The Saudi Ministry of Finance participated in the 16th Session of Meetings under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, held 16–20 June 2025 in Vienna, Austria.
During its address on preventing corruption in government procurement through technology, the Ministry emphasized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to promoting integrity and fair competition in public procurement, as well as utilizing all necessary tools to combat, detect, and deter corruption. To this end, the Kingdom has implemented relevant initiatives and legal measures, including the government procurement e-portal “Etimad." The portal mandates that all activities and procedures related to public tenders and procurement be conducted through it, while also ensuring the highest standards of information transparency, procedural integrity, and data privacy and confidentiality.
“Etimad" platform enables stakeholders and interested parties to access all information and data related to public tenders. It also allocates a dedicated record for each government entity, documenting all relevant information, data, and procedures related to the contracts it has entered into and the projects and works it has announced. This empowers oversight bodies to review and verify the compliance and soundness of these procedures in accordance with applicable regulations and guidelines.
The Saudi delegation also highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to unify internal technical systems across government entities through the Unified Government Resources Planning System, which ensures that all procurement-related actions are recorded even before they are announced.
The delegation also emphasized that the Kingdom places great importance on combating corruption by adopting advanced technological systems for continuous oversight, which enhances transparency and accountability in public procurement. To this end, the Kingdom launched the “Raqeeb" system, which leverages artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to detect and prevent fraud and corruption across all stages of the procurement process.
“Raqeeb" analyzes data to uncover bid rigging and other collusive practices, price manipulation, and preferential practices, with the capability to identify fictitious entities. It implements flexible oversight scenarios that enable rapid response to any irregular activity, while ensuring data privacy and confidentiality.
The Ministry's participation in this meeting reflects its commitment to activating impactful international anti-corruption initiatives, contributing to global efforts to promote integrity and fight corruption, learning from the experiences of other nations and international organizations (both governmental and non-governmental), and exchanging expertise in accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. This also aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which places governance, transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption efforts at the heart of its key pillars.