Merger Control In Kuwait: How The Regime Has Evolved Five Years After Reform

Kuwait’s competition landscape looks very different today than it did before Law 72/2020 came into force. Since the introduction of the modern Competition Law in late 2021, the Kuwaiti Competition Protection Authority (CPA) has steadily expanded its role in reviewing transactions, investigating conduct, and enforcing compliance obligations.

For investors, multinational companies, and private equity firms active in the Middle East and Africa region, Kuwait is no longer a jurisdiction that can be treated as a secondary consideration during transaction planning. Merger control filings, regulatory timing, standstill obligations, and evolving enforcement practices now play a much larger role in deal execution than they did only a few years ago.