Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,September 2026: The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) has confirmed, at the conclusion of its “Insurance Protection Under a GCC Umbrella” awareness campaign, that the GCC Insurance Protection Extension System for GCC nationals provides them with a comprehensive package of benefits and privileges that ensure long-term financial and social security.
The number of registered employees under the system has reached 19,808 of whom 8,572 are registered in the UAE, representing approximately 43% of the total registrants in the system across GCC countries. This reflects the attractiveness of the UAE’s work environment and its ability to attract GCC talent.
Privileges and Facilitations:
The Authority revealed that the system grants GCC employees job stability and opens broad horizons for them to work in major companies, government and private institutions, and free zones across the Gulf. It obligates the employer in the country where the employee works to pay the insurance share due on their behalf, meaning the employee bears only their legal share and any contribution differences, if applicable. The system does not conflict with the settlement of end-of-service gratuity entitlement for periods prior to its implementation, thereby ensuring that no financial rights already earned by the employee are lost.
Key Services:
The system offers a range of services aimed at achieving direct linkage between employers, insured individuals and pension funds in the employee’s home country and place of work. These services are divided into two categories. The first covers employer services, including e-registration of establishments and GCC employees; issuance of digital invoices and payment notifications; management of employment changes and salary adjustments; and end-of-service and insurance settlement services. The second category covers insured individual services, including verification and tracking of insurance status; benefit exchange and merging service periods; inquiries about and payment of contribution differences; and reporting cases of work injuries, disability, or death, as well as updating pension entitlements and disbursing benefits.
Insurance Benefits:
In this regard, Hind Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Pension Sector and Chairwoman of the Technical Committee for Civil Pension and Social Security Authorities, stated: “The Insurance Protection Extension System provides a range of essential insurance benefits and privileges, the most significant of which is the retirement pension, which offers insurance coverage upon reaching retirement age, disability or death.
“The system grants those covered the opportunity to receive a retirement pension once the eligibility conditions are met. This pension is also payable immediately in cases of disability that prevents the individual from working, whether such disability is natural or resulting from a work injury, or in cases of occupational disease.” She added that these pensions are subject to retirement eligibility conditions in the employee’s home country. In addition, pension disbursement extends to eligible heirs and/or beneficiaries in the event of the decease of the insured individual or pensioner, ensuring the transfer of benefits and financial entitlements to protect them and secure a stable, steady income.
End-of-Service Gratuity:
Hind Al Suwaidi further explained that if none of the conditions qualifying an individual for a retirement pension are met, the insured individual is instead paid a gratuity for the period of service during which they were enrolled in the insurance scheme, noting that the calculation of this gratuity and its eligibility conditions are also governed by the pension regulations of the employee’s home country.
It is worth noting that several regional civil retirement programs have successfully bolstered comprehensive job security by integrating supplementary insurance coverage, such as unemployment protection. Additionally, the unified system grants insured individuals the strategic option to merge previous service periods. This vital mechanism allows employees to aggregate their cumulative work history into their current record, thereby increasing their total qualifying contribution years, elevating their eventual retirement pension value, and significantly improving their eligibility for maximum benefits.
