Article 25 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
المادة 25 من نظام المنافسات والمشتريات الحكومية · الفصل الثاني عشر: معايير تقييم العروض
The article requires non-price evaluation criteria to be objective, proportionate to the nature of the works and procurement, and quantifiable as far as practically possible.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن تكون معايير التقييم غير السعرية موضوعية وتتناسب مع طبيعة الأعمال والمشتريات المراد طرحها، وأن تكون -بالقدر الممكن عملياً- قابلة للتحديد الكمي.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 25 explained in plain English
This article sets controls on non-price evaluation criteria, that is, criteria not related to price, such as the technical aspects of the bid.
These criteria must be:
- Objective: Not based on personal judgment or a leaning toward a particular competitor.
- Proportionate to the nature of the works and procurement being put out; what suits a consulting services tender may not suit a supply tender.
- Quantifiable as far as practically possible: That is, they should be framed as far as possible in a way that can be measured in numbers or scores. The phrase "as far as practically possible" means quantification is required where it can be done, recognizing that some criteria may not lend themselves to full quantification.
Why does this matter? Because non-price criteria are the place where subjective judgment may enter the evaluation, so the article controls them so that the evaluation stays fair and open to review.
Relation to other articles:
- Article 24 requires the entity to set the evaluation, comparison and acceptance criteria in the tender documents as the Implementing Regulations explain.
- Article 26 bars splitting works and procurement in order to bring them within the authority for direct purchase, limited tenders or the authority of delegated officials.
Practical example
A government entity in Medina puts out a tender for training services for its employees and set a technical criterion of "the committee's general impression of the company". This criterion is hard to measure and may not be objective, unlike a criterion such as "the number of years of the trainers' experience", which can be quantified as the article requires as far as practically possible.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 25 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
What are non-price criteria in evaluating bids?
They are evaluation criteria not related to price, and the article requires them to be objective, proportionate to the nature of the works and procurement, and quantifiable as far as practically possible.
Must all technical criteria be numerical?
The article requires them to be quantifiable as far as practically possible, not absolutely.
Where are these criteria stated?
In the tender documents, under Article 24.
More articles on Tender Documents and Specifications
- Article 5
The article requires clear, unified information about the required works and procurement to be provided to competitors, and requires that they be able to obtain it at a set time.
تُوفَر للمتنافسين معلومات واضحة وموحدة عن الأعمال والمشتريات المطلوبة، ويمكَنون من الحصول عليها في وقت محدد.
- Article 8
The article requires works and procurement to be put out and contracted within the government entity's actual needs, and at fair prices not exceeding prevailing market prices.
يكون طرح الأعمال والمشتريات والتعاقد في حدود الاحتياجات الفعلية للجهة الحكومية، وبأسعار عادلة لا تزيد عن الأسعار السائدة في السوق.
- Article 21
The article requires tender documents to contain the works and procurement information as the Implementing Regulations specify, to be available electronically on the portal or on paper if technically impossible, and refers cost criteria to the Regulations.
1- يجب أن تتضمن وثائق المنافسات المعلومات والبيانات الخاصة بالأعمال والمشتريات المطروحة وفقاً لما تحدده اللائحة. 2- يجب توفير نسخ إلكترونية لوثائق المنافسة في ا
- Article 22
The article requires technical specifications to be detailed and precise, and bars reference to a particular brand or supplier except by a conditional exception, with no exaggeration and with persons with disabilities taken into account.
1- يجب أن تكون الشروط والمواصفات الفنية للأعمال والمشتريات المطروحة تفصيلية ودقيقة وواضحة، وأن تراعي المواصفات القياسية المعتمدة أو المواصفات العالمية فيما ليس
- Article 23
The article requires the government entity, before setting the estimated cost, to study market prices carefully and set an upper limit for the expected contract value, and to put in place controls to keep the cost confidential.
على الجهة الحكومية -قبل وضع التكلفة التقديرية للأعمال والمشتريات- القيام بالآتي: 1- دراسة أسعار السوق بشكل دقيق، وأن تراعي في ذلك تحديد حد أعلى للقيمة الإجمالية
- Article 24
The article requires the government entity to set in the tender documents the criteria for evaluating, comparing and accepting bids, as the Implementing Regulations explain.
تحدد الجهة الحكومية في وثائق المنافسة معايير تقييم ومقارنة وقبول العروض وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.