About us

We've grown from just three friends in a tiny office to one of the biggest insurance brokers on the world stage. How did we do it? With a bold independent spirit, and a culture where everyone believes in four key principles.  

We are proud of our unique culture, where everyone is personally invested in their clients’ success. This energised, empowered working atmosphere attracts and retains the very best talent in the insurance industry. 

Howden in UAE

Howden’s broking operations in the UAE were established in 2008.

Today, we are a team of 200+ in UAE. We have developed a strong reputation as one of the leading independent brokers helping corporations and individuals.

We have offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as our sister company Howden Specialty which specialises in re-insurance solutions and is based in the DIFC.

We believe in an approach based on specialty-focused, empowered teams where real industry insight is the key driver for innovative solutions and quality client service.  

In short, our teams operate in your world. We know your sector and speak your language.

In 2019, we reinforced our position in Abu Dhabi with the acquisition of Guardian Insurance Brokers, with Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Saeed Al Nahyan and Fawaz Moukayed remaining invested in the business as partners.

Guardian has a great reputation and market presence built over 22 years. Contact Guardian here.

Howden fast facts

• Founded in London, UK in 1994, we’re now the world's largest independent insurance broker with a truly international focus
• We advise on more $35bn of annual premium worldwide
• We bring you specialist risk advice in 50 countries, with 15,000 people ready to support you. Our network of trusted broker partners provides further access to local experts in over 100 territories worldwide
• Our steadfast commitment to independence gives our people the freedom to deliver for clients 
• You get all the benefits of working with a large global broker, combined with the speedy innovation and local know-how of a small independent
• We put People First: we value and look after our employees. We like to see people thrive.

Employee ownership at our heart

While we are backed by patient, long-term investment capital, employees will always remain our largest shareholder group. 

This has a noticeable effect on the culture. At Howden, everyone has a voice. Ideas are embraced, effort gets rewarded and meritocracy is real. All in an environment where people enjoy their work and have fun. 

We foster an environment where people feel valued and cared for, and enjoy rising to every new challenge.

How we operate

Switched on, forward-thinking insight

We use our know-how to solve tough risk management problems. 

To help us do this, we have access to an extensive global community, with over 15,000 local experts all over the globe through our Howden One partner network.

Representing your interests all the way 

Our strong reputation with insurers means we can negotiate the best possible solutions for our clients, and we use every resource at our disposal to get you the results you need.

At Howden, most senior brokers are still very hands-on with client work – a large proportion of them over 10 years’ experience in their specialist subject. 

Investing time upfront to understand your business

Brokers can only represent your interests properly when they precisely understand them. We're specialists not just because we have lots of clients in a particular sector, but because we really get under the skin of our clients' businesses. 

This makes a big difference because educating underwriters about your exact needs and risk management practices play a huge part in getting you the most competitive deal.

Relationships for the long term

Every client relationship we enter into, we want it to last forever.  

We're 100% committed to remaining an independent business, so we think long term, in everything we do. 

Work with us and you'll see the difference, in the way we support our clients and our obsession with world-class service.