By year four, most UAE car owners face an uncomfortable choice: pay premium prices for agency repairs that protect their five-year manufacturer warranty, or save money at independent garages and risk voiding coverage altogether. Agency repair access, readily available in the first 24 months, tightens by year three and virtually disappears by year four.
Policybazaar.ae launched a motor insurance product on 23rd February designed to eliminate that trade-off entirely.
The digital insurance marketplace partnered with Watania Takaful and Pitstop Automotive Services to create what they’re calling the UAE’s first garage-backed comprehensive motor insurance plan. The product—Watania Takaful PB Auto Care Advantage (Pitstop P360)—bundles priority access to Pitstop’s workshops across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain directly into the policy. Pitstop operates under the AGMC umbrella, the official BMW importer for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, meaning repairs at their facilities won’t void manufacturer warranties.
“In the UAE, agency repair is easily available in the first two years of a vehicle’s life. By year three, options tighten, and by year four they are nearly non-existent, even though most new cars carry a five-year manufacturer warranty,” explained Neeraj Gupta, chief executive of Policybazaar.ae. “Customers are often forced to choose between affordability and protecting their warranty. Through this partnership, we eliminate that trade-off. With Pitstop operating under the AGMC umbrella, AGMC brand vehicles or any other, can be repaired while keeping their manufacturer warranty intact. This is not just a product enhancement, it is a structural upgrade to the motor insurance ecosystem.”
The mechanics matter here. Traditional comprehensive plans in the UAE typically offer “choice of garage” clauses, but guaranteed access to premium facilities? That’s new. Policyholders purchasing through Policybazaar.ae receive priority claims servicing at Pitstop’s state-of-the-art workshops, alongside a roster of year-round benefits that blur the line between insurance coverage and ongoing car care.
Those benefits include 12 complimentary car washes spread across the year, 30 per cent off extended warranty purchases, 25 per cent off paint protection film and ceramic coating, another 25 per cent off window tinting and detailing, plus 20 per cent off labour and 10 per cent off parts for repairs. Collision repairs come with complimentary pick-up and drop-off.
Hamad Sharaf, general manager at Watania Takaful, positioned the collaboration as an evolution beyond basic coverage. “This partnership enables us to integrate our takaful-based protection model with a strengthened service ecosystem that prioritizes customer experience. Today’s customers expect more than coverage; they expect efficiency, transparency, and reliability at the moment of a claim. Through Watania Takaful – PB Auto Care Advantage (Pitstop P360), we are ensuring a seamless claims journey and high quality repair standards, further reinforcing our commitment to customer-first insurance solutions.”
Takaful insurance, rooted in Islamic finance principles, operates on cooperative risk-sharing rather than conventional premium-based models. Watania Takaful’s involvement adds a sharia-compliant dimension to a product primarily focused on service integration.
Pitstop’s involvement wasn’t accidental. The automotive service provider, backed by AGMC’s decades-long reputation in the Emirates, maintains multiple facilities staffed by certified technicians using dealership-grade equipment. That infrastructure allows the company to handle repairs that meet Original Equipment Manufacturer standards—the kind that keep warranties valid.
“Pitstop was established to deliver dealership-grade expertise with a seamless customer experience. Through this collaboration, Policybazaar.ae customers gain direct access to our premium workshops, certified technicians, and advanced repair capabilities, ensuring quality without compromise,” said Ezat Antaki, chief executive of Pitstop Automotive Services. He credited Dr Hamid Haqparwar, managing director of AGMC, and Atiqur Rahman, director at AGMC, for enabling the partnership. “This innovation would not have been possible without the strategic guidance and vision of Dr. Hamid Haqparwar, Managing Director, AGMC, and Mr. Atiqur Rahman, Director, AGMC, whose leadership continues to strengthen the integration between automotive excellence and customer-centric service solutions.”
The product arrives as digital insurance distribution gains traction across the Emirates. Policybazaar.ae, which began operations in 2018 as the first overseas venture of India-listed PB Fintech, now partners with more than 35 insurance and banking providers, offering over 400 products spanning motor, health, life, travel and business insurance.
What distinguishes this launch is the exclusivity. The plan is available solely through Policybazaar.ae’s platform, creating a direct-to-consumer channel that bypasses traditional broker networks and agency distribution. For Watania Takaful, it represents a distribution experiment. For Pitstop, it guarantees a steady pipeline of customers. For Policybazaar.ae, it’s a differentiation play in a crowded marketplace where most comprehensive motor policies look functionally identical.
The announcement signals a broader recalibration in how motor insurance gets sold in the UAE. Rather than competing solely on price or coverage limits, insurers and marketplaces are beginning to compete on post-purchase experience—the quality of the claims process, the calibre of repair facilities, the ancillary benefits that extend beyond the policy document itself.
Whether drivers will pay a premium for guaranteed garage access remains an open question. Pricing details weren’t disclosed in the launch announcement. But for the segment of car owners navigating the warranty protection puzzle between years three and five, the value proposition is straightforward: keep your warranty intact without paying agency rates.
The plan went live on Policybazaar.ae’s platform this week. Early adoption metrics will clarify whether bundled garage access resonates with a market accustomed to shopping primarily on price.