Two car insurance policies are available in the UAE – Third-party liability and Comprehensive coverage. Third-party liability covers the damage done to others by the policyholder's negligence. But for this claim to be approved, the police report must confirm that the policyholder was responsible for the damage. Comprehensive coverage covers the insurance needs of the policyholder as well. More expensive than the two, comprehensive coverage protects the policyholder's vehicle in case of accidental damage, fire, Theft, and natural calamities.

Third-party insurance does not offer coverage against natural calamities. Only comprehensive coverage protects it, but you must read the fine print to see what is included in the vague term. It would be best if you made sure that water damage due to heavy rain and floods is included in the policy because, in car insurance terms, water damage and flood damage are very different. If your insurance policy provides for damage caused by heavy rains, certain conditions will apply:

• The flooding or heavy rain must be declared a natural calamity and not due to intentional seeding.
• The insured vehicle must be parked and not driven during heavy rains and flooding.

You can call your insurance provider and ensure you have water damage cover in your natural calamities clause; if not, add it to your policy if that is the coverage you need.