In an effort to ensure the welfare of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Consulate General of India in Dubai has introduced a Life Protection Plan (LPP) to cover the natural and accidental deaths of blue-collar workers and other employees. This initiative comes in response to the large number of natural death cases among workers and aims to provide financial benefits to their families in the event of such unfortunate circumstances.
According to the Consulate General of India, Dubai, approximately 3.5 million Indians reside in the UAE, with around 65 percent of them being blue-collar workers. This group forms one of the largest migrant worker populations in the UAE. In 2022, the consulate registered a total of 1,750 death cases, of which about 1,100 were workers, and in 2023, around 1,000 deaths were recorded for workers from the total count of 1,513. It has been observed that in over 90 percent of the cases, the cause of death is natural.
While most companies currently provide health insurance and compensation for work-related injuries and deaths, there is no mandatory insurance coverage for natural deaths. As a result, the legal heirs and dependents of deceased employees do not receive any compensation in cases of natural death. To address this issue, the Consulate General of India, Dubai facilitated a joint meeting between major companies recruiting Indian blue-collar workers and insurance service providers.
Following the meeting and based on the feedback from the companies, Gargash Insurance and Orient Insurance have agreed to issue an LPP for blue-collar workers and other employees, covering both natural and accidental deaths. The plan includes benefits such as 24-hour worldwide coverage for employees with UAE employment visas, death due to any cause (natural and accidental), permanent total or partial disability due to accidents, and repatriation expenses (death only) up to AED 12,000 per person.
Consul General Satish Sivan emphasized the importance of the Indian community's welfare, stating that "Welfare of the Indian community remains our utmost priority." He encouraged all companies to consider subscribing to the LPP, which is available at a minimal annual premium of AED 37 per person. The LPP became effective on March 1, 2024.
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login