Article 49 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
المادة 49 من نظام المنافسات والمشتريات الحكومية · الفصل الرابع: فحص العروض وصلاحية التعاقد
The Article requires the government entity to announce the tender results and notify the other bidders, as the Implementing Regulations explain.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الجهة الحكومية إعلان نتائج المنافسة، وإشعار بقية المتنافسين بذلك، 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 49 explained in plain English
This Article places an obligation on the government entity once the tender ends, and it is a double obligation:
- Announcing the tender results.
- Notifying the other bidders of them, meaning those to whom the tender was not awarded.
The wording "the government entity must" shows that this is a duty and not something left to its discretion. The method of announcement, the means of notification and their timing are referred by the Article to the Implementing Regulations, and it does not set them out itself.
This rule matters greatly to the bidder, because knowing the result is what enables him to follow up on his rights. The definition of the standstill period in Article 1 points to this link, since it defines it as a period starting from the date of notifying the bidders of the winning bid so that the complaints they submit can be considered.
This Article relates to the examination that precedes the award, including Article 48's rule that a bid may not be excluded for its low price except under conditions. It also relates to Article 50, which bars accepting a sole bid unless its prices are similar to prevailing prices and with the approval of the head of the government entity.
If you were not notified of the result of a tender you took part in, or want to object to its result, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases and government contracts.
Practical example
Ahmed's company took part in a government tender to supply office furniture in Riyadh. After the tender was decided, the entity announced the result and notified the company that the winning bid belonged to another company, so it knew the result and could consider its options.
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 49 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
Must the government entity announce the tender result?
Yes. The Article requires the government entity to announce the tender results.
Are the bidders who did not win notified?
Yes. The Article requires the other bidders to be notified of the result.
How are the results announced and the bidders notified?
The Article refers this to what the Implementing Regulations of the Law explain.
More articles on Examining Bids and Award
- 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.
- Article 25
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.
يجب أن تكون معايير التقييم غير السعرية موضوعية وتتناسب مع طبيعة الأعمال والمشتريات المراد طرحها، وأن تكون -بالقدر الممكن عملياً- قابلة للتحديد الكمي.
- Article 43
The article provides for forming one or more bid-opening committees by decision of the head of the government entity or his delegate, as the Implementing Regulations explain.
تكوّن بقرار من رئيس الجهة الحكومية أو من يفوضه لجنة أو أكثر لفتح العروض، وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة.
- Article 44
The article requires bids to be opened in the presence of all committee members when the receiving period ends, with minutes prepared, lets bidders attend, and requires referral to the examination committee within 3 days.
1- تفتح العروض بحضور جميع أعضاء اللجنة في موعد انتهاء مدة تلقي العروض، ويعَد محضر بذلك، وفي الحالات التي تتطلب تقديم عرض فني مستقل عن العرض المالي، تفتح العروض
- Article 45
The article governs forming the bid-examination committee, its tasks, the unified procurement entity's participation and recording its recommendations in minutes, and bars combining its chairmanship with award authority or with the opening committee.
1- تكوّن لجنة أو أكثر بقرار من رئيس الجهة الحكومية أو من يفوضه لفحص العروض، وفقاً لما توضحه اللائحة. وتتولى هذه اللجنة فحص العروض وتقديم توصياتها في الترسية على
- Article 46
The Article requires bids to be examined against the tender documents' criteria, non-compliant bids excluded and their guarantees returned; where bids are split, technical bids are examined first, then the financial bids of accepted technical bids.
1- تفحص العروض وفقاً للمعايير المنصوص عليها في وثائق المنافسة، وتستبعد العروض المخالفة، وترد الضمانات الابتدائية لأصحابها. 2- في حال قدمت العروض في ملفين إلكترو
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.