Director of the Government Procurement Regulation Department at the Ministry of Finance, Nayef Al-Ahbabi addressing the forum.
Doha, Qatar: The Government Procurement Plan Forum 2026 held yesterday highlighted the government entities’ procurement priorities across sectors and presented forecasts to help evaluate emerging business prospects and institutional needs.
The forum aimed to strengthen integration between the public and private sectors and discussed government procurement plans and opening new avenues for local companies and entrepreneurs to actively engage in the procurement market.
The annual forum gathered partners in the government procurement system from the public and private sectors
During the forum, Director of the Government Procurement Regulation Department at the Ministry of Finance, Nayef Al-Ahbabi explained that in support of micro, small, and medium enterprises the total exemptions from provisional and final guarantees reached QR150m, in addition to QR21m in exemptions from tender document fees.
In terms of procurement classification, Al-Ahbabi said that the company categories are now linked to financial thresholds, with enhanced profiles including legal, technical, and financial data.
To improve spending efficiency, he noted completion of five centralised procurement initiatives covering security services, food, cleaning, consulting, and IT equipment, which will unify standards and reduce duplication.
Also speaking at the forum, Director of the National Product Competitiveness Support Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Dr Mohammed Ahmed Al-Sayed, noted that the Ministry promotes national products by prioritising local content in government tenders, enforcing the mandatory list of national products, and encouraging reliance on Qatari products in development projects. He emphasised the necessity to apply international quality standards and combat harmful trade practices to ensure a fair and transparent business environment.
“MoCI’s participation in the forum reflects its commitment to strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Finance to support small and medium-sized enterprises’ participation in government tenders and foster a business environment conducive to innovation and industrial investment, in line with National Vision 2030 Dr. Al-Sayed, added.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the competitiveness of national products, in line with its vision to support local industries and enable Qatari companies to expand in local, regional and international markets.
For his part, Abdulrahman Al Ansari, member of the Board of Directors of Qatar Chamber highlighted the public-private partnerships and discussed the importance of cooperation between both sectors in implementing projects, creating new job opportunities through private sector participation. He underscored the Chamber’s role in empowering entrepreneurs and promoting innovation.
Al Ansari stressed the need to categorise all tenders scheduled to be issued in 2026 and to establish an independent body to empower national products and manage procurement. He proposed that this body should include a representative in each ministry and comprise experts specialised in project evaluation, affirming the Chamber’s readiness to contribute to its establishment.
He further emphasised the importance of clearly specifying local products in tenders, suggesting that the product name be explicitly stated along with the word “Qatari.” He also proposed holding a seminar to review international experiences in empowering local products within government procurement systems.
The Government Procurement Plan Forum 2026 provides a valuable opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs to gain insight into upcoming procurement plans, seize partnership opportunities, and compete effectively in the government procurement market ultimately supporting economic sustainability and national development goals.
