Saudi Arabia Raises Minimum Limit for Entities Reporting Economic Concentration

"Muqawil” platform provides many services that facilitate procedures for contractors in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
"Muqawil” platform provides many services that facilitate procedures for contractors in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Raises Minimum Limit for Entities Reporting Economic Concentration

"Muqawil” platform provides many services that facilitate procedures for contractors in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
"Muqawil” platform provides many services that facilitate procedures for contractors in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi government has raised the minimum limit of annual sales at which entities should notify the authority of economic concentration transactions to SAR 200 million ($53.3 million) from SAR 100 million ($26.6 million).

The decision was based on the annual review made by the General Authority for Competition (GAC), which considered the best international practices.

This came under the approval of GAC’s board of directors to amend Article No. 2 of the executive regulations of the Competition Law to read: “Entities seeking to join an economic concentration transaction – or the persons legally authorized to represent them - must notify the Authority at least 90 days prior to the completion of such transaction, if the total value of the entities' annual sales exceeds SAR 200 million.”

The amendment was approved during the 80th board meeting, with other resolutions adopted.

The GAC board followed up on the preliminary results of investigations into the motor sector, issuing several directives.

It also reviewed the investigation results of a lawsuit related to two entities in the food delivery and restaurants sectors, approving a settlement.

The board approved another settlement between two entities operating in the construction sector and nodded to exempting two entities operating in the electric vehicles (EV) sector for exclusive and unified contracts.

In other news, the Saudi Contractors Authority revealed that over 1,000 e-contracts worth more than SAR 308 million ($82.1 million) have been concluded on the Kingdom’s “Muqawil” platform, launched in 2021.

According to the Authority, 600 contracts have been signed for the implementation of framed structures without materials. Meanwhile, the contracts for implementation with materials reached 300.

The value of the highest contract concluded on Muqawil exceeded SAR 50 million ($13.3 million).

Muqawil also recorded SAR 10,000 ($2.6 thousand) as the lowest value of a typical contract concluded on the platform.



Türkiye Says Trade Deficit Widened 21.7% in April

FILE PHOTO: The Bosphorus strait is pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Türkiye February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Bosphorus strait is pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Türkiye February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
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Türkiye Says Trade Deficit Widened 21.7% in April

FILE PHOTO: The Bosphorus strait is pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Türkiye February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Bosphorus strait is pictured through the window of a passenger aircraft over Istanbul, Türkiye February 1, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

Türkiye's trade deficit widened 21.7% year-on-year to 12$ billion in April, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Friday.
Exports stood at $20.9 billion in April, while imports amounted to $33 billion, he told a press conference.
The euro's gains against the US dollar since US President Donald Trump introduced new 10% baseline tariffs on all economies and slapped duties totaling 20% on the European Union had a positive effect on Turkish exports amounting to $440 million, Bolat also said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish manufacturing sector contracted in April as output and new orders continued to ease amid subdued demand, with firms scaling back employment and purchasing activity, a survey showed on Friday.
The Istanbul Chamber of Industry Türkiye Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was unchanged at 47.3 in April. This marked the 13th consecutive month of easing business conditions, with any reading below 50.0 pointing to a contraction in activity.
Although new export orders eased the latest slowdown was the least pronounced so far this year, and the moderation in new business from abroad was also less marked than that seen for total new orders, the survey showed.
Manufacturers continued to scale back employment and purchasing activity, instead reducing inventories, the survey showed.
Manufacturers reported that suppliers quickened their deliveries in April, the survey showed, while the rate of input cost inflation quickened amid currency weakness and higher costs for raw materials.
"An uncertain international economic environment added to the challenges facing Turkish manufacturers in April. As such, further moderations in new orders, output and exports were recorded by the latest PMI survey," said Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
"That said, there were some signs of improvement, raising hopes that the sector could potentially move closer to growth territory in the months ahead."