GCC tenders follow six different laws on six different portals. A company bidding across the Gulf meets the same questions in each country: where tenders are published, whether it can bid without a local registration, how much the bonds tie up, and how long it has to complain. This page puts the answers side by side, as of 1 November 2026, with a link to our full guide for each country.
Three of the six laws changed in 2026, so check the date on any comparison you rely on, including this one.
Laws and portals
| Country | Law | Where tenders are published |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Government Tenders and Procurement Law, published 4 September 2026, in force early January 2027; it replaces the 1440 AH (2019) law | Etimad, the unified government procurement portal |
| UAE | Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2023, for federal entities; each emirate has its own rules | Federal Digital Procurement Platform; Abu Dhabi ADGPG; Dubai eSupply; Sharjah eProcurement |
| Qatar | Law No. 24 of 2015, amended 2018 and 2024 | Monaqasat; Ashghal and QatarEnergy run their own registration |
| Kuwait | Law No. 49 of 2016, amended by Decree-Law No. 94 of 2026 | Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT) and the Official Gazette |
| Oman | Tender Law, Royal Decree 36/2008, as amended | Esnad, run by the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority |
| Bahrain | Legislative Decree No. 36 of 2002, amended by Law No. 30 of 2026 | The Tender Board's e-tendering system |
Who can bid without a local registration
| Country | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | When dealing with companies licensed outside the Kingdom, the entity must first make sure there is not more than one qualified, locally licensed company for the same work; priority goes to local SMEs and local content |
| UAE | The federal platform registers foreign companies based outside the UAE; In-Country Value (ICV) and local preferences weigh at evaluation |
| Qatar | No local partner is required by law; QatarEnergy expects a foreign winner that works in Qatar to register within 30 days of award |
| Kuwait | Bidders must be registered and classified with CAPT; local and commission agents are now banned in contracting procedures, so the routes in are a registered branch or a partner |
| Oman | Local tenders are limited to the Omani commercial register, or a professional register the Board decides; in international tenders a foreign winner registers within 30 working days; GCC-owned companies count as Omani |
| Bahrain | Local tenders are limited to companies registered in Bahrain; in international tenders a foreign winner registers within 30 days of award; GCC companies count as national |
Bonds
| Country | Bid bond | Performance bond |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1% to 2% of the bid value, under the new law | 5% of the contract value, within 15 working days of award notice |
| UAE (federal) | Set in the executive regulations | A bank guarantee may be required at signing; amounts set in the regulations |
| Qatar | Up to 5% of the estimated value, under the 2019 regulations as summarised by law firms | Not less than 10% of the contract value |
| Kuwait | Required with every bid, as a certified cheque or bank guarantee; the amount is set in the regulation | At the percentage the regulation sets, valid until three months after the contract ends |
| Oman | At least 1% of the bid value | 5% of the awarded value, within 10 working days, or 20 for a contractor abroad |
| Bahrain | As the tender documents specify | 10% for works, 5% to 10% for services and goods, within 10 days, or 20 for a company outside Bahrain |
Bonds tie up capital for the length of the bid and the contract. In several countries a partner with local banking lines can carry them more easily.
Complaint deadlines
| Country | Deadline to complain |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 5 working days to the entity, or during the 3 to 10 working day standstill after award; then 3 working days to the Ministry of Finance committee |
| UAE (federal) | 5 working days from notice of a pre-award decision, 5 days from the award decision |
| Qatar | 5 working days from the award announcement, to the Disputes Settlement Committee |
| Kuwait | 7 days to complain to the entity; 7 working days to appeal to the grievances committee, which now decides within 30 days |
| Bahrain | 10 days in local tenders, 20 in international ones |
Our Oman guide does not cover the grievance procedure; the tender documents and the Authority set it out.
What changed in 2026
- Saudi Arabia published a new Government Tenders and Procurement Law on 4 September 2026. It takes effect in early January 2027, raises the direct-purchase ceiling to SAR 1 million, and keeps joint bids, with the detail left to implementing regulations that we have not found published as of 1 November 2026. See the new Saudi procurement law.
- Kuwait amended its tenders law by Decree-Law No. 94 of 2026, published 27 September 2026. Entities may now contract up to KWD 1 million without CAPT's permission, local and commission agents are banned in contracting procedures, and SMEs win when within 10% of the lowest acceptable bid. See Kuwait tenders.
- Bahrain amended its tenders law by Law No. 30 of 2026, in force since June 2026. Entities run their own tenders up to BHD 50,000, wholly state-owned companies up to BHD 100,000, and the Board may now approve negotiation with bidders in defined cases. See Bahrain tenders.
The common thread: where a local partner comes in
No Gulf law makes a local partner compulsory for every tender. Across all six, the same four things push a company new to a market towards one:
- Registration. Local tenders in Oman and Bahrain are closed to unregistered companies, and Kuwait asks for registration and classification before you bid.
- Classification and accreditation. Tenders are issued to a grade or ask for a named accreditation that takes months or years to earn.
- Local scoring. Saudi local content, UAE and QatarEnergy ICV, and the 10% preferences in Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain all reward a local footprint.
- Bonds and delivery. Bonds are due within days of award, and the work needs staff and licences on the ground.
That gap, between what a tender asks for and what your company holds, is what Munaseq is for. Tell us the tender and what you lack, and we match you with up to three accredited partners that registered it and showed proof, each with the reason for the match, and arrange the first meeting. The contract is directly between you and your partner.
- Have a Gulf tender and a gap to fill? Find an accredited partner for your tender.
- Established in a Gulf market and holding accreditations or classifications? Let companies entering the market find you.
- Missing a vendor accreditation such as SAP or Microsoft? Read how to find a technical partner for government tenders.
The country guides
Each row above comes from our guide to that country, where the sources are listed article by article:
- Etimad tenders, the new Saudi procurement law and Saudi tenders for foreign companies
- UAE tenders
- Qatar tenders
- Kuwait tenders
- Oman tenders
- Bahrain tenders
This comparison is general information, not legal advice. Laws, regulations and the tender documents are what count, and they change: check the date above against the latest official text.