AM Best Named ‘Ratings Agency of the Year’ at the MENA II Awards 2026

(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best was named Ratings Agency of the Year at the MENA II Awards 2026, marking its second consecutive win in the category. The event was held at the Dubai International Financial Centre on Feb. 5, 2026, with the awards recognizing and rewarding the leading insurers, reinsurers and brokers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets.

More specifically, the rating agency category judges described AM Best as “a well-established regional leader, delivering unrivalled insurance credit ratings, extensive research, and thought leadership.” The judges also noted that AM Best’s proven rating stability, innovative solutions, and proactive focus on emerging risks set the benchmark for technical excellence and strategic partnership in MENA.

“We’re once again honored to be recognized for the growing role that we have in the MENA insurance market,” said Vasilis Katsipis, AM Best’s managing director for MENA, South & Central Asia. “This continues to be a key region for both AM Best and the insurance industry. This award serves as recognition that we’re moving in the right direction here, and underscores the importance of our role in supporting the industry’s financial strength and well-being.”

AM Best, which marked its 125th anniversary in 2024, assesses the creditworthiness of and/or reports on more than 16,000 insurance and reinsurance companies, including more than 50 (re)insurance companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council and broader MENA region. AM Best is the world’s first credit rating agency and the world’s largest credit rating agency specialising in insurance.

AM Best also was the first credit rating agency to assign ratings to insurance companies in the MENA region and has had an office in the Dubai International Financial Centre in United Arab Emirates since 2012 to support its growing presence in the region. The rating agency also employs a criteria procedure for rating takaful (Shari’a compliant) companies.

More information about the awards event can be found here at this link. The MENA II Awards 2026 is coordinated by Intelligent Insurer magazine and its parent, Newton Media Ltd.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260209561265/en/