The UAE Ministry of Finance's introduction of the Digital Procurement Platform in 2021 has radically changed the procurement experience for federal entities and suppliers, aiming to align purchasing policies with the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025.
Over the past few years, the platform has significantly contributed to connecting federal entities with suppliers, facilitating communication through an integrated network that enhances the transparency of purchasing operations conducted by federal entities.
This results from integrating the best technological and commercial practices, hence increasing the importance of the Federal Suppliers Register within the Digital Procurement Platform that connects government entities with suppliers.
The Federal Suppliers Register on the Digital Procurement Platform witnessed significant growth, reaching 24,789 suppliers in Q1 2024, a notable increase from 19,669 in 2021, 21,997 in 2022, and 24,418 in 2023. The UAE Ministry of Finance aims to enhance procurement procedures for federal entities through the platform, streamlining processes from 60 days to six minutes. This includes introducing electronic signatures, online contracts, and involving all stakeholders to ensure efficiency, flexibility, and competitive pricing. A dedicated link on the government procurement platform enables electronic registration and updates, qualifying companies to participate in federal tenders.
Simplification
The Federal Suppliers Register aims to simplify the client’s journey. The Ministry of Finance has provided a registration service on the homepage of its website to facilitate registration, reduce the number of required attachments, and simplify the procedures of the Federal Suppliers Register. Recently, it launched an updated catalogue of the digital procurement platform, now encompassing 35 categories with more than 120,000 products and services offered by 230 suppliers.
The Central Procurement Unit negotiates with these suppliers to secure the best prices for federal entities, benefiting joint work development and facilitating the user experience by pre-emptively knowing and fulfilling their needs, achieving excellence in government services. This aligns with the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025, the UAE Strategy for Government Services, and other strategies for government services and digital transformation.
The Digital Procurement Platform is also part of the strategic orientations represented by the five major transformational projects of the UAE Ministry of Finance, including the first project, Supply Strategy of the Federal Government, aiming to include new supplier categories in the federal government’s supply base to boost the national economy and enhance efforts to expand and diversify the supplier base.
Positive Transformation
The Digital Procurement Platform is hailed by registered suppliers as a crucial project in digital transformation, particularly for federal procurement management, improving government expenditure efficiency, and fostering effective government-to-government relationships. It has notably enhanced efficiency, transparency, expenditure tracking, and spending analysis, continuously evolving to match technological advancements and improve user experience.
The platform prioritizes support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by increasing contracting opportunities and ensuring SME participation in tenders. Its user-friendly interface simplifies navigation, reduces complexity, and boosts productivity, expediting procurement processes and improving procurement governance.
Suppliers commend the platform for promoting automation, electronic catalogues, and providing clear transaction views for better financial decision-making. Government entities benefit from simplified documentation, comprehensive service catalogues, and streamlined processes, saving time, reducing administrative burdens, enhancing service quality, and cutting costs. Moreover, the platform prioritizes tracking sustainability and corporate social responsibility metrics, aligning with the Ministry of Finance’s strategic objectives.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
