(Bloomberg) -- Cigna Corp. sees huge opportunities for growth in the Middle East after the health insurer sold off some of its businesses in Asia Pacific region. 

The United Arab Emirates, and broader EMEA “is a region for tremendous opportunities for growth around benefits,” Chief Executive Officer David Cordani said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “We see this as a go deep market and go deep region.”

The company, which now has more than 800 employees in the region, up from about 20 five years ago, is investing heavily in technology, digitization, new clinical programs and talent, Cordani said.  

Cigna last year sold its life, accident and supplemental businesses in seven places to Chubb Ltd. for $5.75 billion. The move was in line with its efforts to get out of other areas to focus on health-care.

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