This report provides an overview of the market for mergers and acquisitions in the insurance market, and makes the case for due diligence of targets by buyers. The paper is organized with the following sections:

• Deal volume in terms of the number of transactions, both worldwide and in the Middle East
• Importance of buy-side due diligence and the need for experienced actuaries for such work
• Key considerations for insurance company buy-side due diligence
• Case study of a potential merger within in the Gulf Cooperation Council