Saudi Arabia is the first country to approve Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition deal

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The General Authority for Competition in Saudi Arabia says it has "no objection" to the deal going forward

Activision Blizzard lawsuit
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Saudi Arabia has become the first nation to approve Microsoft's impending merger with Activision Blizzard.

Back in January, Microsoft unveiled plans to purchase Activision Blizzard for the costly sum of $68.7 billion. Given the magnitude of the deal, it's currently being investigated by regulatory authorities to determine whether or not it complies with competition laws. 

As spotted by Twitter user Klobrille, Saudi Arabia's regulator, the General Authority for Competition, has said it has "no objection", making it the first country to approve the buyout officially. The Twitter user also posted an image of the No Objection certificate issued by the regulator in support of the "acquisition of 100% of the common stock of Activision Blizzard, Inc. by Microsoft Corporation". 

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The deal is currently being scrutinized by several other regulatory bodies across the globe. One of these is the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and, as reported by VGC, it could potentially share its verdict sometime this month. Meanwhile, its UK counterpart, known as the Competition and Markets Authority, has launched its own investigation to "consider whether the deal could harm competition and lead to worse outcomes for consumers". It's due to give its initial decision on the matter by September 1.

Microsoft recently brushed off concerns from New Zealand's anti-competition regulators, the New Zealand Commerce Commission, saying that Activision Blizzard doesn't make any "must have" games that might prevent competition from rival studios. Also threatening to hamper the merger is the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit and an investigation regarding insider trading and Activision's falling share prices which, even if the regulators give their blessing, could still see the deal not being done.  

See what Microsoft's latest acquisition could mean for Activision Blizzard and Xbox Game Studios.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.