Article 91 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
المادة 91 من نظام المنافسات والمشتريات الحكومية · الباب السابع: أحكام ختامية
The Article requires government entities to use the approved forms for contracts, tender documents, prequalification, contractor performance evaluation and any other document that the nature of the works or purchases requires.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تلتزم الجهة الحكومية باستخدام النماذج المعتمدة للعقود، ووثائق المنافسة، ووثائق التأهيل المسبق، ونماذج تقييم أداء المتعاقدين، وأي وثيقة أخرى تتطلبها طبيعة الأعمال أو المشتريات.
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 91 explained in plain English
This Article sets a clear regulatory rule: the government entity does not draft its documents as it pleases, but is bound to use the approved forms. Under Article 1, government entities are ministries, government bodies, authorities, agencies, public institutions and bodies with independent public legal personality.
The documents for which the approved forms must be used include:
- contracts the entity concludes with suppliers and contractors.
- tender documents by which works and purchases are offered.
- prequalification documents, meaning the documents by which the entity verifies the qualifications and capabilities of bidders before bids are submitted, as Article 1 defines them.
- contractor performance evaluation forms.
- any other document that the nature of the works or purchases requires.
The Article itself does not say which body approves these forms or what they contain; those details are outside its text.
The Article follows Article 90, which requires contracting directly with those authorized to work and bars brokerage in contracting; both are among the final provisions that govern how government entities deal with contractors.
The practical benefit to a bidder or contractor is that it deals with documents in a unified format that should be familiar to it across different entities. A person who believes a document departed from the approved form in a way that affects their rights would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases and government contracts.
Practical example
A contracting company in Riyadh takes part in the tenders of several ministries. Under this Article it finds that each ministry uses the same approved contract form and tender documents, instead of each entity drafting its own contract, so it is easier for the company to study the terms and prepare its bids.
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 91 of the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law
May a government entity write its own contract instead of the approved form?
The Article requires the government entity to use the approved contract forms; it does not leave this to the entity's choice.
Which documents must be on approved forms?
Contracts, tender documents, prequalification documents, contractor performance evaluation forms, and any other document the nature of the works or purchases requires.
Does the Article cover evaluating a contractor's performance after performance?
Yes, it expressly lists contractor performance evaluation forms among those that must be used in their approved form.
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.