XL extends Shariah compliant capacity to Fine Art & Specie

Graham Hawkins

XL Group has further extended its support for specialist Shariah compliant managing general agency Cobalt Underwriting by adding Aine Art & Specie coverage to its suite of products which includes Property, Construction and Financial lines.

The coverage, which spans precious metals, cash, fine art and rare collectibles, particularly complements XL Group’s Shariah compliant financial lines offering. In practice this means financial institutions and collectors can now buy cover with significant limits for a range of assets and their exposures, including gold and other valuable assets both in situ and transit.

Graham Hawkins, global chief underwriting office, Fine Art & Specie at XL Group, said: “What we are aiming to do here is offer a suite of Shariah compliant products that gives clients, who want to buy in this manner, the ability to protect all their assets and risks with no gaps whatsoever.

“There are huge opportunities to provide Shariah compliant Fine Art & Specie products; financial institutions, investors and collectors are diversifying their portfolios, often with a preference for physical assets such as precious metals, jewellery and art. Additionally, we are seeing growth in the arts market in the Middle East and Asia with the opening of new galleries. These galleries now have the option to buy in a Shariah compliant manner.”