Sustainable Impact: Geo Pool Insure against Geo- Political Risk

Abstract

The Middle East is currently navigating a period of profound geopolitical flux and instability, with 2024 emerging as a year of significant regional transformation. Ongoing conflicts in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, exacerbated by the dramatic collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024, continue to reshape the political and humanitarian landscape. Recent escalations, such as Israel's "Operation Rising Lion" targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, underscore the persistent risk of broader regional conflict. This volatility poses a direct threat to the stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, given their critical energy infrastructure, vital shipping lanes, and the presence of U.S. military bases, all of which risk being drawn into any wider conflagration. In response, GCC states have pragmatically pursued de-escalation and rapprochement, including with Iran, and are increasingly adopting a non-aligned stance in global geopolitics to safeguard their economic survival and regional security. Amidst this geopolitical backdrop, the GCC countries host a substantial, yet often underrecognized, population of individuals displaced from war-torn nations. These populations, primarily originating from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan, have largely entered GCC states under labor migration frameworks, such as the Kafala system, rather than through formal refugee status. Data indicates that Saudi Arabia alone hosted approximately 745,580 Syrians in 2017, while the UAE had 50,463, Kuwait 142,000, and Qatar 12,320. Yemeni emigrants in 2019 included 750,919 in Saudi Arabia,202,574 in the UAE, 68,962 in Kuwait, and 35,574 in Qatar. The UAE hosts around 300,000 Afghans, and Saudi Arabia 132,282. Saudi Arabia is also a top destination for Sudanese emigrants. These displaced individuals, while contributing significantly to GCC economies, face profound vulnerabilities, including limited social protection, precarious legal status, and inadequate access to essential services. A critical gap exists in comprehensive life insurance and social protection for these vulnerable groups. Despite their vital economic contributions, migrant workers, including those displaced, often lack robust social safety nets, particularly coverage beyond work-related injuries. The Kafala system exacerbates this precarity by tying legal residency to employers, severely limiting workers' mobility and their practical access to services and legal recourse. Existing life insurance schemes for expatriates are frequently limited, expensive, or not tailored to the transient and vulnerable nature of many displaced populations. For instance, natural death, a common cause of mortality among blue-collar workers, is often not covered by mandatory employer insurance.