Sultan Al Sultan

The Legal Foundations of Economic Growth of Competition Law: A Study of Saudi Arabia’s Competition Law

This thesis examines the relationship between competition law and economic growth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on whether the Saudi competition law framework incorporates the legal and institutional elements that scholars widely consider essential to fostering economic growth. While much of the existing literature situates competition law within broader economic policies, this study isolates competition law itself, its enactment, enforcement, and its role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), to assess its independent contribution to economic development. Drawing upon comparative analysis, doctrinal legal research, and an evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s unique legal, social, and economic context, the study argues that competition law can promote economic growth independently of wider economic policy frameworks. The research highlights four critical factors: the enactment of modern competition legislation; the alignment of such legislation with the country’s economic, social, and legal needs; the effective enforcement of these laws through a competent and independent regulatory authority; and the capacity of competition law to create a fair and predictable environment that encourages FDI.

Supervisors - Prof Barry Rodger and Dr Lukasz Grzejdziak 

Email - sultan.alsultan@strath.ac.uk