UAE Competition Authority Launches First Investigation

The Competition Department at the UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism has initiated their first enforcement actions under the country’s updated competition regime. On 19 April the Ministry referred several poultry companies to the Federal Public Prosecution after identifying coordinated conduct to fix and unjustifiably raise poultry prices. The Ministry found that the companies aligned pricing strategies and took advantage of exceptional circumstances, resulting in unjustified increases for consumers. The referral follows a period of intensified inspections: more than 15,480 visits between late February and mid‑April, aimed at monitoring essential goods and detecting pricing abuses.

In this case, the Ministry considers the conduct a breach of two separate legal regimes—the country’s antitrust and consumer protection regimes. In their investigation the Ministry found that the conduct violated Art. 5 UAE Competition Law (Federal Decree Law 36/2023). This provision prohibits restrictive