare system that provides individually tailored health plans for all citizens and residents. 

Growing insurance footprint

Daman manages the most comprehensive healthcare network in the UAE, with more than 2.5 million members signed up to its schemes. Daman places a firm emphasis on financial responsibility towards its clients, government partners and others. To achieve this, Daman has set up a value-based system, which simultaneously delivers the highest quality medical care with the most cost-effective rates.

Achieving operational excellence

Daman prides itself as being an industry leader at the forefront of customer service innovation, and the pursuit of operational excellence will be a key tenet of the new strategy.

The company will continue to use its industry leading expertise to implement sound, rigorous insurance underwriting practices. It will simultaneously offer easy and continued access to its services and products through its mobile application and 24/7 customer call centres.

Being a smart innovator

Daman has always been at the forefront of innovation in the healthcare insurance sector. The company was the first in the region to link its health insurance policies to a member’s Emirates ID, effectively doing away with the need for a separate insurance card. With the recent launch of its Hayakoum Thiqa Smart Branch Services Daman is bringing the latest technological advances to its members.

This has all been made possible by Daman’s robust IT infrastructure. Continued investment in the companies IT systems and infrastructure will underpin its commitment to digital innovation.

The new strategy was announced on Monday 14 June at a media round table held by the company, celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, chaired by the company’s CEO, Hamad Al Mehyas.

The strategic vision has been borne out of the company’s extensive 15-year experience in the health insurance and wider healthcare sector.

Speaking at the event, Hamad Al Mehyas, Chief Executive Officer of Daman, commented: “Over the past fifteen years, Daman has built and enabled a peerless range of technological systems and ensured an extensive diversity of network providers, all with the aim of benefitting our customers.”

“Innovation has been a fibre at the heart of Daman’s corporate ethos. We were the first insurance company in the UAE to create cardless insurance policies back in 2017, as well as the first online policy management services as early as the late 2000s, thanks to our extensive technological backing in our systems and processes.

“Emiratisation continues to be a key priority for Daman. The rate of Emiratisation in recent years has increased by 40%. In having such a workforce, Daman has been resolutely able to meet challenges in the wider market for local talents as it focused on training, education and work-experience to bridge the Emiratisation gab in the sector – an effort that will continue as part of our future strategy.”

Daman began operations in 2006 as the UAE’s first specialised health insurance company. Since the company’s foundation, it has grown to be the nation’s largest health insurance provider, and is a trusted partner of the Government on a range of programmes as well as helping to design, implement, and monitor a quality health insurance system.

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About National Health Insurance Company – Daman:

The National Health Insurance Company – Daman is the UAE’s leading health insurer providing comprehensive health insurance solutions to 2.5 million members in the UAE.

Daman is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a diverse portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy. ADQ owns 80% of Daman’s shares with the remaining 20% owned by Munich Re who is also a strategic partner.

Daman, a pioneer in health insurance, drives innovation through a combination of state-of-the-art technology and healthcare-related expertise offered by a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. Members benefit from added value through unique offerings such as the disease management programmes. Daman provides a 24/7 customer call centre and medical services authorisation team who are in direct contact with Daman’s network of around 3,000 medical facilities. The company also provides a diverse range of digital services that are unmatched in the UAE.

Daman has set high standards in the health insurance industry and has been awarded a number of internationally recognised awards and quality-focused certifications in a relatively short span of time.

© Press Release 2021