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Policy & Legal Updates

UAE Champions AI-Driven Model for Competition Law Enforcement

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has championed an artificial intelligence enforcement model to modernize national antitrust regulation and merger control, Global Competition Review reported. Presented during the GCR Live: MENA 2026 conference in Dubai, the system forms part of the country's AI-enabled National Competition Platform. The platform is designed to automate antitrust assessments and significantly shorten merger clearance timelines.

Policy & Legal Updates

UAE Cautious on ‘Copy and Paste’ Antitrust Leniency Regime, Official Says

A senior official from the United Arab Emirates has cautioned against directly transposing foreign antitrust leniency models into the country's legal system. Speaking at an industry event, the official indicated that the UAE aims to tailor competition enforcement policies to local economic and market conditions rather than relying on a copy-and-paste approach.

Industry News

China’s Sinohydro and Elsewedy Win $2.2 Billion Saudi Gas Power Plant Contract

A joint venture between China's Sinohydro and Egypt's Elsewedy Electric has secured a $2.2 billion EPC contract for a 2.3-gigawatt gas-fired power plant in Saudi Arabia. The Rabigh 2 IPP expansion facility is backed by ACWA Power and Saudi Energy, with commercial operations planned for May 2029. Financing includes $2.58 billion in long-term debt backed by 14 lenders, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

China–UAE News

BI Group Partners with CITIC Contracting for Dubai Meydan Horizon Projects

Kazakhstan-headquartered developer BI Group has entered into an agreement with CITIC Middle East Contracting, the UAE subsidiary of China's CITIC Construction Co. The partnership establishes a framework for CITIC's proposed appointment as main contractor for three upcoming real estate projects in Dubai's Meydan Horizon. CITIC will also provide early-stage design support, value engineering, and construction coordination.