Article 27 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
المادة 27 من نظام المنافسات والمشتريات الحكومية · الفصل الرابع عشر: تضامن المتنافسين
The article allows bids submitted jointly to be accepted in government tenders, and refers the regulation of this to the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز قبول العروض بالتضامن وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة.
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 27 explained in plain English
This article allows bids to be accepted on a joint basis, that is, bids submitted by more than one person together on a joint and several basis.
What does the article provide?
- A bid submitted jointly may be accepted, so it is not rejected merely because it comes from more than one competitor.
- This is as the Implementing Regulations explain; the conditions, the controls and how responsibility is divided among those joined are not set out in the article itself.
The practical benefit: Joint bidding lets enterprises pool their capabilities to apply for works or procurement that one of them might not be able to apply for alone. This is understood together with Article 20, which ties qualification criteria to competitors' technical, financial and administrative capabilities and the extent of their contractual commitments.
An important note: The article's wording is "may", so it permits accepting these bids and does not establish an absolute right to have them accepted in every tender; the details are in the Implementing Regulations.
Relation to other articles: Article 26 bars splitting works and procurement to reach lower authorities, and Article 28 provides that all works and procurement are put out in a public tender except what the Law excepts.
Before entering a joint bid, the enterprises concerned would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in government contracts and administrative disputes to verify the requirements of the Implementing Regulations.
Practical example
A contracting company in Jeddah and an engineering company in Riyadh want to apply together for a large government project, because each has part of the expertise required. This article allows bids to be accepted jointly, and the two companies consult the Implementing Regulations to learn the conditions and controls.
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 27 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
May two companies submit a joint bid in a government tender?
Yes. Bids may be accepted jointly as the Implementing Regulations explain.
What are the conditions for a joint bid?
The article does not set them but refers to the Implementing Regulations.
Must the government entity accept a joint bid?
The article permits accepting it and does not provide that it must be accepted; this is as the Implementing Regulations explain.
More articles on Qualifying Bidders and Dealing Conditions
- Article 3
The article requires government entities to deal only with licensed persons, and, when dealing with foreigners inside the Kingdom, to first confirm that there is not more than one qualified local person.
1- تتعامل الجهات الحكومية عند تنفيذ أعمالها وتأمين مشترياتها مع الأشخاص المرخص لهم بذلك، طبقاً للأنظمة والقواعد المتبعة. 2- على الجهة الحكومية عند تعاملها مع أش
- Article 18
The article requires those government entities deal with to meet the conditions needed to carry out works and secure procurement, and refers the details to the Implementing Regulations.
يجب أن تتوافر في الأشخاص الذين تتعامل معهم الجهات الحكومية الشروط اللازمة لتنفيذ الأعمال وتأمين المشتريات وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة.
- Article 19
The article requires the government entity to carry out pre-qualification or post-qualification, and where pre-qualification is carried out, limits the invitation to the tender to those who passed it.
1- على الجهة الحكومية إجراء تأهيل مسبق أو لاحق في الأعمال والمشتريات وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة. 2- في حال إجراء تأهيل مسبق، تقتصر الدعوة للمشاركة في المنافسة على
- Article 20
The article requires pre- or post-qualification criteria to be objective and measurable, relate to technical, financial and administrative capabilities and contractual commitments, and be proportionate to the project.
يجب أن تكون معايير التأهيل المسبق أو اللاحق موضوعية وقابلة للقياس ومتعلقة بالقدرات الفنية والمالية والإدارية ومقدار الالتزامات التعاقدية للمتنافسين، وبما يتناسب
- Article 90
The Article requires government entities to contract directly with those authorized to work and bars brokerage, and a distributor or agent approved by the original producer is not a broker.
يكون التعاقد مع المصرح لهم بالعمل مباشـرة، ولا تجوز الوساطة في التعاقد، ولا يُعد وسيطاً الموزّع أو الوكيل المعتمد من المنتج الأصلي.
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.