In brief
Protects fair competition and bans anti-competitive practices such as agreements between competitors and abuse of dominance, and requires economic concentrations to be notified to the General Authority for Competition before completion.
Summary of the law
Key points
- Parties to an economic concentration must notify the Authority at least 90 days before completion if their annual sales exceed the threshold set by the regulations (Article 7).
- Article 11 sets what happens when 90 days pass after notification without a written approval or refusal.
Penalties and deadlines
- Breaching Articles 5, 6, 7 or 11: up to 10% of total annual sales of the subject matter, which may be doubled for a repeat within three years (Article 19).
- Breaching any other provision: up to SAR 2 million (Article 20).
- Committee decisions may be challenged before the competent court within 30 days of notice (Article 18).
A plain-language summary prepared by Al-Bayan Al-Wadih Law Firm, focused on the violations and problems that come up most in daily life. It is not a substitute for the official text or for legal advice.
What it covers
- Restrictive practices
- Abuse of a dominant position
- Merger notification
- Fines and appeals
Timeline
- Issued: Royal Decree M/75 · 29/6/1440H
Full record of amendments and regulations at the official source
Official text at the Bureau of Experts
The authoritative text is in Arabic; the Bureau of Experts publishes English translations for some laws.
Full official text
The full official text is in Arabic and is reproduced on the Arabic version of this page, as published by the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers. Read the full Arabic text
Library content is simplified general information for awareness only. It is not legal advice and does not replace the official text. Laws change: always check the official source and consult a lawyer before acting. Library data last reviewed: .