Home Insurance in Abu Dhabi

No, home insurance isn't legally required in the UAE. However, if your property has a mortgage, your bank will usually require building insurance as a condition of the loan. Even when it's optional, it protects you from costs that can easily run into tens of thousands of dirhams.

Usually, yes. Your landlord is typically responsible for insuring the building itself, but that policy won't cover your belongings. Contents insurance protects your furniture, electronics and personal items, and often includes personal liability cover too.

Building insurance covers the structure of your home, such as walls, roof, floors and permanent fixtures. Contents insurance covers what's inside, such as furniture, appliances, electronics and clothing. Owners usually need both, while tenants usually only need contents cover.

Usually, but often only up to a set limit per item. High-value items such as jewellery, watches or artwork may need to be listed individually on your policy to be fully covered. It's worth checking these limits before you buy.

This is where personal liability cover helps. Many home policies include it, covering your legal responsibility if you accidentally damage someone else's property, such as a leak into the apartment below, or if someone is injured in your home.

It depends on the policy. Accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe, is commonly covered, but cover for floods and storms varies between insurers. Check the policy wording carefully, especially since the April 2024 floods in the UAE.

Many policies include alternative accommodation cover, which pays for somewhere to stay while your home is being repaired after an insured event such as a fire or major water damage.

The main factors are the value of your contents and building, the type and location of the property, security features, and any extras you add, such as cover for items taken outside the home. Contents-only cover for tenants is usually quite affordable.