27-05-2023
Qatar Chamber has recently participated in the Fourth Arab Competition Forum, held in Riyadh, and organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Competition Authority, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The state’s delegation was presided over by the Chairman of the Qatar Chamber and the Chairman of the Competition Protection and Antimonopoly Committee.
The forum brought together ministers and high-level officials from 28 Arab and international competition authorities, a group of experts and academics, and representatives of the private sector.
It aimed at supporting decision-makers in their efforts to enhance competition policies at the national level and stimulating regional cooperation between competition authorities.
It focused on discussing mergers and acquisitions, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of competition authorities in developing and least-developed countries.
It also examined best practices for planning and conducting market studies as well as concerns arising from abuse of dominance in digital markets.
In a press statement, HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani stressed the forum’s importance in spreading the culture of competition among Arab countries, enhancing cooperation and coordination between competition committees and authorities in ESCWA member states, and contributing to the promotion of governance and sustainable development.
Sheikh Khalifa also said that the State of Qatar is keen to promote competition and prevent monopoly in commercial activity.
In 2006, Qatar issued the Law on the Protection of Competition and the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices, HE said, adding that during the past years, the state issued a set of supportive legislation and laws that enhanced the business climate and stimulated the investment and openness to the global market.
HE pointed out that promoting competition and preventing monopoly is an important factor in liberalizing trade and promoting a free market economy, as well as contributing to development, innovation, promoting quality and improving the level of prices of goods and services.
