RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the fourth Arab Competition Forum, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The General Authority for Competition said that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of this forum emanates from its pioneering role in organizing events and forums aimed at upgrading the level of cooperation with other Arab countries to enhance fair competition in the markets, raising the level of consumer welfare in Arab countries, and stimulating enterprises to develop and innovate. The event will take place from May 23–24 with the involvement of other competition agencies from fellow Arab countries and more than 15 experts and representatives from international agencies and organizations involved in the competition. The authority said the forum is an opportunity to learn from regional and global experiences and to share best practices in safeguarding competition and combating monopolistic practices. It focuses on discussing mergers and acquisitions, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of competition authorities in developing countries. It also examines best practices for planning and conducting market studies as well as concerns arising from abuse of dominance in digital markets. The forum was first launched in 2020 and aimed at establishing a continual knowledge-sharing platform on competition policy and enforcement for Arab stakeholders. It advances advocacy and knowledge, builds capacity on best practices in competition across the Arab region, and facilitates coordination and collaboration at the national, regional and international levels.