Etimad for suppliers: registration, tenders and the 2026 law

Etimad is Saudi Arabia's unified electronic portal for government procurement. Suppliers use it to see tenders, submit encrypted bids and follow contracts and payments with government entities. A company registers through the Etimad Business login with the owner's or an authorised user's account, and its first login inside the Kingdom goes through Nafath.

This guide covers what the platform is, how registration works, how a tender runs from announcement to contract, and what the new Government Tenders and Procurement Law approved in 2026 changes for suppliers. It is current as of October 2026 and is general information, not legal advice: for a specific tender, read the official text and the tender documents, and speak to a licensed lawyer.

What is the Etimad platform?

The Etimad platform is the electronic portal that the Government Tenders and Procurement Law calls "the Portal": a unified electronic portal for government procurement under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance [4]. It is run by the National Center for Government Resource Systems (NCGR), an independent government centre created by a Council of Ministers decision dated 4 Rajab 1442H (16 February 2021) [2].

NCGR describes Etimad as a platform that connects government entities, the private sector, financial institutions and individuals, and lists services such as government tenders and procurement, contracts, invoice registration and payment orders [1]. For a supplier, the practical point is simple: public tenders are announced on the Portal and bids are submitted through it [4].

Which law governs government tenders in October 2026?

Two texts matter right now, and the answer depends on when a tender was launched.

The law in force today is the Government Tenders and Procurement Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/128 dated 13/11/1440H. The Etimad FAQ on that law says it took effect on 1 December 2019 and applies to every government entity [6].

A new Government Tenders and Procurement Law has now been approved by Royal Decree No. M/76 dated 27/2/1448H, based on Council of Ministers Decision No. 199 dated 21/2/1448H [5]. We read the text published on the Umm Al-Qura portal, dated 22/3/1448H (4 September 2026). It has 101 articles, replaces the M/128 law (Article 100) and takes effect 120 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Article 101) [4]. By our count that falls in early January 2027; confirm the exact date with the Ministry of Finance.

The royal decree sets the transition [5]:

• Tenders launched while the M/128 law was in force stay under that law. The Minister of Finance may apply some provisions of the new law to them through a mechanism he sets, without touching steps already completed.
• Requests to extend contracts, and delays in execution that arose before the new law takes effect, are handled under the M/128 law.
• Existing exemptions granted to government entities under the old law continue.

Amendments to the Government Tenders and Procurement Law in 2026

The full text of the new law, published in the Umm Al-Qura Gazette, shows changes that reach procurement planning, contracting methods, direct purchase, standstill periods, authorities and grievances; the comparison table below sets out the points suppliers ask about most [4].

The implementing regulations of the M/128 law also changed in 2026. Minister of Finance Decision No. 257 dated 29/3/1448H, published on 25 September 2026, amended Article 113 of those regulations [7]. If you hold a contract signed under the old law, check whether that amendment applies to your case.

Registering on the Etimad platform, step by step

Registration on Etimad is tied to your establishment's identity, so it starts from the Saudi Business Center and Nafath rather than from a separate sign-up form. The Etimad login page and its FAQ describe the path [3]:

1. Open the Etimad login page and choose "Etimad Business" (the private-sector option).
2. Log in with Nafath, or with the details of the owner or an authorised user from the Saudi Business Center. Users inside the Kingdom must make their first login through Nafath.
3. Confirm your contact details. Etimad then sends the username and password by text message.
4. Open the confirmation link that Etimad sends to the email address registered on the platform.
5. Add further users, if you need them, by authorising them through the Saudi Business Center (business.sa). An establishment may authorise more than one user.

Two limits catch new suppliers. A subscription cannot be moved from one commercial registration to another, even when both belong to the same owner [3]. And the platform reads your registration data, so a lapsed commercial registration will hold you up; our guide to commercial registration in Saudi Arabia explains the 2025 rules.

Foreign suppliers without a commercial registration

A foreign entity without a Saudi commercial registration creates an account through the "supplier without a registration" option and then logs in through the business option. Etimad can be used from outside Saudi Arabia [3]. Under the new law, a government entity that deals with a licensed foreign person for work inside the Kingdom must first confirm that there is not more than one qualified licensed person inside the Kingdom able to provide it (Article 3) [4].

Documents to keep valid before you bid

The law leaves the detailed eligibility conditions to the regulations (Article 18) [4], and each tender lists what it needs. As one example, the Ministry of Health's supplier FAQ asks for [8]:

• a valid commercial registration;
• a bank-certified form showing the IBAN;
• an authorisation for the company's representative, certified by the Chamber of Commerce;
• a valid Saudization certificate and a GOSI registration certificate;
• a valid Chamber of Commerce membership certificate, where membership is compulsory;
• a valid zakat and tax certificate;
• a classification certificate where the work requires classification, and Saudi Council of Engineers membership for engineering work;
• a valid investment licence, if you have one.

Keep these current all year, not only when a tender appears. Bids are accepted only within the period the tender sets [4], and a certificate that expires during that window can cost you the bid. If you need to confirm your own VAT details first, see how to verify a VAT number on ZATCA.

How a government tender runs on Etimad

Government tenders follow the same path on the Portal. The numbers below are from the new law as published in September 2026 [4]; for tenders launched before it takes effect, the M/128 rules apply.

1. Planning. Each government entity publishes its works and procurement plan at the start of the fiscal year (Article 12). Publishing a plan does not oblige the entity to buy.
2. Announcement. A public tender is announced on the Portal (Article 29).
3. Bids. Bids are submitted encrypted through the Portal and only within the set period. Sealed paper bids are allowed only when the Portal cannot be used for technical or national-security reasons (Article 36).
4. Initial guarantee. Each bid carries an initial guarantee of 1% to 2% of its value; a bid without it is not accepted (Article 41).
5. Validity. Bids stay valid for 90 working days from the bid-opening date (Article 39).
6. Award and standstill. After the award decision is announced, a standstill period of 3 to 10 working days follows, during which the contract cannot be signed (Article 50).
7. Final guarantee. The winner provides a final guarantee of 5% of the contract value after being told of the award (Article 59).

Contracting methods other than public tender include limited competition, two-stage competition, direct purchase and reverse auction (Articles 30 to 33) [4].

Old law and new law: what changes for suppliers

This is the comparison most suppliers ask for. The left column is the M/128 regime, which still governs tenders launched before the new law takes effect; the right column is the new law.

The new law also caps delay penalties at 6% of the value of a supply contract and 15% of other contracts (Article 70). A violation can lead to a ban on dealing with government entities for up to five years, a lower classification, or a fine of up to 10% of the bid value instead of a ban (Article 87) [4].

Framework agreements under the tenders law

A framework agreement is an agreement between a government entity and one or more suppliers that sets the terms of contracts awarded during a set period (Article 1 of the new law) [4]. Under Article 58, an entity may conclude one with the winning bidder when it cannot fix the quantities, volumes or timing in advance [4].

Under the M/128 regulations, the Etimad FAQ explains two types [6]:

• Open agreement: new suppliers may join; its term may not exceed 4 years.
• Closed agreement: no new suppliers may join; its term may not exceed 3 years.

When a need arises, the entity invites only the parties to the agreement to bid and chooses the lowest price [6]. For a supplier, winning a place on a framework agreement means repeat orders without a new public tender each time, so read its duration and its pricing terms closely.

Small and medium enterprises in government tenders

The new law gives priority to local small and medium enterprises, local content and listed companies (Article 9) [4]. Local SMEs are exempt from the initial guarantee (Article 42), but an exempt bidder that causes a forfeiture pays a fine of 2% of its bid value [4].

Under the M/128 regime, the Etimad FAQ adds two points [6]. SMEs are not exempt from the final guarantee. And an SME that withdraws its bid early, or fails to provide the final guarantee after an award, pays a fine equal to the initial guarantee; if it does not pay within 60 days it is barred from dealing with government entities for one year. Funding the guarantee itself is a separate question, covered in our guide to small business financing in Saudi Arabia.

Common mistakes suppliers make on Etimad

These come straight from the rules above:

• Bidding on documents that expire mid-tender. Bids are accepted only within the set period [4], and the tender reviews the certificates you attach.
• Missing the grievance window. Under the new law a grievance against an award must reach the entity during the standstill period, and one against an earlier decision within 5 working days of it; you then have 3 working days to escalate to the committee [4].
• Assuming the new law already applies. Until it takes effect, and for tenders launched before then, the M/128 law governs [5].
• Leaving the bid guarantee to the last day. A bid without its initial guarantee is not accepted, unless you fall within an exemption such as local SMEs [4].
• Registering under the wrong commercial registration. An Etimad subscription cannot be moved to another registration [3].

Your next step

Before the next tender in your field opens, log in to the Etimad platform with Nafath, check that your establishment's details and users are right, and list the expiry date of every certificate a buyer may ask for. Start with the registration itself: our guide to the annual confirmation of a commercial registration explains how to keep it active.