What this guidebook covers
The 2023 Competition Law bans price-fixing, market sharing, bid rigging and abuse of dominance. With the executive regulations issued in April 2026, the Ministry has a full framework to enforce it: fines up to 10% of annual UAE sales, closure of the establishment and publication of the judgment.
This guidebook covers the 6 competition standards for UAE dealers and agents, with 14 checkpoints, including notifying deals before closing.
The 6 competition standards
| Code | Standard | Ideal fix time |
|---|---|---|
| CM-01 | No price-fixing between dealers | Immediate |
| CM-02 | No market sharing | Immediate |
| CM-03 | No bid rigging | Immediate |
| CM-04 | No abuse of dominance | 30 days |
| CM-05 | No sensitive information exchange | 30 days |
| CM-06 | Deals notified before closing | 30 days |
How to run a UAE competition law compliance audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Identify where staff meet or message rivals (dealer councils, trade events, chat groups) and which fleet tenders the group bids for.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 14 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Review recent fleet tenders and pricing decisions, and ask managers about contact with competing dealers.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: tender files, pricing approvals, the competition policy and training records.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from immediate to 30 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Dealer principals and GMs
- Sales and fleet managers
- Legal and compliance teams
- Auditors
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
