The Indian Consulate in Dubai recently announced an insurance plan for Indian expats having a UAE employment visa that also covers death due to natural causes.

The consulate had earlier facilitated a meeting between companies recruiting Indian blue-collar workers and insurance service providers Gargash Insurance Services LLC and Orient Insurance.

It was understood at the meeting that most of the companies were insuring their employees under health insurance and workmen’s compensation (work-related injuries and deaths). But there was no mandatory insurance coverage for ‘natural death’, which resulted in legal heirs and dependents of the deceased not being compensated for the loss of life in any way.

Less than two years ago, in 2022, the Consulate General of India, Dubai, registered 1,750 deaths of which 1,100 were workers. In all of the UAE, there are about 3.5 million Indians. A substantial 65% of them are blue-collar workers, who comprise the largest migrant force in the UAE. Just last year alone, the death of 1,000 such workers were registered. It has been placed on record that 90% of deaths are due to natural causes.

The new life protection plan covers employees in the age group of 18 to 70 years and will provide much-needed financial relief to the families of the deceased in the event of natural and accidental deaths. It also covers repatriation expenses (for cases of death only). The plan is also beneficial to those employees who suffer permanent or partial disability by accident.

Satish Sivan, Consul General at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, encouraged all companies to consider subscription to the life protection plan that is available at a minimum premium of AED37 per annum. Premiums at AED50 and AED72 are also available.