\n\tRIYADH: American companies accounted for a quarter of all foreign economic concentration applications in Saudi Arabia during the second quarter of 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tBritish and German companies followed, each accounting for 6.5 percent, according to Talal Al-Haqil,\u00a0director\u00a0of the Mergers and Acquisitions<\/a> Department at the General Authority for Competition<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tIn an interview on the \u201cAswaaq\u00a0Al\u00a0Sharq\u201d\u00a0program on Asharq Bloomberg<\/a>, Al-Haqil explained that foreign entities accounted for 75 percent of the 112 economic concentration applications\u00a0submitted\u00a0during the second quarter, compared with 25 percent\u00a0submitted\u00a0by\u00a0local entities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe regulations define economic concentration applications as any transaction resulting in the full or partial transfer of ownership of assets, rights, shares, stakes, or obligations from one entity to another, or the merger of two or more entities under a joint management structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAccording to\u00a0the GAC\u2019s\u00a0quarterly report, the value of economic concentration requests exceeded SR373 billion ($99 billion) in the second quarter of 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAl-Haqil\u00a0attributed\u00a0the continued investment momentum to the attractiveness of the manufacturing sector, which\u00a0led\u00a0economic concentration requests during the second quarter, accounting for 34 percent of the total. He noted that the sector is one of the most\u00a0attractive\u00a0for\u00a0investors and\u00a0has consistently\u00a0led\u00a0economic concentration requests.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAl-Haqil\u00a0expects\u00a0an increase in economic concentration requests during the third quarter of 2026, particularly among listed companies, with the healthcare and industrial sectors expected to lead\u00a0such\u00a0deals in the coming period.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAcquisitions in\u00a0listed\u00a0companies\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe second quarter of 2026\u00a0witnessed\u00a0several prominent acquisition deals\u00a0on\u00a0the Saudi Stock Exchange\u2019s<\/a> main market and parallel market. Gasco completed its acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Jacko Gases. Meanwhile, ADES Holding <\/a>signed an agreement to\u00a0acquire\u00a0Saipem Saudi Arabia for SR1.07 billion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe controlling stake in United Mining Industries Co. was transferred to Knauf International, which later announced its intention to\u00a0submit\u00a0a bid to\u00a0acquire\u00a0the entire company, while\u00a0Spimaco\u00a0Pharmaceuticals increased its ownership\u00a0stake\u00a0in Enaya Co.\u00a0<\/p>\n