For HNW Women, Insurance Has Gone From Safety Net To Strategy — Here's Why Over the next few years, the number of women seeking sophisticated insurance solutions is likely to grow.

Across the Gulf, more wealthy women are taking an active role in financial planning, including in the private insurance space. It's not a sudden shift, but the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. There's a noticeable uptick in interest and intent from women with significant wealth, whether it's a life policy for family security, a critical illness plan tied to long-term health costs, or an offshore structure aimed at succession

Today, roughly one in three high-net-worth insurance policies in the Gulf region are held by women, with a 9% CAGR in their wealth and 16% market growth. This is outpacing Asia-Pacific's 6% market growth and Europe's 8.1% female wealth growth.

While the average size of their policies tends to be smaller - often between $3–4 million compared to $10–12 million for men - the objectives are clearer. The emphasis has usually been on protection and stability, not just yield.

The decision process looks different

The way women make insurance decisions often diverges from what many advisors might expect. In many cases, decisions are still discussed with spouses or family members, but that doesn't mean women aren't leading the process. In fact, it's increasingly common to see them coordinating insurance for both themselves as well as others in the household.

What does stand out is the degree of caution and detail that goes into the decision. Women tend to ask more questions, take longer to commit, and weigh trade-offs more thoroughly. That can be misread as hesitation, but most of them don't revisit the plan once it's in place. So the fair assessment is that they're more deliberate, not more undecided - they're defined by precision, not hesitation.

The key drivers are usually family-related: income replacement, education planning, or estate equalisation across multiple dependents. Long-term health care costs also factor in, especially for older clients or those with family histories of illness. Risk tolerance is often misjudged here. The patterns could be considered conservative from a yield perspective, but women in this field tend to approach it more from a lens of protection and priorities.

No legal barriers, but cultural norms persist

In the Gulf, there are no legal restrictions preventing women from owning or structuring insurance in their name. High-value policies are frequently housed in offshore companies or trusts, making ownership straightforward.

Yet in practice, local women - particularly citizens - are still underrepresented on the insured side. They're often listed as beneficiaries, but not as policyholders. Among expatriate women, there's greater familiarity with cross-border planning and a higher level of insurance uptake.

This is an indicator of cultural norms. In households where financial planning has traditionally been led by men, even well-informed women may hesitate to initiate insurance conversations. That may shift over time, especially as younger women take on more visible financial responsibilities. But for now, the difference in engagement levels remains noticeable.

The role of the advisor is under scrutiny

Globally, reports suggest that anywhere from 40% to 60% of women prefer consulting a financial advisor or seek trusted advice, though this varies by region and market maturity^[1,2,4]. Nearly half prefer to buy policies through a human professional rather than digital platforms². Yet in many markets, women continue to feel underserved. Some report receiving higher-cost or less tailored products than men with similar profiles. Others cite a lack of trust or transparency in the process.

In this region, similar themes emerge. Many women want a clearer understanding of how insurance fits into their broader financial picture. They're looking for a plan more than a product, and that requires the advisor to slow down, listen more, and avoid assumptions about priorities. They want advisors to strip away jargon and engage with detail, helping them see how protection aligns with their wider goals.

One area that still needs attention is the treatment of non-earning women, particularly homemakers. Their contributions are rarely factored into insurance calculations, even though their absence can lead to major disruptions in household finances. Valuing unpaid labour is uncomfortable territory for some advisors but avoiding it could leave families exposed down the line.

Beyond a niche: Women as wealth architects

Over the next few years, the number of women seeking sophisticated insurance solutions is likely to grow. Younger clients are more digitally fluent, more aware of financial tools, and more inclined to act early. Some are using policies to complement trust structures, others are building cross-border cover for global families. Many are pushing for insurance that reflects real-world risks including critical illness, long-term care, and income disruption.

There's also more pressure on employers and institutions to adapt. Women in leadership roles are now influencing corporate insurance benefits, asking questions about maternity coverage, mental health, and long-term savings plans. These patterns are central to how the next generation will think about risk.

It's easy to treat women in insurance as a niche demographic. The numbers suggest otherwise. Globally, women already control a growing share of wealth, and by 2030, that number is expected to rise significantly through both earnings and inheritance³. Yet gaps in coverage persist, often due to lack of tailored advice or lingering stereotypes about what women value.

For HNW women in the Gulf, insurance is no longer about passive protection. It is about authorship - structuring a family's financial story with precision, priorities, and permanence. Advisors who understand this will not only earn trust but also long-term partnerships. Those who don't may discover that the most powerful client segment of the next decade has quietly written them out of the script.

^{Footnotes/references}

1. ^{https://www.swissre.com/dam/jcr:4d87445b-0c82-45f2-8a7c-72015556c3d0/swiss-re-institute-expertise-publiation-women-insurance-decision-makers.pdf}
2. 
   ^{https://www.limra.com/en/newsroom/industry-trends/2023/limra-helping-women-protect-their-families-with-life-insurance/}
3. ^{https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/managing-next-decade-women-wealth}
4. ^{https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/the-new-face-of-wealth-the-rise-of-the-female-investor}