Seventh Arab Competition Forum opens in Dubai, focusing on fair competition in the digital age

The seventh Arab Competition Forum opened on October 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a two-day meeting bringing together senior officials from regional and international competition authorities, leading experts, academics and private-sector representatives to shape fairer, more competitive digital markets across the Arab region.

Organisers and agenda

The Forum is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Competition Department of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates, in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission. UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri opened the event alongside senior representatives of the partner organizations.

Regulatory questions from digital platforms and AI

Bin Touq said competition is becoming increasingly important given rapid transformations in global markets, particularly the growing role of digital platforms and artificial intelligence, and that regulatory policies need continuous development to strike the right balance between fostering innovation and maintaining market openness. Participants will explore how digital transformation is reshaping competition in the Arab region and how modern competition frameworks can safeguard fairness, expand opportunity and support well-functioning markets in the digital economy.

According to the OECD's forum page, the Arab Competition Forum has been the first competition network for the Middle East and North Africa region since 2020, and its seventh edition takes place in Dubai on October 28–29, 2026, on the same theme.