JEDDAH — Tawuniya, Saudi Arabia’s first insurance company, has embarked on a major project to provide insurance coverage to the millions of foreigner who come to Saudi Arabia for Haj and Umrah. The company has signed agreements with Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company in Manama and Al-Ain Ahlia Insurance Company in the UAE to market the product titled “Manasik.” The new insurance service, which is provided for the first time, targets 1.5 million Haj tourist and more than five million Umrah travelers.
Fahd Al-Hasani, executive vice president of Tawuniya for properties and accidents, said providing health care to the millions of travelers has been one of the major concerns of the Saudi's.
According to statistics issued by the Health Ministry in 2005, its hospitals in Makkah and other sites provided health care to more than 11,000 travelers. Health centers in the cities treated 812,000 during the period.
“The Manasik program offers practical solutions to the health care problems of foreign tourist during their stay in the Saudi Kingdom,” Al-Hasani said.
The Manasik insurance policy, with a premium of SR100, covers medical expenses up to SR25,000 ($6,666) starting from the arrival on Saudi land for one month.
Under the policy, Tawuniya will provide compensation up to SR50,000 ($13,333) for deaths as a result of injuries. It will also meet expenses up to SR10,000 ($2,600) to transport the insured bodies to their home countries. “The premium of SR100 is affordable for all groups of travelers,” he said.
He said the Bahraini and UAE companies would work as Tawuniya’s agents in Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE to market Manasik among potential travelers in the three countries.
Al-Hasan disclosed plans to hold talks with companies in other Arab and Islamic countries to market Manasik as part of his company’s efforts to provide the service to all foreign tourist.
Health Ministry announced plans to provide health insurance coverage in coordination with the ministries of interior, foreign affairs and Haj.
The move came as part of the Saudi Government’s effort to reduce public health expenditures.
The government intends to apply the cooperative insurance to all Saudis.