Eight groups and 91 companies entered the designation perimeter, bringing the count of firms covered by rules against channelling work to owner-family entities above 1,000.

The rules restrict transactions in which affiliates direct business to companies in which a controlling family holds shares. Groups above the threshold face disclosure duties and internal-transaction limits together.

Two factors expanded the perimeter: newly designated groups whose assets have grown, and a lowered shareholding threshold for application.

Companies warn that ordinary affiliate transactions may also be chilled. Regulators counter that a wider perimeter is needed to stop indirect dealing routed through ownership structures.

Actual sanctions follow a case-by-case review of whether terms are arm's length and whether the deal has commercial rationale. Designation alone does not make a transaction unlawful.

For mid-sized and small suppliers, designation also means more disclosed information about counterparties, giving them more material with which to check contract terms and deal structures.

Designations are refreshed annually and shift with asset movements and ownership changes.