{"id":698495,"date":"2026-05-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/?p=698495"},"modified":"2026-05-03T02:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T02:48:18","slug":"what-the-private-sector-needs-to-know-about-our-new-competition-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/05\/03\/what-the-private-sector-needs-to-know-about-our-new-competition-law\/","title":{"rendered":"What the private sector needs to know about our new competition law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Egypt\u2019s competition rulebook just got its biggest rewrite <\/strong>in years, and we have a lot to unpack. <\/strong>The reforms, given the final nod<\/a> by the House of Representatives last month, level the playing field between private businesses and state-owned entities, strengthen the competition regulator\u2019s powers, update the rules governing mergers and acquisitions, and increase penalties for monopolistic behavior.<\/p>\n

The new law \u2014 called \u201cthe economic constitution\u201d by lawmakers \u2014 aims to foster a competitive and dynamic market and improve the investment climate<\/strong>, according to a legislative document seen by EnterpriseAM. How? By introducing a standalone track for administrative financial penalties alongside the traditional criminal justice track, as well as tightening rules for mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.<\/p>\n

Leveling the playing field<\/p>\n

A check on the privilege of state-owned companies: <\/strong>The law establishes for the first time a Supreme Committee for Competitive Neutrality, headed by the prime minister and the head of the Competition Authority. <\/p>\n

In theory, this is good news for the business community. <\/strong>The committee will have the power to scrap any exemptions or privileges that government decisions or laws have granted to state-owned entities, if those privileges are found to distort fair competition. There will also be a review of all legislation and decisions issued by government bodies to make sure they're in line with fair competition principles.<\/p>\n

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Full independence <\/p>\n

Beyond the new committee, the law gives the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) itself a major status upgrade. <\/strong>The ECA will now fall under Article 215 of the constitution \u2014 which governs independent regulatory bodies \u2014 giving it full technical, administrative, and financial independence. <\/p>\n

This is a highly exclusive club that includes institutions like the Central Bank of Egypt and the Financial Regulatory Authority<\/strong> \u2014 bodies that, under the additional provisions of Articles 216 and 217, hold substantial authority over the markets they oversee, report directly to the president, and whose leadership is appointed by the president with parliament\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

The constitutional case:<\/strong> \u201cIf you view the authority as having both a regulatory and supervisory role, then it naturally falls within the framework of the three constitutional articles, which require such bodies to operate as independent entities with a semi-autonomous administrative and financial structure,\u201d legal and tax advisor Islam Saeed, also a former M&A-focused partner at Matouk Bassiouny, tells EnterpriseAM.<\/p>\n

The ECA\u2019s oversight is \u201ca positive step<\/strong>,\u201d he says. Its regulatory role, he explains, involves enforcing the law and weighing in on legislation and relevant regulations, \u201cwhile the supervisory role gives the authority a watchful eye over the market and the [M&A] deals taking place in it.\u201d The two roles together strengthen the case for full autonomy, Saeed says.<\/p>\n

Not everyone sees the change as substantive, however. <\/strong>Mohamed Nabil Hazzaa, former partner and head of the M&A practice group at Sharkawy & Sarhan, tells EnterpriseAM that the shift is little more than a \u201cmorale boost\u201d to the ECA\u2019s status \u2014 its core competencies and standard operating procedures remain structurally similar to its previous setup, which had it reporting in to the prime minister\u2019s office. \u201cPractically\u2026 it wouldn\u2019t affect the scope of powers of the ECA. Nothing changed in terms of the scope and the mandate itself. I think it\u2019s purely bureaucratic and relates to the administrative arrangements for the authority\u2019s staff,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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Higher thresholds, fewer filings<\/p>\n

The amendments raise the bar for which paperwork lands on the Competition Authority\u2019s desk. <\/strong>For domestic deals, the law nearly triples the thresholds for a mandatory review by the ECA:<\/p>\n