Khaberni - The Competition Directorate in the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply dealt with 66 files within its competence in the field of competition enhancement in 2025, including studying market practices and taking the necessary actions in accordance with the provisions of the competition law.
The ministry stated that it continued during 2025, and will continue its efforts aimed at enhancing a fair competition environment and preventing monopolistic practices, contributing to consumer protection and stimulating economic growth.
The directorate prepared economic sectoral studies for several sectors, aiming to analyze market conditions and measure concentration and competition levels, and provide appropriate recommendations to decision-makers.
It was noted that the directorate approved two requests for economic concentration in the energy and cement sectors after completing the necessary technical and legal studies, ensuring no harm to competition in the local market.
The ministry emphasized that these efforts come in the context of its commitment to enhancing transparency and fairness in the markets, and creating an attractive investment environment based on fair competition and equality of opportunities.
Relatedly; the Financial and Economic Committee in the Senate previously approved an amended competition law for 2025, making some modifications.
The justifications for the amended competition project aim to protect free and effective competition in the market and develop implementation mechanisms in the kingdom in line with global best practices, alongside enhancing the role of the advisory authority by forming a Competition Affairs Council and specifying its tasks, and how its members are appointed and the mechanism for holding meetings and making decisions.
The project aims to ensure the department's operational independence by granting sufficient technical independence and executive powers, decision-making mechanisms, and developing tools for investigating complaints and powers to initiate them with the Public Prosecutor, and to streamline the investigation process in competition cases and increase penalties for repeat offenders of the law.
It also aims to enhance tools for detecting anti-competitive practices by exempting those who voluntarily report their involvement in any prohibited practices, alliances, or agreements per the law from a penalty fine, provided they present evidence of the offense before it was discovered.
The Competition Directorate in the Ministry of Industry and Trade is the administrative agency authorized to apply the competition law since its establishment in 2002,
The Competition Directorate, authorized to enforce the competition law since its establishment in 2002, coordinates with various related entities to promote and spread the culture of competition, ensuring effective market performance and operation, securing consumer protection, developing the general plan for competition in the kingdom, and protecting competition from all practices aimed at disrupting it through monitoring market operations and detecting practices that violate the freedom of competition.
