Merger Control Enforcement In Saudi Arabia

The Saudi General Authority for Competition's (GAC) has over the past years substantially increased enforcement of the Kingdom's antitrust and merger control rules. In parallel the GAC took steps to refine and structure their enforcement procedures. Most recently the GAC sought to provide clearer guidance on their enforcement practice in the 5^th Edition of the GAC Merger Guidelines (Guidelines) issued in April 2025. For the first time the Guidelines explicitly mention the option to settle violations. Still, the description of the GAC's enforcement practice remains high level. Hence, enforcement procedures still rely in large parts on practice instead of disclosed rules and guidelines. This poses challenges for companies subject to investigations by or negotiating settlements with the GAC. This