Article 60 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
المادة 60 من نظام المنافسات والمشتريات الحكومية · الفصل الأول: صياغة العقود ومدد تنفيذها
The Article requires government entities to submit the contracts specified by the Regulations to the Ministry of Finance for review before signing; the Ministry reviews them within 15 working days or they are deemed approved.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تلتزم الجهات الحكومية بعرض عقودها -التي تحددها اللائحة- على الوزارة لمراجعتها قبل توقيعها، وعلى الوزارة مراجعة تلك العقود خلال (خمسة عشر) يوم عمل من تاريخ ورودها إليها. فإن لم ترد الوزارة خلال هذه المدة عُدت موافقة. ويستثنى من حكم هذه المادة الجهات التي ليس لها اعتمادات بالميزانية العامة للدولة.
2- تحدد اللائحة ضوابط تطبيق هذه المادة.
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 60 explained in plain English
This Article creates prior oversight by the Ministry of Finance over some government contracts before they are signed.
1- Contracts covered: Government entities must submit their contracts that the Regulations specify to the Ministry (the Ministry of Finance under Article 1) for review before signing them. Not all contracts are covered, only those the Regulations specify.
2- Review period: The Ministry must review those contracts within 15 working days of the date they reach it.
3- Implied approval: If the Ministry does not reply within this period, it is deemed approval. This prevents contracts from being stalled by delay in review.
4- Exception: Entities that have no appropriations in the State's general budget are excepted from this provision.
5- Rules: The Regulations set the rules for applying this Article.
The importance of this Article to the contractor is that signing his contract may depend on the Ministry's review being completed, or on 15 working days passing without a reply from it. It relates to Article 59, which provides for drawing up the contract after the winner is notified of the award decision and submits the final guarantee letter, and to Article 61, which requires the party awarded the tender to submit a final guarantee of 5% of the contract value within 15 working days of being notified of the award, with the possibility of extending it for an equal period.
If the signing of your contract is delayed and you want to know whether it is subject to the Ministry's review, consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases and government contracts.
Practical example
A government entity sent one of the contracts specified by the Regulations to the Ministry of Finance for review before signing it with a company in Dammam. Fifteen working days passed from the date it reached the Ministry without a reply, so this was deemed approval.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 60 of Government Tenders and Procurement Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Administrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributor
Unwan Law Firm
Frequently asked questions about Article 60 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
Must government contracts be submitted to the Ministry of Finance before signing?
Yes. The contracts the Regulations specify must be submitted to the Ministry for review before signing.
How long does the Ministry of Finance take to review a contract?
15 working days from the date the contract reaches it.
What if the Ministry does not reply within the period?
Not replying within 15 working days is deemed approval.
Are all government entities subject to this provision?
No. Entities that have no appropriations in the State's general budget are excepted.
More articles on Concluding the Government Contract and the Final Guarantee
- Article 55
The Article requires government contracts and their documents to be drafted in Arabic, allows another language alongside it with Arabic governing, and allows correspondence alone to suffice if the contract value does not exceed SAR 300,000.
1- تُصاغ العقود ووثائقها وملحقاتها باللغة العربية، ويجوز استخدام لغة أخرى إلى جانب العربية على أن تكون العربية هي المعتمَدة في تفسير العقد وتنفيذه وتحديد مواصفا
- Article 56
The Article caps continuing service contracts at five years unless the Ministry approves more, requires the term to fit the work, and requires performance and evaluation conditions allowing termination or reduced payments.
1- لا تتجاوز مدة عقود الخدمات ذات التنفيذ المستمر، كالصيانة والنظافة والتشغيل والإعاشة، (خمس) سنوات، وتجوز زيادتها في العقود التي تتطلب طبيعتها ذلك؛ بعد موافقة
- Article 57
The Article refers to the Implementing Regulations the determination of the types of contracts that government entities may use.
تحدد اللائحة أنواع العقود التي يجوز للجهات الحكومية استخدامها.
- Article 58
The Article allows government contracts to include clauses on transferring knowledge, training and operating skills to the employees of government entities.
يجوز تضمين العقود بنوداً تتعلق بنقل المعرفة والتدريب ومهارات التشغيل إلى موظفي الجهات الحكومية.
- Article 59
The contract is drawn up with the winning bidder after he is notified of the award and submits the final guarantee letter, and in public construction contracts the contractor must be enabled to start within 60 days unless the documents say otherwise.
1- يحرر العقد بين الجهة الحكومية وصاحب العرض الفائز بعد إبلاغه بقرار الترسية وتقديم خطاب الضمان النهائي. 2- يُمكّن المتعاقد معه في عقود الإنشاءات العامة من البد
- Article 61
The Article requires the winning bidder to submit a final guarantee of 5% of the contract value within 15 working days, and explains the consequence of delay, the cases exempt from it and how long it is kept.
1- يجب على من تتم الترسية عليه تقديم ضمان نهائي بنسبة (5%) من قيمة العقد، وذلك خلال (خمسة عشر) يوم عمل من تاريخ إبلاغه بالترسية. ويجوز للجهة الحكومية تمديد هذه
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.