Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, who is also chairman of the Competition Protection and Antimonopoly Committee at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said Qatar is keen to promote competition and prevent monopoly in commercial activity.
Sheikh Khalifa made the statement on the sidelines of the ‘4th Arab Competition Forum’, which was held in Riyadh. The event brought together high-level officials from 28 Arab and international competition authorities, experts and academics, and representatives of the private sector.
Sheikh Khalifa said Qatar issued the Law on the Protection of Competition and the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices in 2006, adding that during the past years, Qatar issued a set of supportive legislation and laws that enhanced the business climate and stimulated the investment and openness to the global market.
He noted that promoting competition and preventing monopoly is an important factor in liberalising 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.
Sheikh Khalifa underscored the forum’s importance in spreading the culture of competition among Arab countries, enhancing co-operation and co-ordination between competition committees and authorities in ESCWA member states, and contributing to the promotion of governance and sustainable development.
The forum was aimed at supporting decision-makers in their efforts to enhance competition policies at the national level and stimulating regional co-operation 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.
Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani
