Car damage caused by heavy rain must be covered by insurance firms, UAE minister says

Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, assured the Federal National Council that drivers should not be left counting the cost of the recent bout of bad weather

A municipal worker drains flood waters close to Ibn Battuta and Discovery Gardens on Sunday. Ruel Pableo for The National

Signs were blown down across the city. Ruel Pableo for The National

A driver tries to drain water from his car near Ibn Battuta mall. Ruel Pableo for The National

An abandoned car sits in flood water near the low-lying Discovery Gardens, one of the worst-hit areas. Ruel Pableo for The National

Drivers were caught out by sudden downpours for a third day in a row on Sunday, with many getting stuck. Ruel Pableo for The National

Motorists appear to have abandoned their vehicles in this image from Ibn Battuta. Ruel Pableo for The National

A rainbow appears among the clouds in Abu Dhabi. Talib Jariwala / The National

Cloudy weather once again around the Corniche area in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari for The National

High winds caused damage to many buildings, including this one in Abu Dhabi's Tourist Club area. Khushnum Bhandari for The National

Dark clouds over the skyline of Dubai with Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. AFP

The sign for Last Exit food truck park in Jebel Ali was torn by high winds. Ruel Pableo for The National

So was this advert for Nakheel properties on Sheikh Zayed Road. Ruel Pableo for The National

Torn billboards flutter in high winds on Sheikh Zayed Road on Sunday. Ruel Pableo for The National

The low-lying Jebel Ali area is particularly badly hit. Ruel Pableo for The National

Flooding at a car park by lorries and buses in Jebel Ali on Sunday morning. Ruel Pableo for The National

Municipality workers use a pump at a waterlogged road in Internet City on Sunday. Ruel Pableo for The National

Roads around Internet City were waterlogged after a fresh downpour about 7.30am on Sunday. Ruel Pableo

Commuters head to work through Discovery Gardens. Ruel Pableo for The National

A municipality worker clearing debris in Discovery Gardens. Ruel Pableo foir The National

Rain clouds loom over the road to Abu Dhabi at 7am on Sunday morning. Commuters were hit with patches of driving rain from about 8am. Suhail Rather / The National

Municipal workers attempt to clear a flooded tunnel in Sharjah on Sunday morning. Courtesy: Sharjah Municipality

The National Center for Search and Rescue said the first rescue mission took place on Saturday morning when they received a report about two men being trapped due to flash floods in Wadi Ghashabah. A helicopter was immediately dispatched to the site where the two men, of Sudanese nationality, were found clinging to a tree about 50 meters away from the Wadi banks. The rescue team managed to airlift the men and take them to safety. Courtesy NSRC

Flooding on Al Ishoush St, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Flooding on Al Ishoush St, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Overcast skies over Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Commuters battle high water along the Al Manara and Beach road intersection. Antonie Robertson / The National

Heavy rains in Dubai during the night caused extensive flooding at intersections within the city. Antonie Robertson / The National

Commuters battle high water along the Al Manara and Beach road intersection. Antonie Robertson / The National

Water is logged outside the Movenpick Ibn Batutta Gate Hotel from heavy overnight rain. James O'Hara / The National

Water is logged outside the Movenpick Ibn Batutta Gate Hotel from heavy overnight rain. James O'Hara / The National

Traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road going to Abu Dhabi. Ramola Talwar / The National

Traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road going to Abu Dhabi. Ramola Talwar / The National

A car drives through a waterlogged road near Al Bateen airport. Scott Walker

A delivery van struggles to navigate flood waters near Al Bateen airport in Abu Dhabi on Saturday about 9am. Courtesy: Scott Walker

A man sweeps water from the running track along Kite Beach. Antonie Robertson / The National

Residents of The Greens enjoy their morning walk in the early drizzle. Antonie Robertson / The National

Barsha Heights saw a medium amount of flooding that still proved challenging to morning commuters. Antonie Robertson / The National

Barsha Heights saw a medium amount of flooding that still proved challenging to morning commuters. Antonie Robertson / The National

A municipality worker supervises water being pumped from flooding along the roads near Kite Beach. Antonie Robertson / The National

A waiter at Burts in The Greens sweeps away some water to get ready for the business day. Antonie Robertson/The National

Residents of The Greens get out their umbrellas today for their morning walk. Antonie Robertson / The National

Flooding in Barsha Heights. Antonie Robertson / The National

Residents of The Greens get out their umbrellas today for their morning walk. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Greens saw heavy rain that left the streets wet. Antonie Robertson / The National

Residents of The Greens enjoy their morning walk in the early drizzle. Antonie Robertson / The National

A municipality worker supervises water being pumped from flooding along the roads near Kite Beach. Antonie Robertson / The National

Parking areas in the Discovery Gardens area in Dubai were inundated with water and residents raced to get their cars to safer spots following heavy overnight rainfall on Saturday. Courtesy: Antonie Abreu

Flooding in Discovery Gardens. Courtesy: Antonio Abreu

Motorists who racked up repair bills when their cars were damaged during a barrage of torrential rain which hit the country must be protected by insurance companies, a minister confirmed.

Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, assured Federal National Council members that insurance companies were obliged to honour claims made by members who were caught in the eye of the storm.

A massive downpour which battered the country earlier this month left drivers grappling with hazardous conditions as water quickly left roads flooded.

Mr Al Mansouri said the UAE's Insurance Authority, which he is chief executive of, announced last week that insurance claims would be covered amid the bout of unstable weather.

The Unified Motor Vehicle Insurance Policy Against Loss and Damage - issued by the Insurance Authority - establishes that it is mandatory for insurance companies to cover rain damages.

The only exception for coverage would be if the damages occurred during a natural disaster, the minister stated.

However, since the UAE government did not classify last week's floods as a natural disaster, this clause does not apply, the FNC was told.

Mr Al Mansouri delivered the message in a letter read out at Tuesday's FNC session, in response to a query raised by the council's Deputy Speaker, Hamad Al Rahoomi.

Mr Al Rahoomi said motorists across the country were confused over whether their insurance would cover damages incurred during the stormy conditions.

“The question was repeated by a million people during the rainy period; will my car damages be covered by insurance?” said Mr Al Rahoomi.

He presented a letter written by Abu Dhabi Police to the Insurance Authority, asking them whether such cars are insured or not.

“It was not even clear to the police,” said the deputy speaker.

He also showed an awareness video that was produced and published by the authority about accidents that occur outside the country, and how they need a specific “orange insurance card”, and are not covered by full insurance.

“The authority made the effort to produce a video about accidents occurring outside the borders, which is not as common as the number of cars that were damaged during the rains,” said Mr Al Rahoomi.

He said the authority should increase awareness on the rights of motorists to have their rain-damage costs covered, “especially for non-Arab speakers.”

Some insurance companies took advantage of the confusion and are trying to avoid paying for repairs, he said.

A number of motorists have received text messages from their car insurers saying driving in pools of water causes damages to the car may not be covered.

“Dear Valued Customer, driving through deep water can cause serious damage to your car engine and may not be covered by your insurance unless specified. Please Drive Safely !” said one message.

Mr Al Rahoomi said companies who refuse to cover rain damages must be reported to the Insurance Authority.