FROM BRUSSELS TO RIYADH: UNTANGLING THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT IN SAUDI PUBLIC PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS IN LIGHT OF THE EU EXPERIENCE

Abstract

In the last few years, many countries around the world have taken an interest in reforming their public procurement systems to enhance their efficiency and preserve public funds, including the Saudi government’s procurement law, which was passed in 2019. Among its most prominent new additions is the use of a framework agreement as a new purchase method. Although the framework agreement seemed like an ideal solution due to its success in the private sector, the European experience cast doubt over it. The main objective of this research is to analyse the Saudi government’s procurement law in relation to the framework agreement in various relevant aspects in the light of the European Union’s Directive 2014/24. The research contributes to enhance corporate governance and participants’ trust in the procurement process. The methodology of the research is the comparative approach. In addition, official documents, legislation and case law decisions are considered, alongside scholarly works.