Emirates: Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (Adnic) will provide health insurance to employees in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) free zone from next month.

Reinsurance firm EC3 Brokers said DIFC Master Health Insurance Scheme is cost-effective health insurance for entities operating within the DIFC.

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said the insurance scheme is a first for any free zone in the UAE.

"We hope it provides our over 2,500 firms and more than 25,000 professionals access to high quality health insurance at streamline rates. Promoting this scheme is yet another way DIFC and Dubai continue to improve ease of doing business and ensure we remain the preferred working and living destination in the region for financial talent and their families," he said.

Adnic came out on top following a comprehensive competitive bidding process amongst a number of competing parties.

Smaller firms often have difficulty in accessing group rates from health insurers and are required to make very detailed disclosures relating to the health and pre-existing conditions of staff for insurers to properly assess and price the risk related to them. The DIFC Master Health Insurance Scheme is intended to bring the pricing and other benefits usually only afforded to much larger employers.