Saudi Arabia: Opened consultation on the Guidelines for Economic Concentration Examination

On 1 July 2024, the General Authority for Competition in Saudi Arabia initiated a consultation process regarding the guidelines for the examination of economic concentration transactions until 1 August 2024. The guidelines set out the procedures for notifying the authority of significant transactions, delineate the criteria for mandatory reporting based on sales thresholds, and provide a detailed account of the evaluation process for assessing the potential impact of transactions on market competition. In particular, in relation to previous requirements, the new guidelines clarify the reporting requirements for acquisitions which involve parties with Saudi turnover, specifying that acquisitions with a combined Saudi turnover of SAR 40 million must be reported provided that the target has at least some Saudi turnover. Furthermore, the revised guidelines update the definition of change of control.