Public tenders in the United Arab Emirates: platforms, thresholds and rules

At a glance

Law: القانون الاتحادي رقم (11) لسنة 2023 بشأن المشتريات في الحكومة الاتحادية
Oversight: وزارة المالية
Central portal: Digital Procurement Platform

Law and buyers

The UAE is not an EU member and has no single procurement law for the whole country. Federal ministries and authorities follow Federal Law No. (11) of 2023 on Procurement in the Federal Government and its Implementing Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. (122) of 2024, overseen by the Ministry of Finance. Each emirate has its own framework: Dubai government entities follow Dubai Law No. (12) of 2020 on contracts and warehouse management, and Abu Dhabi entities buy through the Department of Government Enablement (DGE) and its procurement gate. Large government-related companies such as ADNOC run their own supplier programmes. The federal rules set aside 10% of annual federal procurement spending for small and medium enterprises and add policy goals around Emiratisation, In-Country Value and green procurement.[1][2][6][7]

Where tenders are published

Federal tenders are announced on the Ministry of Finance's Digital Procurement Platform (procurement.gov.ae), and may also appear on the buying entity's website. Abu Dhabi government tenders go through the Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate (ADGPG), and Dubai entities such as Dubai Municipality use the Dubai eSupply portal. Registration is mandatory: under the federal regulations only suppliers that are registered and accepted in the Supplier Registry may take part, and federal entities may not contract with anyone else. Federal registration is free according to the Ministry of Finance, takes up to 30 working days, and requires logging in with UAE PASS, the national digital identity. In Abu Dhabi, suppliers licensed by the Abu Dhabi DED self-register on ADGPG, while non-DED and international suppliers are added through an entity request from the government body they want to work with.[3][5][8][9]

Procedures and thresholds

Under the federal regulations the procurement methods are the public tender (the default, announced on the procurement system), the limited tender (invitation to a shortlist of registered suppliers, for example after pre-qualification), and the direct order or sole source as exceptions that need justification. Next to these, entities buy through blanket agreements, the Federal Procurement Catalogue and local catalogues, low-value purchases and petty cash cards, and reverse auctions can be used for negotiation. A public tender is mandatory above a value set in the Federal Government Procurement Manual and Procedures, which is not a published law, so the federal thresholds are not stated in the law itself. Negotiation with bidders is mandatory above a contract value that is also set in that Manual. Emirate-level rules in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have their own methods and limits.[1][2]

Documents and language

For federal registration a domestic or free zone supplier provides a trade licence, a VAT registration certificate and a passport copy of the owner named on the licence; a foreign supplier without a UAE branch provides its trade licence, tax registration certificate and owner's passport copy. Tender documents and contracts are drafted in Arabic, and English may be used when the federal entity considers it necessary, which is common in practice. Bids usually include a technical and a financial proposal, and an In-Country Value certificate where the tender asks for it. The winning supplier may have to provide a performance bond from a bank inside or outside the UAE, valid for the full contract period plus 90 days; SMEs are exempt from the bond under the federal regulations.[1][2][3]

Deadlines, award and challenges

Federal suppliers get 15 business days to respond to a tender announcement, which the entity may extend to 30 business days. Bids are evaluated only on criteria and weights published in the announcement, such as price, operation and maintenance cost, delivery time, technical compliance and experience. A preference margin may be given for In-Country Value, local products or local SMEs, and SMEs receive an extra 10% of points on the final score. All participants are notified of the award, and an unsuccessful bidder can ask for the reasons. A grievance can be filed with the federal entity's Grievance Committee within five business days of the decision; decisions on grievances before award are issued within ten business days and are final. There is no EU-style standstill period.[1][2]

How to win a tender in the United Arab Emirates

In UAE federal tenders, bids are judged only on the criteria, mechanism and weights published in the tender announcement; criteria not announced may not be used. Besides price, Federal Law No. 11 of 2023 and its 2024 implementing regulations name technical conformity, the supplier's experience and team, innovation, sustainability and the In-Country Value (ICV) programme. Bidders usually submit a separate technical and financial offer, and for larger contracts negotiation or a reverse auction can follow. A valid MoIAT ICV certificate therefore counts directly, alongside Emiratisation. Use the clarification deadline in the announcement: inquiries must be answered and are shared with all bidders without naming the source. Write your technical offer criterion by criterion, with team CVs, references and a concrete local plan. Bids can be excluded for missing minimum requirements, unpaid government dues or an unexplained very low price. Unsuccessful bidders may ask for the reasons, including strengths and weaknesses, and receive a reply within ten business days; a grievance must be filed within five business days. Abu Dhabi (ADGPG) and Dubai (eSupply) have their own rules.[1][2][4][6]

Read the published criteria and weights; answer each one in the order the announcement uses.
Obtain or renew your MoIAT ICV certificate before bidding.
Send inquiries before the clarification deadline; read all answers shared with bidders.
Back claims with team CVs, references and a concrete UAE delivery and Emiratisation plan.
After losing, request strengths and weaknesses; file any grievance within five business days.

Clarification round: Clarification requests (inquiries)

How TenderRender helps you in the United Arab Emirates

TenderRender does the work behind each step above. Your team checks and refines.

1
Research the buyer
Brings together the buyer's earlier awards, policies and contracts, so your bid fits this buyer's situation in the United Arab Emirates.
2
Ask questions
Finds unclear points and risks in the documents and drafts questions about them for the clarification round: Clarification requests (inquiries).
3
Write per criterion
Drafts a first version per award criterion, in the language of the tender, with citations to your own documents.
4
Review
Scores your bid per award criterion the way an evaluator would, with concrete improvements.
5
Fill in forms
Fills in the declarations, price schedules, questionnaires and Excel annexes from your own data and earlier bids, with a source per answer.
6
Submit
Builds a checklist of everything you need to submit on Digital Procurement Platform and prepares the documents ready to sign.

Tender search covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; in the United Arab Emirates you upload the documents from Digital Procurement Platform and TenderRender works with them the same way.

Teams writing or reviewing with TenderRender won 49% of their completed tenders. How this was calculated

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Tips for bidders

Start registration early, because UAE PASS access and supplier activation take time and you cannot bid until you are accepted. Check which government you are selling to: federal, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the other emirates each use their own portal and registration. Obtain an ICV certificate from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) programme if you have UAE operations, since many Abu Dhabi and federal tenders weigh it in the commercial evaluation; it is valid for one year and must be renewed. Prepare an Arabic version of key documents in case the tender is issued in Arabic only. Use the clarification window in the tender announcement, as evaluation may only use the published criteria.[2][3][4][5]

Platforms in the United Arab Emirates

This country does not publish on TED, so there are no shares. These are the platforms from our market map, public ones first.

Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate (ADGPG)
One-time central registration for all Abu Dhabi government entities; firms with an Abu Dhabi DED licence self-register, others request via the entity.
How it works →Website
Dubai eSupply
Official portal for over 40 Dubai government entities; register as a supplier, then complete each entity's own pre-qualification form before bidding online.
How it works →Website
UAE Digital Procurement Platform (Ministry of Finance)
Register free in the Federal Supplier Register via the Digital Procurement Platform with UAE PASS; foreign suppliers may apply, processing within 30 working days.
How it works →Website
Fortender
Private construction tendering platform; contractors and suppliers sign up as a company and choose a company type to receive tenders from project owners.
How it works →Website

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Frequently asked questions

Where are public tenders in the UAE published?

Federal tenders are on the Ministry of Finance's Digital Procurement Platform (procurement.gov.ae). Abu Dhabi tenders are on the Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate (ADGPG) and Dubai entities use the eSupply portal.[6][8][9]

Do I need to register to bid?

Yes. Federal entities only accept bids from suppliers that are registered and accepted in the Supplier Registry, which requires a UAE PASS login. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have their own supplier registrations.[2][3][5]

What are the procurement thresholds?

The federal law and regulations require a public tender above a value set in the Federal Government Procurement Manual and Procedures, but the amount is not stated in the published law. Emirate-level rules set their own limits.[1][2]

Can foreign companies bid?

Yes. The federal register has a category for foreign suppliers without a UAE branch, and Abu Dhabi accepts international suppliers through a request from the government entity. Some tenders still favour local presence through In-Country Value scoring.[3][4][5]

In which language must I bid?

Federal tender documents and contracts are in Arabic, and English may be used when the entity deems it necessary. Follow the language stated in the tender documents.[1][2]

How much time do I have to submit a bid?

For federal tenders the response period is 15 business days, extendable by the entity to 30 business days.[2]

What is the ICV certificate?

The In-Country Value certificate, issued under the MoIAT national programme after an audit, measures a company's contribution to the UAE economy. Certified suppliers gain an advantage in award decisions, and it is valid for one year.[4]