Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance opens Dubai office

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. said Monday it has received an insurance license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to set up an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Boston-based specialty unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said in a statement that it has named Alessandro Cerase as senior executive officer and Neeraj Yadvendu as deputy SEO and head of third-party lines for the Middle East to work out of the office, which will be in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Mr. Cerase will also be leading first-party lines for BHSI’s broader Asia Middle East region, which includes the regional hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore as well as its operations in Malaysia and Macau.

Mr. Cerase was most recently global head of energy and engineered risk at American International Group Inc., Berkshire Hathaway said, while Mr. Yadvendu was most recently regional head of casualty and financial lines at Axa Asia.