Forward Planning: Coping with a changing world

I am very glad to write my 52nd article of 'Forward Planning'. It has, indeed, been a year since I was encouraged by Gulf News to answer questions and discuss insurance, personal finance, financial security, investment and savings.

During the past 12 months, Forward Planning has tried to bring ideas, concepts and explanations about matters that affect our life and are important to all.

Living in the UAE today is a unique experience and most of us take things for granted as we live a comfortable life and sometimes forget the basics to which we should pay attention. We have become perfect consumers who spend today as if there is no tomorrow.

In my articles I have explored areas of financial security and the steps needed to reach it, saving, establishing pension funds and secured retirement, choosing the right medical insurance in anticipation of serious illness or accident, business security planning and business continuation, estate planning and the need of estate protection and inheritance distributions, wills and trusts, safety and health at workplace and the role of risk management and insurance, liability and indemnity insurance for professionals, wedding, special events and entertainment insurance, long-term care and care of the elderly, insurance fraud, cheating insurers and the insured, the September 11 tragedy and the role of insurance, the importance of life insurance, college fee funding, sourcing services of insurance companies, understanding insurance, animals and pets insurance, Islam and insurance, control of personal spending, understanding money and its importance, investment banking, real estate as an investment, buy your home in Dubai, privacy in the workplace (is someone spying on you?), corporate corruption and fraud, business failure and measures to avoid it, road accidents, auto insurance, international accounting standards and insurance, empowering people for a better life, ethics at workplace, earning power and financial freedom, women's financial security and finally, last week, advanced healthcare and insurance.

I made sure that every article brings something new to readers and encourages changes in our financial services industry, government services and also in our mentality for a better, more secured and prosperous life.

Many good programmes and ideas are out there and my job was to underline them. Many readers gave me a positive feedback saying that the articles were giving them views on new subjects or considering old ones from a different angle. The only criticism that I have heard so far is that these articles should also be published in Arabic in local newspapers.

From September 1, I was given the responsibility to manage the Emirates Insurance Association which represents the insurance industry in the UAE.

Improvement of the local insurance market has indeed started through the active role of the association, where we are now working to translate all the changes I was writing about into positive reality. Its members (insurance companies) are also intent on meeting the advanced world's quality standards for products and services.

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce is closely involved and plays a dynamic part in the process with its determination and commitment to support and strengthen the insurance industry.

By all accounts, support is also given by the people living in the UAE who deserve always better services and products.

The world is becoming smaller, especially after September 11, and the requirements of the World Trade Organisation are calling for opening the markets and allowing free trade and unrestricted movement of companies.

When this happens, the strongest and the most fit will survive, which means top priority for quality.