The average cost of international medical insurance for retirees living in the Middle East is spread out from USD 9,993 in Israel to USD 8,140 in Azerbaijan. When compared to the average cost for retirees in all of the countries included in this report those in the region are spread out from between 7th most expensive and 73rd most expensive - one of the largest spread amongst the regions.
While it is certainly interesting to see Israel ranked so highly overall (we have covered why in the 2015 version of this report), it is Dubai that many countries and insurers are most interested in. The reason for this is due to the relatively recent implementation of mandatory health insurance coverage for all residents.
Because the plans in Dubai require coverage of pre-existing conditions and maternity one would expect the cost to increase year-on. Only, in 2017 Dubai actually saw a slight decrease in average cost. We explain why this has happened in the Analysis section of the report.