Ace Ltd. has opened a new Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional office, based in Bahrain.

The new office, which recently received approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain, will be responsible for the management of ACE's existing businesses in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan, as well as the development of representation in new markets in the region.

The office is headed up by regional director Giles R. Ward, who said: "Ace has been present in this region for many years. However, we felt that the time was now right to bring the Group's technical expertise closer to our businesses, clients and partners, enabling us to maximise the very exciting opportunity that the MENA region represents."

Ace is already involved in a number of oil, petrochemical and energy programmes and is now looking to offer directors & officers liability and professional indemnity cover, energy-related construction and property insurance and may market accident and health insurance products to the consumer sector.

[bul] Ace European Group has named Stephanie Cryer as its UK and Ireland commercial property and package product manager. She joins ACE from Chubb where she was most recently the London strategic marketing manager and previously the London Property Underwriting Manager. Prior to Chubb, she worked with Mitsui Sumitomo and Royal & Sun Alliance, underwriting property business.