Competition Council Launches Investigation into Illegal Practices in the Digital Meal Delivery Market
The Secretary-General of the Competition Council informed a company active in the digital platforms for ordering and delivering meals on Wednesday about allegations concerning anti-competitive practices at both the national and local levels.
The Council clarified in an official statement that this notification, which falls under the provisions of Article 29 of Law No. 104-12 regarding the freedom of prices and competition, marks the beginning of the procedural process that guarantees the concerned party the right to defend itself as stipulated by law.
This measure was taken following an investigation initiated by Decision No. 20/ق/2024, issued on February 19, 2024, regarding the potential existence of illegal practices in this growing digital sector, as part of the Council’s duties as conferred by the Constitution and relevant laws. Specialized services of the Council conducted extensive investigations that concluded with strong evidence and indications of the implicated company’s anti-competitive practices.
The investigation’s results indicated that this company misused its dominant market position, exploited the economic dependence of its business partners, and implemented unfairly low pricing policies that could harm competitive balance in the market.
The Competition Council confirmed that the notification of allegations does not imply a final decision in the case, as a meeting will be convened later to discuss and deliberate on the matter, fully respecting the legal rights of defense for the concerned party. The Council retains exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate this case in its capacity as a deliberative body.
