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ARTICLE · 05 MAY 2025

UAE's Evolving Merger Control

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

United Arab EmiratesCorporate/Commercial Law
Bracewell LLP
Bracewell LLP
Amelia Bowring
Amelia Bowring

Over the last 18 months, the UAE overhauled its competition regime through a series of legislative changes. These updates clearly indicate the UAE government's intention for increased Ministry of Economy (the "MOE") involvement in transactions with a UAE nexus. In this article, we summarize the key changes and practical considerations that all M&A teams in the UAE will need to bear in mind moving forward.

Legislative Changes

The first legislative update was issued on December 29, 2023, when Federal Decree-Law No. 4 (the "Old Law") was replaced by Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition (the "New Law"). The impact of the New Law was substantial. The New Law introduced a new merger control regime which will very likely result in an increased number of merger control filings being made.

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