What: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Competition Department under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are organizing the seventh edition of the Arab Competition Forum, in partnership with the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC).
When: Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29October 2026, starting 9:00 a.m. (Dubai time)
Where: Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Who: The opening session will be broadcasted live on the ESCWA YouTube channel and will feature statements by:
- Mr. Abdulla bin Touq al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, UAE;
- Ms. Rania Al-Mashat, ESCWA Executive Secretary;
- Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno, UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General;
- Mr. Benoît Coeuré, Chair of the OECD Competition Committee; and
- Mr. Willard Mwemba, CCCC Director and Chief Executive Officer.
The Forum will bring together representatives of competition authorities in the Arab region, academics, UN entities and other international and regional organizations, as well as experts and professionals engaged in competition policy enforcement in the region.
A special award ceremony will also be held to recognize the winners of the university student competition challenge, an initiative jointly organized by ESCWA and the Competition Department at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
Why: The two-day Forum provides a regional platform for peer learning and exchange of expertise on strengthening competition law enforcement. Focusing on “Competition policy in the digital age: maintaining fairness and equality in the market”, this year’s edition will examine the implications of digital transformation for competition policy in the Arab region, and explore how competition frameworks can promote fairness, equality of opportunity and well-functioning markets in the digital economy. It will address emerging challenges, policy considerations and best practices related to digital markets, while fostering knowledge-sharing, cooperation and peer learning at the national, regional and international levels.
For the agenda and more details, visit the Forum’s website: https://acf-2026.unescwa.org/index.html.
To participate online, please register here: https://indico.un.org/event/1021967/.
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Media colleagues who wish to cover the Forum in person are asked to confirm their attendance to:
- Ms. Maryam Sleiman, Public Information Assistant
📞 +961-81-769888 | 📧 [email protected] - Ms. Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant
📞 +961-70-008879 | 📧 [email protected]
