Hala Insurance: Curating exceptional experiences

Walid Daniel Dib, CEO of Hala Insurance, reveals how they’re simplifying insurance with super-fast claims and exceptional customer support.

How is Hala Insurance different from a traditional insurance company?

Hala Insurance is an Insurtech company, which is a product of the digital revolution. Insurtechs are harnessing AI and other disruptive technologies to redefine how you interact with insurance. We’re taking a digital-first approach; we make the usual insurance processes as simple as ordering your favourite food online.

We like to say that we’re bringing a car and home insurance to the 21st century. We provide you with better coverage, faster service and a user-friendly digital platform where you can buy policies and submit claims. Our policies are underwritten by Emirates Insurance Company (EMINSCO), one of the largest insurers in the UAE.

What problem is Hala Insurance solving?

If you ask the average person on the street what they think about insurance, you’ll likely hear them say words such as ‘boring’, ‘confusing’ and ‘inconvenient’.

We want to change that perception with Hala Insurance. We want to transform insurance from a ‘necessary evil’ to being a trusted partner who has your back in sticky situations. On Hala Insurance’s website, you’ll find that we shy away from complex jargon and prefer straightforward, simple language that anyone can understand.

We also recently launched our ‘No Blah Blah’ brand campaign, which sums up what we’re doing perfectly. Every aspect of Hala, from our digital platform to our insurance products and streamlined claims process, aims to cut out the ‘blah blah’ you might encounter when dealing with insurance.

How is Hala making insurance easier for people in the UAE?

In today’s rapid-paced world, insurance has typically been seen as a slow and frustrating industry, especially in this region. That’s where Hala Insurance steps in. We’re radically speeding up processes to revamp the insurance experience in the UAE.

Our customers can now submit car insurance claims on the go; it takes policyholders less than two minutes to do so on our website. They can also choose their preferred garage and take their car for repairs that same day.

To help our customers get back on the road sooner, we have introduced fast-track repairs for car insurance claims. We automatically approve 91 per cent of car repairs in the UAE, expediting the process and reducing the wait time for policyholders.

We’re also the only insurance agency in the UAE that offers end-to-end support during your entire insurance journey. Our customer support doesn’t stop the moment you buy a policy; that’s when it starts. We’re there when you need to file a claim, follow up on your repairs, learn more about your policy or make use of our complimentary services.

As a digital insurance agency, how does Hala Insurance offer customer support?

Hala Insurance’s customer support is human-centric. Even with our user-friendly digital platform, we understand that sometimes customers just need to talk to someone about their policy or claim. That’s why we pride ourselves on having a customer support team that’s knowledgeable, friendly and always willing to go the extra mile.

We also offer an integrated, omnichannel experience for our customers. It means customers can generate a quote on our website, talk to customer support over the phone to learn more about the benefits, and share documents over WhatsApp to purchase their policy.

What trends are emerging in the insurance industry?

In the motor insurance sector, we’re seeing growing demand for personalised, flexible coverage options, especially as shared mobility rises in popularity. This could take the form of usage-based coverage, where car insurers charge based on the distance that customers drive, or temporary insurance, where customers can purchase coverage for a limited duration.

Another trend that’s likely to gain more traction in the coming years is digital ecosystems in insurance. We’re seeing an increasing number of Insurtechs using APIs to provide easier access to a wider set of personalised services, creating a more valuable customer experience.

What are your plans for the future?

We’re constantly working to refine and enhance the insurance experience for our customers at Hala Insurance. Whether it’s creating a more personalised onboarding journey on our website or making it easier for customers to track their referrals, we’re focussed on delivering a superior customer experience.

We’re also currently working on some exciting partnerships that will enable us to provide one-click insurance in the UAE.

• KT Network