Saudi Arabia: Competition Law Aims to Combat Monopolistic Practices

Women shop at a mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images)
Women shop at a mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images)
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Saudi Arabia: Competition Law Aims to Combat Monopolistic Practices

Women shop at a mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images)
Women shop at a mall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images)

The regulations of the Saudi Competition Law have revealed that it aims to protect and promote fair competition and combat monopolistic practices that affect legal competition and the consumer’s interest.

The regulations guarantee that the services and goods' prices conform to the market rules and free competition concepts.

The law bans the practices – including agreements and deals between establishments – whether written or oral, if the purpose behind them is to harm competition, especially in terms of determining prices of goods, services fees, conditions of selling and purchasing, limiting the inflow of services and products, etc.

The law also forbids any attitude that hinders the entry of an establishment into the market, pushes an establishment out of the market, blocks available products or services wholly or partially from a specific establishment. It also prevents dividing markets for the sake of selling or buying services and products.

Article six of the law includes prohibiting any establishment that dominates the market or part of it from abusing its power to breach or limit competition.

The law bars setting conditions on an establishment to abstain from dealing with another and suspend the selling of a service or product in return for an obligation or services that are not related to the original contract.

The law called on establishments wishing to join the economic concentration to notify the General Authority for Competition at least 90 days before completion in case the annual sales of the establishment surpasses a limit specified by the list.



Iraq to Sign Deal with Halliburton to Develop Nahr Bin Omar Oilfield

Participants observe a presentation at Halliburton's booth at the World Petroleum Congress in Houston, Texas, US December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Liz Hampton/File Photo
Participants observe a presentation at Halliburton's booth at the World Petroleum Congress in Houston, Texas, US December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Liz Hampton/File Photo
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Iraq to Sign Deal with Halliburton to Develop Nahr Bin Omar Oilfield

Participants observe a presentation at Halliburton's booth at the World Petroleum Congress in Houston, Texas, US December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Liz Hampton/File Photo
Participants observe a presentation at Halliburton's booth at the World Petroleum Congress in Houston, Texas, US December 7, 2021. REUTERS/Liz Hampton/File Photo

Iraq and US oil services firm Halliburton are close to finalizing an agreement to develop the Nahr Bin Omar oilfield, the head of Iraq's Basra Oil Company (BOC) told Reuters on Thursday.

Bassem Abdul Karim, director general of state-run BOC, said Iraq's oil ministry and Halliburton are expected to sign a confidentiality agreement in the coming days, after which Iraq will provide Halliburton with data on the Nahr Bin Omar field and its installations.

Under the deal, Halliburton will help Iraq in increasing production at the field to 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), Abdul Karim said, though he did not specify a timeline. The field currently produces around 50,000 bpd, Reuters reported.

"Halliburton will also help Iraq to produce 300 million cubic feet of gas from the field", said Abul Karim.

Abdul Karim said oil production at the West Qurna 1 field, operated by PetroChina in southern Iraq, is expected to reach 750,000 bpd by the end of 2025, up from the current 550,000 bpd. PetroChina holds the largest stake in the field following Exxon's exit.

To reduce its gas import bill, Iraq has selected China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) to develop a $1.7 billion gas project at the Nahr Bin Omar field, which will produce 300 million standard cubic feet (mscf) of gas, according to the BOC manager.

"We are in talks with CPECC to reduce the project's cost, and final signing is imminent," he said.

Asked about the impact of the latest sanctions targeting Russia on the global crude supplies and if Iraq is ready to lift production, Abdul Karim said Iraq has the capacity to increase its oil production by 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) immediately if asked by OPEC.

Iraq's oil exports from its southern ports averaged 3.232 million bpd in December, he added.