War Cover For Cars in The UAE: What Do Sukoon, Orient, and GIG Gulf Actually Offer?

In early 2026, no insurer in the UAE would have paid a single dirham if a piece of an intercepted missile came down on your car’s bonnet. War damage was in the exclusion list of every motor policy in the country. That has changed quickly. Sukoon put the first product out in the market. Orient followed within days with something rather different. GIG Gulf's coverage, meanwhile, is the most openly documented of the three. So there is a real choice now. The three products are not the same, and the differences matter far more than the price does. Here is what each one pays for, what it quietly leaves out, and whether it is worth your money.

Why Will Your Normal Car Insurance Policy Not Pay for This?

Every comprehensive car insurance policy sold in the UAE excludes war, invasion, civil war, terrorism, riots, and strikes. Third-party policies exclude them too. It is standard wording used in every motor insurance policy, and the reasoning is simple: no insurer can price a risk that might write off fifty thousand cars in a single night.

What Has Been Happening Since February 2026?

The UAE has faced attacks since February 2026. By mid-July, the Ministry of Defence had reported engaging 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and more than 2,260 drones. Injuries stood at roughly 230 people, including Emiratis and residents of many nationalities.

Air defences stopped nearly all of it. The damage that has reached cars has come mostly from debris falling after an interception rather than from direct hits, which is exactly the kind of loss these new products are built to pay for.

Attacks paused for a few weeks after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, started again in May, then escalated sharply on 12 July. Iran fired at several Gulf states, including the UAE, that day. This came hours after the US Central Command struck around 140 targets inside Iran.

GIG Gulf launched its product around soon.

What Does Sukoon War Cover Offer?

Sukoon insurance, the insurer many people still know as Oman Insurance, launched Motor War Cover. It was the first product of its kind sold to ordinary drivers in the country. Here is what you get.

• Who can buy it? You need a Sukoon comprehensive motor policy first. You cannot buy this on its own, and you cannot add it to a third-party policy.
• How much can you claim? The cover matches the value you declared on your motor policy, up to AED 5 million per car.
• What does it pay for? It covers:
  • Direct physical damage to your car caused by acts of war, whether war is declared or not
  • Terrorism and politically motivated violence
  • Riots and civil unrest
  • Strikes or labour disturbances
• Where are you covered? Inside the UAE only.
• How is the price worked out? Sukoon charges pro-rata, using your insured value and the months left on your motor policy. Add it two months before renewal, and you pay less than someone adding it in month one.
• What Sukoon has not told us? There is no waiting period, no exclusion list, and no cancellation terms. Ask for the policy wording before you pay.

“It is about ensuring we are here for our customers when things feel unpredictable. It's an optional add-on exclusively for our comprehensive motor policyholders.”

— Julien Audreire, Executive Vice President, Sukoon Insurance, speaking to The National

What Does Orient War Cover Offer?

Orient Insurance, part of Al-Futtaim, went a different way. Instead of bolting war cover onto a motor policy, it launched four separate war risk and political violence products at once.

1. Marine War on Land for cargo moving by road or rail inside the UAE and across regional trade routes
2. Marine Cargo War Risks for sea shipments facing war, piracy, and related perils
3. Political Violence Insurance for Personal Vehicles for privately owned cars damaged by war, terrorism, sabotage, strikes, or riots
4. Political Violence Insurance for Residential Units for homeowners facing damage from the same events

The third one is the product for drivers. It is not an add-on in the way the other two insurers sell it. It is a specialist policy covering the vehicle. “The UAE’s economic ambitions are built on a foundation of confidence; confidence in our systems, our institutions, and our collective ability to manage risk effectively.”

— Omer Elamin, President, Orient Insurance Group

What Does GIG Gulf War Cover Offer?

GIG Gulf came last, publishing the most details by a wide margin.

1. You choose how much cover you want

GIG Gulf gives you three coverage types to pick from. Your choice sets the most you can ever claim:

• Your vehicle’s full value, minus standard depreciation
• AED 100,000
• AED 50,000

If you drive a ten-year-old Corolla, the AED 50,000 tier is probably all you need. It keeps the premium down, too. If you drive something worth AED 400,000, only the top tier makes sense.

2. What counts as war

GIG Gulf lists the events that trigger a claim: fighting between countries even without a formal declaration, invasion by a foreign power, civil war or rebellion or revolution, major civil unrest that turns into an organised uprising, and a military or other group seizing control of a government by force.

3. The 48-hour rule

The cover starts 48 hours after you buy it. Not immediately. If something happens tomorrow morning and you bought war cover tonight, you are not covered.

4. Cover for business fleets

GIG Gulf has also opened war cover to select commercial fleet policies. Logistics firms and companies running corporate fleets have had almost nothing available to them until now. This is the first broadly available option in the market.

“Real commitment means being there for the moments that matter most to our customers. That's why we've added war cover to motor and fleet policies.”

— Paul Adamson, CEO, GIG Gulf

What is the Cost of War Cover in the UAE?

Pricing across the market is still settling. This is because until May, nobody was selling this to ordinary drivers.

1. Industry figures quoted by The National put entry-level premiums in the wider market at around AED 90, although what you actually pay depends on the car and the insurer.
2. Sukoon works it out pro-rata from your insured value and the months left on your policy.
3. GIG Gulf says the add-on costs 0.5% additional premium, and states plainly that this is not a flat fee. The final amount depends on your vehicle value and which of the three tiers you choose.

What is Excluded in War Cover?

GIG Gulf has a full exclusion list.

1. Your own car only; there is no third-party liability under any of these products
2. Nothing nuclear, radioactive, or atomic
3. No goods being carried for trade or business
4. Nothing connected to airport or airside operations
5. No loss inside or within 500 metres of a military base, defence site, or marine port
6. Taxis, rental cars, commercial and public transport vehicles, and government or embassy vehicles cannot have it at all

How to Buy Motor War Cover In The UAE?

You do not have to wait for your renewal date to get this. But before you pay for anything, it is important to know whether the add-on is actually worth it for your car.

Start with Policybazaar.ae

1. Compare the policies underneath first. War cover only works on top of a comprehensive policy, so the policy you choose matters more than the add-on does. On Policybazaar.ae, you can compare comprehensive plans from multiple insurance partners side by side, with premiums, add-ons, and repair options in one place.
2. One conversation instead of three. Sukoon, Orient, and GIG Gulf all price and structure war cover differently. Instead of calling each of them and trying to line up the answers yourself, you can go through a team that already knows how the three compare.
3. Get in touch with our expert team. They will walk you through whether this cover is worth the money for your car, your parking situation, and your budget. If your car is old and low in value, they will tell you that.
4. We help you decide, not just buy. The questions worth asking are which sum insured tier suits your car's actual value, whether the waiting period puts you at risk, and what the exclusions mean for where you park every day. Our advisers take those one at a time with you.
5. Nothing is rushed. You get the full picture before you commit, including the exclusions that the insurer's own page may not spell out.

One More Thing

You can also buy war cover straight from the insurer's own website or call centre. If you go that route, get the policy wording as a document and confirm every detail in writing first — the exact dirham premium, the sum insured limit, the waiting period, the full exclusion list, and whether you can cancel it later. These three products differ on all five of those points, and a claim can turn on any one of them.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information, not financial or insurance advice. Cover terms, prices, and eligibility differ between UAE insurers and may change without warning. Read the policy wording and speak to your insurer or a licensed broker before buying. Every figure and quote here comes from the sources listed above and is accurate as of 27 July 2026.

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