The UAE Ministry of Finance has claimed the Procurement Excellence Award at the World Procurement Awards 2026 in London, beating out global competitors including American Airlines, NASA and Deutsche Telekom, in recognition of its AI-powered digital procurement transformation.
The award, presented by Procurement Leaders — part of the World 50 Group — was accepted by Nadia Sultan Al Ali, Director of the Government Procurement Platform Department, on behalf of the Ministry.
At the heart of the win is the Ministry's Digital Procurement Platform, which has unified more than 50 federal entities under a single AI-powered system. The results are significant: procurement cycle times have dropped by 75 percent, and processing times for catalogue-listed items have fallen from over 60 days to under six minutes.
The platform has also delivered federal spending savings exceeding 30 percent, with total savings surpassing AED 100 million in its first year. Supplier satisfaction reached 85 percent, and the ecosystem now hosts over 17,000 registered suppliers. SME participation more than doubled, rising from 22 percent to 47 percent, supported by national content standards in procurement evaluations.
Mariam Mohammed Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Government Financial Management Sector, said the recognition reflects the maturity of the UAE's government financial management ecosystem and will serve as a catalyst for further advancements in operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making.
Beyond efficiency gains, the platform has eliminated over one million sheets of paper annually, aligning with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 and UAE Vision 2031 goals.
The achievement also supports the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, which aims to streamline public services, reduce unnecessary processes and accelerate service delivery across federal entities.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
