West P&I Club’s new Dubai office deepens ties in UAE

West P&I Club’s new Dubai office deepens ties in UAE | Insurance Business Asia

Marine

West P&I Club’s new Dubai office deepens ties in UAE

West is the first International Group Club to do so

West P&I Club has announced that it will open an office in Dubai, located in DIFC. It will be the first International Group Club to do so in the city, emphasising the importance of this region to the club and its growing significance to the wider maritime industry. The office will be operational by autumn.

Capt. Gagan Dhillon has been recruited to lead the new office as CEO. He’s been in the shipping industry for the past 27 years and was in command of oil tankers before moving shoreside in 2010. Dhillon is currently pursuing an executive MBA in shipping from Copenhagen Business School. He is a master mariner with a first-class English law degree. He previously served as a claims director at a different IG P&I Club, and is well known in the Middle Eastern and Greek markets.

“I am very much looking forward to being part of West in this increasingly important maritime region. This office and local team will position us at the heart of a growing maritime hub for owners, charterers and traders, making it an attractive location in the club’s regional network of offices,” Dhillon said.

The new office will focus on claims handling and communications for the UAE, Gulf region, and Indian subcontinent. It will also support the club’s existing claims team in London and Piraeus, which will continue to service the market alongside the new office’s team.

Joint regional heads Nigel Burridge and Gary Henderson, from London, will manage and coordinate the underwriting and business development. A team in Dubai will offer members the immediacy of service closer to their own time zones and access to local marine experts.

“Regionalisation is a key part of our strategy, and this office will further enhance the quality and personal touch of our services to existing members, as well as supporting our new business development in the region. A strong local presence will assist us in continuing to build deep and long-lasting business relationships with both members and brokers, as well as ensuring we remain more agile than our competitors in responding to regional market developments,” said Tom Bowsher, group CEO of West P&I.

West also announced that Enam Hussain has been promoted to head of Middle East operations and offshore, a new position for the company, where he’ll work alongside the Dubai office and the underwriting and claims team in London and Greece. Hussain’s role will be to coordinate the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Turkey and Africa (MITA) team to ensure alignment with the club’s overall strategy. Hussain will also create and manage an offshore team with a global reach across the club.

“I am delighted by the comprehensive team we have assembled in this important area for the club, and I extend my warmest welcome to Gagan and congratulations to Enam in their new positions at West,” Bowsher said. “Our service to existing members is key, and Gagan and Enam perfectly complement our claims office in Greece and our underwriting function in London. Being the first group club to have an office in Dubai is a clear statement to the market of how much significance and focus we place on this exciting and important area, and we look forward to continuing our investment in this new office and the wider team to ensure we remain the leading P&I insurer in this region.”