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GAC Services in
Saudi Arabia

Ensuring fair play in the market. We manage Economic Concentration filings (Mergers & Acquisitions) and anti-trust compliance with the General Authority for Competition.

Check Filing Requirements

As free markets expand in Saudi Arabia, the General Authority for Competition (GAC) enforces stricter regulations to prevent monopolies and ensure fair competition. For any significant merger, acquisition, or joint venture, GAC clearance is not just a formality—it is a mandatory legal prerequisite with high financial stakes.

Role of GAC

GAC is an independent authority charged with supervising the implementation of the Competition Law. mandates. Its primary goal is to promote and encourage fair competition and combat monopolistic practices that affect lawful competition.

Economic Concentration: This is the key trigger for GAC involvement. It refers to any transaction (merger, acquisition, JV) that results in a change of control and exceeds the financial notification threshold.

Our Filing Services

We handle the complex economic and legal documentation required for clearance.

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Merger Filings Preparing and submitting the 'Notification of Economic Concentration' to GAC.
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Jurisdictional Assessment Analyzing turnover to determine if a mandatory filing is triggered.
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Exemption Requests Applying for exemptions for practices that improve production or distribution.
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Compliance Training Educating corporate teams on avoiding anti-competitive behaviors (e.g., price fixing).

Clearance Procedure

A typical GAC notification follows these statutory steps:

Pre-Filing Optional consultation with GAC to confirm filing requirements and scope.

Notification Submission of the complete file before completion of the transaction.

Review Period GAC has 90 days to study the market impact (e.g., potential price hikes).

Decision Outcome issued: Approval, Conditional Approval (with remedies), or Rejection.

Anti-Competitive Practices

Beyond mergers, GAC strictly prohibits:

Price Fixing or Collusion
Market Splitting / Allocation
Bid Rigging in Tenders

Abuse of Dominant Market Position
Predatory Pricing
Resale Price Maintenance

Mandatory Filing Thresholds

You MUST file for GAC clearance if your transaction involves:

Turnover

Combined massive annual worldwide turnover of all parties exceeds 200 Million SAR.

Control

The transaction results in a permanent change of control (e.g., acquiring voting rights).

Nexus

There is a local nexus to Saudi Arabia (e.g., sales or assets within the Kingdom).

Why Comply?

Avoid Penalties Fines for non-filing can reach up to 10% of total annual sales.
Deal Security GAC approval provides legal certainty that the transaction will not be challenged.
Global Alignment Coordination with other competition authorities if filing in multiple jurisdictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

The examination fee for an economic concentration notification is capped at 0.002% of the entity's annual turnover, with a maximum limit of 250,000 SAR.

The statutory period is 90 days from the date of a complete application, but simple cases are often cleared faster (approx. 30-45 days).

Yes, if the parties meets the turnover threshold and have a nexus (tangible economic effect) in Saudi Arabia, a filing is required even if the merger happens abroad.

If GAC rejects a merger due to anti-competitive concerns, the decision can be appealed before the administrative courts in Saudi Arabia.

Secure Your Merger Clearance

Ensure compliance with Saudi Competition Law. Contact us for a filing assessment.

Start GAC Filing

GAC Services in Saudi Arabia