At the occasion of a conference on competition regulation and enforcement held in Egypt in late April the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) took action to further expand their international ties and cooperation by signing two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The ECA conclude MoUs on cooperation on competition regulation and enforcement with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Given recent developments in merger control review in the UAE, the second MoU will be of particular interest to undertakings doing business in the MENA region.
The MoU signed with the EEC—the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)—reflects Egypt's increasing engagement with the Eurasian markets and growing engagement of EAEU member states in Egypt. Minister Maxim Yermolovich, the EEC's Commissioner for Competition and Antitrust Regulation, reaffirmed this strategic alignment during the conference, citing the growing volume of bilateral trade—exceeding USD 8 billion in the past year—and shared concerns over anti-competitive conduct in cross-border goods and e-commerce markets. The MoU focuses on cooperation between the ECA and the EEC to detect and address anti-competitive practices that distort trade flows across the EAEU and Egyptian markets. It foresees the exchange of case-related data, enforcement strategies, and policy perspectives. In addition, it aims to establish frameworks for joint market studies and enforcement collaboration on monopolistic conduct that expand beyond national boundaries.
The second MoU, signed with the UAE Ministry of Economy, sets the stage for more structured cooperation between Egypt and one of its closest regional trade and investment partners. The MoU was signed by H.E. Safia Hashim Al-Safi, Assistant Undersecretary for Control and Commercial Governance. The MoU outlines mechanisms for institutional exchange, particularly in the fields of investigations, evidence-gathering, and the use of digital tools in market monitoring. The MoU between the UAE and ECA will be of particular interest to businesses active in the MENA region. The UAE has been a largely inactive antitrust and merger control jurisdiction since they introduced their competition law in 2014. However, with the recent introduction of turnover based merger control notification thresholds this appears to be changing. Since the new thresholds were introduced in end of March 2025, we have seen a significant increase in filings made to the UAE competition authorities. Hence, the UAE and Egypt intensifying their cooperation may increase the two countries' competition enforcers' ability to identify and address violations of both their antitrust and merger control regimes.
These MoUs also leverages Egypt's hosting of the UN Training Conference Center for Competition Protection in the Middle East and Africa, providing a platform for joint capacity-building programs, workshops, and technical assistance. The goal is not only to enhance procedural coordination in enforcement actions, but also to encourage a more harmonized approach to competition law implementation across the Arab world. Furthermore, the MoU signed end of April follow the ECA's public commitment and aspirations to expand its international cooperation, strengthening economic governance, and ensuring the effective enforcement of competition law in a globalized economy. Business active in the MENA region are well advised to continue to monitor the developing competition law landscape in the region and adjust their practice and transactions accordingly.
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