Dubai Group Sells Turkey Insurance Arm

Dubai Group, part of Dubai Holding, the personal investment firm of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, was hit hard by the global financial crisis and has seen the value of most of its holdings decline.

Like most other state-linked entities in the emirate, it embarked on talks with creditors to restructure debt and extend maturities.

Its financial assets include stakes in Egypt's EFG Hermes, an investment bank hit by Middle Eastern turmoil, and Cyprus Popular Bank, formerly Marfin, whose recapitalization forced Cyprus to seek an international bailout.

Dubai Group also has a stake in Borse Dubai, which owns 20.6% of the London Stock Exchange.

Penetration rates for the insurance sector in the Middle East remain low compared with developed markets, with operators under increasing pressure to boost efficiency, roll out new products and explore new markets.

Turkey, the fastest expanding economy in Europe with growth of 8.5% last year, is seen as attractive to foreign insurers looking to diversify away from competitive and mature home markets.

Dubai Group Sigorta was formed in 2008. It made a loss of 34.2 million Turkish lira ($18.8 million), according to its 2011 annual report.