How Comprehensive are Competition Laws? The Case of the GCC Countries
Keywords:
GCC countries, ompetition authorities, competition laws, dominance, mergerAbstract
This research aims to investigate the comprehensiveness of the competition laws in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The study covers six countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. A comparative and gap analysis was used to identify the gaps and shortcomings in these countries’ laws compared to best-practice competition laws. The focus of analysis is on four key areas: (1) Authority Provisions, (2) Merger Control, (3) Abuse of Dominance, and (4) Anticompetitive Agreements. The results indicate that, overall, competition laws in the GCC countries have a high coverage ratio of provisions that establish legal and institutional frameworks to ensure fair competition in the market. However, there is significant variation in coverage across the region, highlighting the need for harmonization and improvement of these laws, particularly given the common market arrangement shared by the GCC countries.
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