MEPCO Subsidiary WASCO Fined SAR 10 Million; Court of Appeal Upholds Ruling

Middle East Paper Company (MEPCO) announced on Tuesday that the Administrative Court of Appeal in the Makkah region upheld a preliminary ruling fining its subsidiary, Waste Collection and Recycling Company (WASCO), SAR 10 million. The fine relates to an alleged violation of Article 5, paragraph 1, of the Competition Law for colluding with competitors to fix carton purchase prices.

MEPCO said it expects to receive the official ruling on August 26. The company confirmed there will be no financial impact on the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, as it had already provisioned the full amount of SAR 10 million in 2024.

The company added it plans to file an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court after receiving the ruling from the Administrative Court of Appeal.

This development follows MEPCO’s earlier announcement on March 23, 2025, regarding the Supreme Administrative Court’s decision to overturn a previous appeal ruling and refer the case back to the Administrative Court of Appeal for reconsideration.