Saudi Competition Authority Introduces Amendments To Merger Guidelines

On 1 July 2024 the Saudi General Authority for Competition (GAC) announced proposed changes to their merger guidelines, which will enter into effect on 1 August. These amendments introduce changes to the notification thresholds, limitations for the validity of clearance decisions, exemption for joint ventures that benefit the development of the Saudi manufacturing sector, and clarification on the change of control criterion.

Notification thresholds

A point of criticism of the Saudi merger control regime has been that the notification threshold can be met by the acquirer alone. The GAC now at least partly addressed this issue in their proposed amendments to the merger guidelines. Currently notification of an acquisition is required, where all of the following thresholds are met: