Dubai hosts Arab Competition Forum as region reshapes digital markets

Senior officials and experts from across the Arab world gather to examine how competition frameworks must evolve in an age of artificial intelligence and digital platforms

The seventh Arab Competition Forum opened in Dubai today, convening senior officials from regional and international competition authorities, leading academics and private-sector representatives to examine how fair markets can flourish in an increasingly digital economy. Held under the theme Competition policy in the digital age: maintaining fairness and equality in the market, the two-day gathering addresses a pressing challenge facing governments and regulators across the region: how to foster innovation whilst safeguarding the openness and contestability of markets shaped by algorithms, data and network effects.

The Forum is organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in partnership with UN Trade and Development, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission. H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, opened the event alongside senior representatives of the partner organisations.

Speaking at the opening, Bin Touq underscored the urgency of the task at hand. Competition has become increasingly vital given the rapid transformations in global markets, particularly the growing influence of digital platforms and artificial intelligence. This necessitates continuous development of regulatory policies that balance innovation with market openness. The UAE, he noted, has been advancing its legislative framework for competition through Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition and its executive regulations, designed to embed fair competition principles and enhance market efficiency.

The Ministry processed 85 applications for economic concentration between 2023 and September 28, 2026, involving transactions worth more than AED 81 billion. Integration of digital tools powered by artificial intelligence has streamlined this process significantly: application processing time has been reduced from approximately 100 days to 15 days, enhancing the efficiency of regulatory procedures and strengthening the competitiveness of the national economy.

Bin Touq emphasised that hosting the Forum represents a significant opportunity to unify efforts, exchange expertise and develop shared visions to navigate economic and technological shifts whilst strengthening cooperation across the region.

The Forum’s sessions will examine emerging challenges in digital markets, spotlight effective practices and strengthen knowledge-sharing and peer learning at national, regional and international levels. Key topics include the relationship between ex-ante regulation and competition enforcement in digital markets; regional cooperation in building coherent digital competition policy; merger control in the digital sector; and coordination between competition and consumer-protection authorities.

The Arab region has demonstrated measurable progress. ESCWA assessments show that the average score for competition frameworks across Arab countries rose from 3.73 out of 7 in 2021 to 4.1 in the latest assessment published in 2024. Yet legislation alone is insufficient. As ESCWA Executive Secretary Rania Al-Mashat emphasised, the challenge today is ensuring effective implementation and empowering competition authorities to keep pace with rapidly evolving digital markets.

Data, algorithms and network effects create powerful dynamics that can drive innovation. Yet these same forces can erect formidable barriers to entry and limit new competitors’ ability to challenge established players. Digital economies across the region are growing rapidly, but growth without competition proves fragile, warned UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno. Promising start-ups risk being squeezed out before reaching scale or acquired before maturity, resulting in higher consumer prices, reduced choice and eroded market trust.

The Forum will conclude with forward-looking discussions on fair and competitive digital markets in the Arab region, seeking concrete recommendations to strengthen competition in the digital era. The opening session was followed by a special discussion on Arab young people in competition, featuring an awards ceremony for winners of the Student Competition Challenge. AURAK student Nafisabono Mominova won first place for her paper, Gatekeeping in the Digital Age: Apple’s App Store, Competition Policy Enforcement, and Lessons for the Arab Region. Sofia Abdel Latif of the United Arab Emirates University placed second, whilst a team from the University of Sharjah took third place.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s role in hosting this seventh Forum underscores the Emirate’s position as a centre for economic policy innovation and regional cooperation. The gathering demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to developing competition frameworks that reflect the complexities of the digital age, ensuring that economic growth benefits businesses and consumers alike across the Arab world.

For Abu Dhabi’s economy, the Forum signals the importance of maintaining competitive markets as digital transformation accelerates. The UAE’s significant progress in processing competition applications and integrating artificial intelligence into regulatory procedures provides a model for other regional authorities, positioning Abu Dhabi as a leader in creating efficient, fair and innovation-friendly markets.