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.

The UAE's new Competition Law addresses market segmentation through distribution and agency arrangements, yet exclusivity remains not only permissible but mandatory under UAE Commercial Agency Law.

The vexed question of the arbitrability vel non of competition law has now reached the shores of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE Cabinet has issued resolutions setting out the relevant percentage thresholds applicable under the Competition Law.

The new UAE Federal Competition Law (Federal Law No. (4) of 2012) has been published in the Official Gazette and will come into force on 23 February 2013, following its enactment on 23 October 2012.

Over the last 18 months, the UAE overhauled its competition regime through a series of legislative changes.

The UAE is now on the cusp of a major shift in its merger regime with the recent issuance of the Ministerial Decree No. 3 of 2025 announcing the details of the turnover thresholds (the "Turnover Decision")...

It is not uncommon to hear from an insurer that its competitors are resorting to unfair means of marketing to get a bigger share of the "pie".

The UAE Ministry of Economy has published detailed Guidelines on the submission of competition complaints under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition (the “Competition Law”). While the Competition Law has been in force since December 2023, the practical operation of complaint-based enforcement had, until now, remained relatively opaque.

In the realm of fostering fair market practices and ensuring healthy competition, regulatory bodies play a pivotal role. In Saudi Arabia, the General Authority of Competition...

The UAE's competition law regime has undergone significant transformation with the introduction of a new Competition Law and turnover-based merger notification thresholds. While the federal UAE Competition Commission holds principal jurisdiction, the Executive Regulations now provide guidance on how competition enforcement powers are allocated and coordinated between federal authorities, Emirate-level authorities, and sector-specific regulators.

2024 saw the announcement of several material developments in merger control regulation throughout the MENA region.

The United Arab Emirates has established itself as a prime investment destination, attracting a diverse workforce and intensifying labor market competition. As employment opportunities expand...

STA's renowned Intellectual Property team has progressed with the second series of the Q&A on Patent Laws in the UAE based on popular demand by pundits in the intellectual property sphere.

Previous updates summarised the main provisions of the United Arab Emirates Federal Competition Law (Federal Law No. (4) of 2012) which came into force on 23 February 2013.

After a slow implementation phase the regional merger control regime for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) came into effect in October 2024.

The prohibition and regulation of agreements that restrict competition lie at the core of competition law. Resale price maintenance (RPM) is one of the most common types of agreements in supplier–distributor...

The UAE has introduced a new competition law and abrogated the old competition law, federal law No. 4 of 2012. The new federal decree law No. 36 of 2023 on the regulation of competition...

Merger control regimes across the Middle East and North Africa are undergoing significant transformation as competition authorities refine enforcement mechanisms and enhance procedural frameworks. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Kuwait each introduced substantial reforms to their merger control systems in the first half of 2026, fundamentally reshaping how cross-border transactions are reviewed and approved in these jurisdictions.