GAC Issues Third Conditional Approval

In February 2025, the Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) granted conditional approval for a transaction. This marks the third time that they imposed remedies, since the Kingdom's new merger control regime came into force in September 2019. The transaction concerned the acquisition of 100% of Saudi Arabian Glass Co. Ltd. by the National Company for Glass Industries (Zujaj). The remedies concerned measures addressing price control, quality maintenance, and restrictions on contracting with customers.

After receiving the notification on the Saudi Arabian Glass Co. Ltd. acquisition, the GAC initiated a market study. This resulted in the GAC suggesting to the parties that they would only clear the transaction under adequate conditions. The parties initially submitted a set of proposed remedies to the GAC on 29 January 2025.Following negotiations with the GAC, the parties updated these proposed remedies in February, which were implemented by the