In December 2023, the UAE legislator enacted a new Competition Law), which introduced—among other changes—the concept of turnover based notification thresholds.

In an earlier inBrief dated 9 December 2014 we wrote about Federal Law No. 4/2012 on the regulation of competition, which introduced the means by which the United Arab Emirates could regulate...

The importance of corporate governance and risk management is gaining recognition worldwide including, as was recently reported by Clyde & Co's Hamish Walton and Chloe Lake on 10 February 2010, in the UAE.

On 7 October 2025, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, enacted Dubai Law 14 of 2025 Regulating the Practice of Engineering Consultancy Activities...

On April 28, the UAE made a dramatic announcement: it was leaving OPEC—the powerful oil producers' cartel it had belonged to for nearly 60 years—along with the broader OPEC+ group, effective May 1.

On the merger control front, the New Competition Law introduced a new turnover threshold, in addition to the existing market share threshold, in the context of regulating economic concentrations (as defined below).

The UAE's new Executive Regulations to the Competition Law introduce significant clarifications on predatory pricing, establishing that such conduct may be prohibited independent of market dominance. The regulations provide structured cost benchmarks for assessment, distinguishing between pricing below average variable cost and pricing between variable and total costs, while outlining factors authorities will consider when evaluating anticompetitive intent and commercial justifications.

In our previous updates, we summarised the key changes introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition (the New Law) and the notification thresholds established by Cabinet Decision...

The UAE's competition regime has undergone a significant transformation with Cabinet Resolution No. 59 of 2026, introducing Executive Regulations to Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023. These regulations establish a detailed procedural framework for obtaining individual exemptions and implementing block exemptions, while moving the assessment of dominance beyond purely market share-based approaches to require broader economic analysis of market power.

The new law highlights the UAE's commitment to free market principles whilst ensuring that it remains a world class competitive market for its consumers.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has embarked on a substantial transformation of its competition law regime, ushering in a new era of regulatory oversight.

The ministry will monitor and communicate with local authorities for inspections to ensure fair and competitive practices in the country.

In April 2025, the UAE introduced a major reform to its merger control regime by introducing new revenue-based threshold that apply alongside the existing market share threshold.

Munir Suboh discusses Competition Law and how it has evolved in the region from the Practitioners Perspective.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a prime destination for investors due to its advanced infrastructure and a legal framework that fosters growth.

The ancillary restraints doctrine, developed by the European Commission, validates restraints objectively necessary to implement legitimate transactions with neutral or positive competitive effects.

On 20 January 2025, the UAE Cabinet issued Cabinet Decision No. (3) of 2025 (the "Cabinet Decision"), setting out the long-awaited thresholds for merger control filings under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on Regulating Competition.

On 28 September 2023, a new federal law regulating competition, Law No. 36 of 2023 (the "New Competition Law"), was issued, repealing Law No. 4 of 2012 (the "Old Competition Law").

The UAE Competition Department has published its first comprehensive Guidelines on Relevant Market Definition, providing businesses with crucial clarity on the analytical framework used in competition assessments. These guidelines are particularly significant for merger control, where defining the relevant market is essential to determining whether a mandatory filing obligation exists under the UAE's unique threshold requirements.

The UAE has introduced significant changes to its merger control framework with the issuance of Cabinet Resolution No. (3) of 2025, which establishes the long-awaited thresholds for merger filings.