Resources

Saudi Attempt to Limit Scope of Merger Control Regime May Backfires New Thresholds Replace Local Nexus Test

November 27, 2023

On 1 November 2023, the Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) announced amendments to the Saudi merger control notification threshold, adding a local turnover requirement as well as a minimum turnover threshold for the target.

General Authority for Competition’s Assessment of Abuse of Dominance

November 25, 2023

Prohibiting abuse of dominance is one of the main pillars of competition law in any jurisdiction. Abuse of dominance describes unilateral conduct by which businesses use their substantial influence in a specific market to undermine fair competition.

Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Conducts Investigation into the Market for School Uniforms

October 20, 2023

Education is a cornerstone of economic growth and societal well-being, and the Egyptian government recognizes its pivotal role in the country's development.

Amendments to Review Times and Procedure in the Moroccan Merger Control Regime

October 11, 2023

The most recent amendments of the Moroccan merger control regime, which entered into force in May 2023, introduces new turnover notification thresholds as well as several procedural novelties.

The Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) Sheds Light on Their Blocking Delivery Hero’s Acquisition of the Chefz

October 7, 2023

After the Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) initially provided no inside on why it end of 2021 blocked the acquisition of the Saudi food delivery company Chefz by Delivery Hero.

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Issues New Market Definition Guidelines

October 2, 2023

On 21 September the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) issued new market definition guidelines. The guidelines are intended to provide guidance to businesses on how to define the relevant markets for the purposes of competition law analysis.

Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Conducts Investigation into the Market for School Uniforms

September 24, 2023

The Egyptian government designated the educational sector of vital interest for the country due to the sector’s importance for economic development and it affecting all citizens.

Morocco’s New Merger Control Thresholds

September 11, 2023

On May 24, 2023, the Moroccan legislature ushered in a new era of merger control with the implementation of heightened notification thresholds.

Morocco Introduced New Merger Control Thresholds

September 4, 2023

Effective 24 May 2023 the Moroccan legislator introduced new, increased merger control notification thresholds.

Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Initiates Criminal Proceedings Against Aluminum Parts Manufacturers for Price Fixing

September 3, 2023

On 3 September the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) announced that their Board of Directors decided to initiate criminal proceedings against 14 manufacturers of aluminum profiles for allegedly engaging in price fixing.

Saudi New Civil Transaction Law, Amendments to the Egyptian Investment Law’s Executive Regulations, and Saudi Merger Control Regulator Issues First Conditional Approval

August 28, 2023

On June 13th 2023, the Saudi Council of Ministers approved the Kingdom’s new Civil Transaction Law, marking a significant shift from Sharia law to a codified legal system.

Saudi Merger Control Regulator Issues Second Conditional Approval

August 22, 2023

In June 2023 the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Competition (GAC) granted the first conditional approval under the new merger control regime.

Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) Conducted a Large-Scale Investigation in the Automotive Sector

August 17, 2023

On 16 August 2023, the Saudi Arabia General Authority for Competition (GAC) announced that it will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the automotive sector.

American Bar Association, Antitrust Section — Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, Episode #231: What’s Happening in MENA? Trends and Developments in Middle East and Egyptian Antitrust

July 24, 2023

Merger control and antitrust enforcement continues to expand around the world. Is MENA ahead of or behind the curve? Nicolas Bremer, partner at law firm Bremer, joins Matthew Hall and Jeny Maier on the ABA Our Curious Amalgam Podcast to discuss developments in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Listen to this episode to learn more about merger control and antitrust rules in those jurisdictions and gain practical knowledge of how the regimes really work there.

Saudi Merger Control Regulator Issues First Conditional Approval

July 13, 2023

On 7 June 2023, the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Competition (GAC) granted for the first time a conditional clearance.

Unlocking Investment Opportunities: Saudi Arabia and Egypt Open Doors to Foreign Investors in their Mining Sectors

July 10, 2023

In recent years, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have made significant strides to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into their respective mining sectors.

Amendments to the Egyptian Investment Law’s Executive Regulations

July 5, 2023

On the 4 June 2023, the Egyptian Prime Minister per decree amended the provisions of the Executive Regulations to the Egyptian Investment Law concerning the establishment of projects in private free zones.

Kuwaiti Competition Protection Agency Issues First Penalties

July 3, 2023

In Kuwait, the Competition Protection Authority (CPA) has been actively enforcing the Law on the Protection of Competition.

Saudi New Civil Transaction Law

June 17, 2023

The new Civil Transaction Law plays a vital role in streamlining legal processes and enhancing transparency and efficiency in civil and—to a certain extent—commercial transactions.

Foreign Direct Investment in the Mining Sector in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

June 9, 2023

Both—Saudi Arabia and Egypt—have recently taken steps to attract foreign direct investment into their mining sectors.

Saudi Arabian Regulator Lowered Merger Control Filing Fee Cap

June 8, 2023

Now, on 7 June GAC announced that they were reducing the filing fee cap to SAR 250,000 (approx. USD 67,000) with immediate effect.

Saudi General Authority for Competition Takes Action Against Anti-Competitive Practices in the Construction Sector

May 30, 2023

The Saudi Construction sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Kingdom. It was estimated at USD 133.1 billion in 2022 and expected to achieve an annual average growth rate of over 4% in the period from 2024 to 2027.

Kuwaiti Competition Protection Agency’s Issues First Penalties

May 26, 2023

The Kuwaiti Competition Protection Authority (CPA) imposes penalties for violations of the Law 72/2020 on the Protection of Competition (Competition Law), which came into force at the end of June 2021.

The Egyptian Competition Authority Discovers Bid-Rigging Cartel in the Automotive Sector

May 25, 2023

In a recent investigation the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) uncovered collusion in a public bidding process carried out by the Cairo Transport Authority (CTA).

Saudi Arabia Issues New Commercial Companies Law

May 22, 2023

On 28 June 2022, the Saudi Council of Ministers approved the Kingdom’s new Commercial Companies Law. The new law and its Executive Regulations entered into force on 19 January 2023 replacing the previous Saudi corporate law regime.

Update on the new Saudi Data Protection Law

May 14, 2023

After amendments and postponement the new Saudi Personal Data Protection Law Saudi Arabia is scheduled to enter into force later this year. The law seeks to aid in the Kingdom developing a digital infrastructure and a digital economy.

Cross Border Mergers in the Middle East Merger Control Considerations

May 12, 2023

Are you looking to expand your business into the Middle East and seize the opportunities offered by foreign direct investment and privatization? Bremer can help you navigate the complex landscape and maximize your chances of success.

Cross Border Mergers in the Middle East Merger Control Considerations

May 8, 2023

Foreign direct investment in developing economies—both in the form of green field investments and mergers and acquisitions (M&A)—surged in the 1990s.

Egypt Hosts Summit for African Competition Authorities: Implications for Businesses and Investors

May 3, 2023

Egypt recently hosted a summit for African competition authorities to foster effective communication and information exchange among regulators.

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Takes Actions Against MFNs and Hub and Spokes Arrangements

April 15, 2023

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) has in two recent decisions expanded its enforcement practice against anti-competitive behavior by making use of the vaguely drafted article 8(a) Competition Law, Law 3/2005.

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Takes Action Against Textbook Cartel

April 7, 2023

The recent actions taken by the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) against textbook providers in the education sector highlight the importance of fair competition in business practices.

The Egyptian Competition Authority Takes Action Against Bid Rigging

April 5, 2023

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) has recently turned its attention to the public sector, more specifically, bid rigging.

GAC Announces Increase of Notification Threshold of the Saudi Merger Control Regime

March 3, 2023

On 23 December 2022 the General Authority for Competition (GAC) announced that they were considering two amendments to the Kingdom’s merger control regime.

GAC Issues Guidelines on Measures for Compliance with Saudi Antitrust Provisions

March 3, 2023

The Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) issued advisory guidance for companies operating in Saudi Arabia on internal compliance mechanism to prevent violations of the Kingdom’s antitrust regime.

The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) Takes Action Against Textbook Cartel

February 26, 2023

At the beginning of the current academic year the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) initiated investigations into the education sector. This sector is of particular interest to the ECA as the education directly affecting vulnerable consumers—namely families and children.

Egypt and Nigeria Sign MoU on Cooperation in Antitrust Matters

February 21, 2023

On February 1 ,2023, Egypt hosted a summit of African competition authorities. With the summit Egypt sought to foster effective communication among the continent’s competition regulators and encourage information exchange among them.

The Leniency Program in the Egyptian Competition Law

February 10, 2023

To enhance investigative and enforcement potential and facilitate detection of violations of the Egyptian Competition Law, Law 3/2005 (Competition Law) the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) established a leniency program in art 26 Competition Law.

The Egyptian Competition Authority Takes Action Against Bid Rigging

January 31, 2023

The Egyptian Competition Authority takes action against bid rigging Ongoing tightening of antitrust enforcement in Egypt as ECA moves to issue sanctions.

New Egyptian Merger Control Regime

January 2, 2023

On 30 December 2022 the amendments of the Egyptian Competition Law approved by the Egyptian House of Representatives on 6 December 2022 entered into force.

Saudi Arabia Amendments to Notification Threshold and Filing Fee

December 23, 2022

The General Authority for Competition (GAC) today officially announced that they are considering two amendments to the Kingdom’s merger control regime.

New Egyptian Merger Control Regime

December 9, 2022

The long-anticipated overhaul of the Egyptian merger control regime introduces a pre closing notification regime.

Amendments to the Saudi Commercial Agency Law

September 28, 2022

To learn more about the changes to Commercial Agency Law or for advice on moving forward in your explorations in the Saudi and GCC markets, visit our website.

Overview of Pending Amendments to the Saudi Commercial Agency and Distributor Regime

June 20, 2022

Learn more about the overview of pending amendments to the Saudi commercial agency and distributor regime at Bremer.

Overview of Egyptian Competition Authority’s Decision

May 30, 2022

Learn more about the overview of Egyptian Competition Authority’s Decision from Bremer.