General Statistics

• In Q2 of 2025, the Authority received 87 concentration applications, marking a 52.6% increase compared to Q2 of 2024 (during which only 57 applications were submitted). Of the 87 applications, 50 of them were approved through the issuance of No Objection Certificates, and 27 were concluded through the issuance of No Notification Required Certificates. As of the start of Q3 of 2025, 10 applications remain under review and no application was rejected during this quarter.

• Unlike Q1 of 2025, which saw the Authority issue two conditional approvals — the first in over a year — no conditional approvals were issued during Q2 of 2025. This suggests that while the Authority is open to remedy-based clearances, it continues to assess each transaction on a case-by-case basis. The absence of conditional approvals in this quarter may indicate that the transactions reviewed did not give rise to substantive competition concerns requiring intervention or that remedies were not deemed necessary.

Breakdown of the Data Related to Merger Control Filings in Q2 of 2025

• Acquisitions accounted for the vast majority of transactions reviewed in Q2 2025, representing 82% of the total. This was followed by joint ventures and mergers, each representing 8%, and agency relationships comprising 2% of all applications.
• From a competition perspective, 50% of transactions involved horizontal relationships (i.e., between competitors), while 36% involved conglomerate relationships and 15% involved vertical relationships.
• 68% of the transactions involved foreign entities, reflecting Saudi Arabia's sustained integration into global M&A markets. By contrast, only 32% of the transactions involved purely local entities.
• As shown in the graph below, the manufacturing sector led with 13 merger control filings. This was followed by the professional, scientific, and technical activities with 12 applications, and wholesale and retail trade sector (including motor vehicle repairs) with 5 applications. The information and communications technology sector followed with 4 applications.

• The average review period for applications resulting in No Objection Certificates was 5.6 days, demonstrating the Authority's commitment to procedural efficiency. The total reported value of transactions notified during this quarter exceeded SAR 232 billion (approximately USD 61.8 billion).

For further details on the Saudi Competition Law and its practical impact on your operations in Saudi Arabia, please do not hesitate to contact our Saudi Competition team.

Ruwaa AlAbdullatif, Junior Associate, has contributed to this legal update.