Over the past year, antitrust regulators in the Middle East have implemented significant changes to the local competition law regimes, with a new competition law coming into effect in the United Arab Emirates and substantial changes being made to the applicable merger control regimes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt. Competition law enforcement has also continued to intensify in the KSA and Egypt, as well as in other key emerging markets in the GCC. During this 2-hour seminar, we will provide an update on the latest key competition law developments and what to expect on the horizon as well as compliance tips and pointers.

The General Authority for Competition in Saudi Arabia has recently issued new guidelines aimed at promoting competition in the supply and sale of school uniforms and related items. The guidelines cover all relevant equipment, including school uniforms, desks, and chairs, among other necessary supplies. These guidelines are part of the Authority’s continued effort to enhance consumer protection in the Saudi market and Competition Law in Saudi Arabia.

The General Authority for Competition (“Authority”) recently published its annual report for 2023. This latest annual report indicates an unprecedented level of activity by the Authority and confirms the magnitude of the enforcement actions taken by the Authority to ensure compliance of the Competition Law in Saudi Arabia.

On 1 November 2023, the Board of the General Authority for Competition announced that new financial thresholds would apply to determine whether a transaction is reportable to the Authority. By implementing such change, the aim of the Authority is to provide further clarity on the local nexus test required for a transaction to be notifiable to the Authority and to align the Saudi merger control regime further with international standards.