logo
AFNIC's FloodGuard: Why motorists should opt for FloodGuard

AFNIC's FloodGuard: Why motorists should opt for FloodGuard

Khaleej Times3 days ago

In recent years, extreme weather conditions have become increasingly common. Flash floods, storms, and tempests have caused significant damage to vehicles, often catching car owners off guard — especially those without comprehensive motor insurance. To bridge this critical protection gap, Al Fujairah National Insurance Company (AFNIC) has presented an innovative, standalone solution: Motor Flood & Storm Relief Insurance, branded as FloodGuard.
What is FloodGuard?
This exclusive product offers protection against accidental loss or damage to your car solely due to specific weather-related perils: Flood, Inundation, Storm, and Tempest (FIST). It is designed for vehicles not insured under comprehensive insurance, including those insured only under a Motor TPL Policy.
Who can avail FloodGuard?
Eligible vehicles include privately-owned or company-owned cars used strictly for private and pleasure purposes. Commercial vehicles, pickups, buses, motorcycles, and cars used for hire or reward are excluded.
Key features at a glance
Standalone Protection: Independent of your existing TPL insurance, even if it's with another insurer.
Annual Policy Term: Covers a full 12 months (not 13 months).
Loss Limit-Based Coverage: Claims are capped by a chosen Loss Limit, not the market value or sum insured. Currently available at Dh25,000 and Dh50,000 Loss Limits.
Reinstatement Option: Replenish the Loss Limit post-claim with additional premium.
Total Loss Payouts: Up to 90% of Depreciated Market Value (DMV) or Loss Limit — whichever is lesser.
Weather Data Authentication: Claim eligibility based on UAE's National Centre of Meteorology reports.
Repair Coverage: Non-agency repairs only; agency repairs excluded.
Cash Loss Option: Choose to receive cash instead of repairing the vehicle.
Some of the major exclusions to note:
No cover during the first 15 days (unless it's a continuous renewal).
Damage while desert driving, dune bashing, or traversing wadis, rivers, lakes, or beaches — even if dry.
No replacement car, rent-a-car, or loss of use benefits.
Gradual damage or pre-existing damage is not covered.
Policy ends upon sale/transfer of vehicle or total loss claim.
Quick and easy purchase options: Policies can be easily obtained by accessing AFNIC's website or dedicated portal via QR Code or direct Link. The entire process can be completed in just a few steps — in less than five minutes.
Prefer a personal touch?
Visit any AFNIC branch Office or one of over 40 AFNIC outlets across the UAE for on-the-spot issuance.
Peace of mind in every forecast: This pioneering product ensures your vehicle is not left vulnerable during unpredictable climatic events, giving peace of mind to vehicle owners across the UAE. For car owners not opting for a comprehensive plan, FloodGuard offers affordable, essential, and timely protection tailored for today's unpredictable weather challenges.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UAE weather tomorrow: Light rain expected; partly cloudy day ahead
UAE weather tomorrow: Light rain expected; partly cloudy day ahead

Khaleej Times

time2 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

UAE weather tomorrow: Light rain expected; partly cloudy day ahead

The day will be fair to partly cloudy tomorrow, the National Centre of Meteorology has said. Low clouds will appear Northward and Eastward with a probability of light rainfall, the authority said. Light to moderate winds will blow, freshening at times, with a speed of 10kmph to 20kmph, reaching 35kmph. Temperatures could be as high as 43°C in the country. Mercury is set to rise to 36°C in Abu Dhabi and 35°C in Dubai. However, temperatures could be as low as 26°C in Abu Dhabi and 27°C in Dubai and 25°C in internal areas. It will be humid by night and Saturday morning over some coastal areas with a probability of mist formation. Levels will range from 15 to 80 per cent in Abu Dhabi and 35 per cent to 80 per cent in Dubai. Conditions at sea will be moderate to slight in the Arabian Gulf and in the Oman sea.

Woman in UAE buys 'clocked' Mercedes with 145,000km dialled back
Woman in UAE buys 'clocked' Mercedes with 145,000km dialled back

The National

time8 hours ago

  • The National

Woman in UAE buys 'clocked' Mercedes with 145,000km dialled back

A woman who was sold an imported car with a tampered mileage clock has warned other used car buyers to complete a full history check before purchasing a second-hand vehicle. In March 2023 Emilia Cosbuc, a personal trainer from Romania, bought her dream car, a Mercedes C200, from a dealership in Sharjah. The 2016 model vehicle had 92,000km on the clock and was offered with a one-year warranty. After a smooth test drive, Ms Cosbuc handed over Dh90,000 for the luxury saloon. There was no indication of any serious mechanical faults until January 2025, when she started to experience engine problems, thinking the car had 150,327km on the clock at this point. When a mechanic assessed the vehicle, the full reality of the car's chequered history became clear. Records showed that it had been involved in several accidents, and a major collision in August 2022. Further online records showed the car was imported from South Africa and sold on at auction in the UAE for $1,700 in November 2022. Then it had 236,748km on its odometer; but four months later, when the car was sold to Ms Cosbuc, the clock showed nearly 145,000km fewer than that. Rather than the car having travelled 150,327km when it began to have engine problems, as Ms Cosbuc thought, it had actually done 295,027km - a significant and dangerous difference, as 250,000km is generally considered to be the point at which a vehicle has gone through significant wear and tear. 'Initially the car looked great, the test drive was smooth, and the seller gave me a one-year warranty contract - I trusted them and happily bought the car,' Ms Cosbuc, who lives in Abu Dhabi, told The National. 'When my car engine needed a major repair, the garage discovered its real history. I spoke to the auction house, which verified the car was sold to an individual in November 2022. "The photos of the car's odometer show 236,748km, which means it had been tampered with by the time I bought it. Selling a vehicle with an altered odometer reading and a concealed accident history puts unsuspecting buyers at serious financial and safety risks.' Victims of fraud have the right to seek compensation for damages, which can cover financial losses and emotional distress. Ms Cosbuc is facing a repair bill of Dh30,000 to get the car back on the road. As the vehicle is considerably more used than she believed, she asked for compensation from the dealership that sold the vehicle and lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Economy. The company said it was an honest mistake, and admitted they should have completed a more thorough check of the car's history. It has since changed its policy to ensure all cars purchased to be sold on are fully researched, and paid Ms Cosbuc Dh40,000 in compensation. Fines Car-sale fraud is a criminal offence in the UAE, with legal penalties including imprisonment and fines governed by the UAE's Consumer Protection Law and Commercial Transactions Law. Odometer tampering is the practice of rolling back a car's odometer to make it appear to have a lower mileage, to artificially inflate its value. There is huge demand for used cars across the UAE, with each emirate operating its own safety checks and records for imported vehicles. According to Credence Research, the UAE's used car market was worth $20.15 billion in 2022, and is expected to climb to $48.14 billion by 2030. Several e-commerce sites used to advertise second-hand vehicles for sale are improving their transparency when it comes to a car's history. Despite that, experts say buyers should conduct their own checks on any used vehicle before handing over their cash. 'This market can be a bit of a minefield, so buyers need to be careful,' said Ryan Hughes, co-owner of RMA Motors in Dubai. 'If the car is from the GCC it's usually a bit easier to track its history, if it's imported it can be more difficult. "There are a lot of imported cars that are crash repaired from America, Europe and Canada, and also stolen cars from Canada. A lot of these cars have mileage manipulation, with clocked cars usually coming from North America and Europe.' Pre-purchase safety checks As the traffic departments in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are not connected, it can be difficult to maintain consistency in export papers to show any discrepancies in a vehicle's mileage. To check for any mileage manipulation, buyers can check a car's control unit with a mechanic to ensure its chassis number matches what is printed on the car. That can help ensure the mileage matches up with what is on each control unit on the odometer. 'On some cars you can access what is called a service reset counter to make sure that the amount of service resets match the kilometres recorded,' said Mr Hughes. 'On a Mercedes you can see if the service intervals have been once a year or every 15,000km. If it was a three or four-year-old car, you could see it would have had three or four service resets in that time, so you could make an estimate of what the kilometres should be. "But if a car had 25 service resets, for example, you would know it should have 250,000km or more. It's really about just doing your due diligence from the paperwork you have on the vehicle's history, as well as a standard inspection and technical evaluation.'

Bahrain: MPs propose introducing EVs for delivery companies
Bahrain: MPs propose introducing EVs for delivery companies

Zawya

time12 hours ago

  • Zawya

Bahrain: MPs propose introducing EVs for delivery companies

Bahrain - Delivery companies in Bahrain could be required to switch their fleets to electric vehicles within two years, under a new proposal put forward by the Strategic Thinking Bloc in Parliament. The initiative, which aims to reduce carbon emissions and support the kingdom's environmental goals, is being spearheaded by bloc president and Parliament's financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom. If approved, delivery service providers on both cars and motorbikes would be forced to use electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a nationwide push for cleaner transportation solutions. The MP said the plan, if adopted, would mark one of the most ambitious environmental reforms in Bahrain's logistics and delivery sector to date. 'Delivery vehicles take up a huge section of cars and motorbikes on the road,' said Mr Al Salloom. 'The environmental burden from these fossil fuel-powered vehicles is significant, especially as e-commerce and food delivery services continue to grow at an unprecedented pace,' he added. Mr Al Salloom stressed that the proposal was not just about reducing emissions, but also about encouraging private-sector innovation, attracting green investment and supporting the broader energy transition efforts led by Bahrain's government. 'This isn't only an environmental concern, it's an economic and strategic opportunity,' he said. 'Shifting to electric vehicles in the delivery sector can stimulate investment in green infrastructure, reduce long-term operational costs for businesses and improve the quality of life in our cities.' He said Bahrain has 'the right foundations' to support this transformation, especially with government-led initiatives to develop EV charging infrastructure, clean energy projects and sustainable urban planning. Mr Al Salloom also indicated that consultations with industry stakeholders were already underway. 'We are not legislating in isolation,' he said. 'We are speaking with delivery companies and logistics providers to understand the practical requirements and potential barriers. Our aim is to make this transition feasible, not punitive.' Parliament's legislative and legal affairs committee vice-chairman Ali Al Dossary, a co-signee, believes the proposal is within Parliament's scope of action. 'We are witnessing a growing legal responsibility to address climate-related risks, and Parliament has a duty to enact laws that secure a healthier environment for our people,' said Mr Al Dossary. 'Requiring delivery companies to transition to electric vehicles is a logical and necessary step.' Mr Al Dossary argued that the rule, once enacted, could come with a reasonable grace period of two years, during which companies can gradually phase out internal combustion vehicles and replace them with electric alternatives. The government, he said, can play a key role in facilitating this shift through tax incentives, grants or low-interest loans for EV purchases. 'No one is trying to put an unfair burden on businesses,' Mr Al Dossary clarified. 'We are advocating for a balanced policy that serves the environment while giving companies time and support to adjust. We also encourage partnerships with electric vehicle manufacturers and local start-ups that can help accelerate the process.' Both MPs stressed the importance of dialogue with the private sector, noting that effective implementation would require collaboration with delivery app platforms, logistics companies and vehicle importers. They added that the measure would also reduce noise pollution, traffic congestion and public health risks associated with air pollution from combustion engines. Mr Al Dossary said Parliament was also looking at international best practices, citing examples from cities like Amsterdam and Singapore, where electric delivery fleets have already been successfully introduced. 'We owe it to our people – especially future generations – to build a cleaner, quieter and more livable Bahrain,' said Mr Al Dossary. 'The daily exposure to pollution and road noise affects the well-being of everyone, from schoolchildren to the elderly. Transitioning to electric delivery vehicles will have tangible benefits across the board,' he added. The proposal has been formally submitted to Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam to forward to the relevant committee for review. Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store