A scheme that helps workers in tough times

When a former Dubai expatriate launched a one-of its kind lowcost insurance scheme in 2018, little did he know that his good intentions to help the blue-collar workers in their times of need would benefit many in these tough times.

A chance meeting with a construction worker at the airport compelled Pallav Jha, who works as a management consultant, to do his bit to help those less fortunate and he designed the scheme that allows the workers a free round-trip flight to their home country if any of the family members is either critically sick or died. Not only was this concept new to the UAE but also for the entire world.

The Emergency travel assistance (ETA) scheme, which is currently in its second year, has around 100,000 registered users across the UAE. Before the Covid-related travel restrictions, several workers successfully claimed the benefits of this scheme to be with their families during times of emergency back in their home countries, which was the key intention behind the scheme.

The insurance is currently underwritten by local insurer Union Insurance Company (UIC) and is being distributed by Sharaf Exchange.

Sharaf Excange embedded ETA into its loyalty programme called Usrati, which means ‘my family’ in Arabic. The programme helps a person save on expenses during tough times. Usrati provides free and discounted transactions, discounts and deals across eateries, purchases, retail etc, helping in savings of workers.

Elaborating on the programme, Cherian Joseph, head of products, partnerships & channels at Sharaf Exchange, said: “Usrati stays meaningful in benefits to each member, which explains its uptake with our customers across the economic spectrum, of which bluecollar workforce is a reasonable proportion. This programme helps every member grow their savings while covering for their emergencies. The guaranteed return air tickets we provide for the consumer for defined emergencies, takes away a major stress factor for our customers.

Abdul Mutalleb Mustafa Al Jaede, MD and CEO of UIC, stated that the scheme is a unique one that addresses the issue of baseline income group.