Gov’t tightens merger control rules, effective in five weeks: The Cabinet rolled out new merger control rules (pdf) in a move bound to bring more transactions under the Economy Ministry’s review scope. The update — which will come into effect on Tuesday, 1 April — builds on the 2023 Competition Law overhaul, reinforcing a regulatory shift towards stronger antitrust while cracking down on mergers that risk straining competition in the domestic market.

Casting a wider net: Mergers must now be notifiable to the Economy Ministry under two circumstances: if the company exceeds AED 300 mn in annual sales or hits a 40% market share. Under the old system, market share was the only trigger for review.

The new rules also stretch the notification period to 90 days pre-close, up from 30, with the most notable shift being that regulatory silence now means rejection rather than automatic approval.

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