Dubai: More than 5,500 Indian expat workers in the UAE have been subscribed under a new ‘Life Protection Plan’ that offers up to Dh75,000 compensation for families in case of the death of the insured due to natural or accidental causes.
This was announced on Tuesday by the Indian Consulate in Dubai which had facilitated the launch of the new plan by two insurance companies in the UAE to help families of blue-collar workers without a life insurance plan.
“In line with the Consulate’s continuing efforts to improve the living conditions and terms of employment of Indian workers in the UAE, the Consulate had facilitated the launch of the Life Protection Plan in March 2024,” the mission said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“Now, the Consulate General of India, Dubai is delighted to note that so far over 5,500 workers have been beneficiaries of the welfare scheme,” it stated.
Why was it launched?
The insurance scheme provides financial benefits to the family of the deceased in the event of natural death or accidental death along with repatriation of mortal remains.
The mission had said that it coordinated with the two insurance companies and major employers in the UAE for launching the new plan after observing that natural death of Indian blue-collar workers, who die here, had not been covered under existing insurance policies.
There are around 3.5 million Indians residing in the UAE, out of which around 65 per cent are blue collar workers. They form one of the largest groups of migrant workers in the UAE, the consulate pointed out.
In the absence of a mandatory insurance coverage for the natural death of employees, the mission pointed out that the legal heirs or dependents of the deceased do not receive any compensation in cases of natural death.
It was to address this concern that the consulate said it facilitated a joint meeting between the major companies recruiting Indian blue-collar workers and the insurance service providers Gargash Insurance Services LLC and Orient Insurance PJSC to arrive at an insurance package, which could cover both natural and accidental death.
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Various benefits
While the insurance plan was launched primarily to support the blue-collar workers, companies are free to extend the coverage to all the employees.
The plan covers employees aged between 18 to 70 for annual premiums ranging from Dh37 to Dh72. The death of workers due to natural or accidental causes is assured from Dh35,000 to Dh75,000 based on the premium. The plan also offers a Dh12,000 coverage for repatriation of the mortal remains of the insured employee.
“On 12 August 2024, Extra Co group of Companies and Gargash Insurance finalised the formalities for subscribing the insurance scheme for workers of the Extra Co Group of Companies at the Consulate,” the mission stated while providing the latest update.
Other benefits of the plan include 24 hour-worldwide coverage for employees having a UAE employment visa and permanent total / partial disability due to accidents.
The mission pointed out that the plan has to be opted by the employers or companies for their employees. “It is currently not available for individual subscribers,” it added.
Sum Assured Options and Annual Premium Per Person
- Dh35,000 per person Dh37
- Dh50,000 per person Dh50
- Dh75,000 per person Dh72
