Selling into the giga-projects
NEOM, the Red Sea, Qiddiya, Diriyah and ROSHN are a tender pipeline measured in hundreds of billions. Winning any of it is a presence play, not an export one — here's the stack you clear first.
One national portal, plus a portal per giga-project
Government and quasi-government spend flows mainly through Etimad, the unified national procurement portal established under the 2019 Government Tenders & Procurement Law. The giga-projects also run their own supplier portals — you register where the buyer sits.
| Buyer | Focus | Where you register |
|---|---|---|
| Government & SOEs | General public procurement | Etimad |
| NEOM | The northwest megacity & regions | NEOM supplier portal |
| Red Sea Global | Luxury tourism & coastal development | RSG portal |
| Qiddiya | Entertainment, sport & culture | Qiddiya portal |
| Diriyah (DGDA) | Heritage & cultural district | DGDA portal |
| ROSHN (PIF) | Housing & communities | ROSHN portal |
What you clear before you can bid
A Saudi entity
MISA registration and a Commercial Registration. A foreign company usually can't bid meaningfully without local presence.
Etimad registration
Register as a supplier on the national portal (and on the relevant giga-project portal).
Sector classification
For construction, a contractor grade from the Saudi Contractors Authority; for engineering, SCE registration.
Prequalification
Project-specific prequalification for large tenders, assessed on capacity and track record.
Plus current compliance, throughout
- Valid Commercial Registration
- ZATCA / Zakat clearance certificate
- GOSI registration in good standing
- Chamber of Commerce membership
- Nitaqat band in Green or Platinum
- Bid bond, typically 1–2%, via a SAMA-licensed bank
Nitaqat and the RHQ mandate decide eligibility first
You must be Green
- Only Green or Platinum companies can bid on Etimad
- A Red band locks you out before price is even read
- Certificates are checked at submission, not just at award
MNCs need an RHQ
- Since January 2024, multinationals need a Saudi RHQ for most government contracts
- It applies to the group, not just the bidding entity
- Narrow exceptions exist — but plan as if it applies
A cheaper foreign bid increasingly loses
LCGPA weighting
The Local Content & Government Procurement Authority scores local content in evaluations — and the thresholds keep rising.
IKTVA (Aramco)
Aramco's programme applies the same logic to its supply chain, rewarding in-Kingdom value.
Mandatory local products
National lists require certain goods to be sourced domestically, regardless of price.
Foreign vendors start near zero and have to build a local-content score — Saudi hiring in substantive roles, local sourcing, training, genuine in-Kingdom value-add. Increasingly, the higher-local-content bid wins even at a higher price.
It's a presence play, not an export play
Saudi procurement is designed to build domestic capability, not simply import solutions. The realistic route into the giga-projects is a Saudi entity, the right classification, an early investment in local content, and — for multinationals after public contracts — an RHQ. Build the footprint before you chase the tender, because you generally can't win the work without it.
Questions we get asked first
Can a foreign company bid without a Saudi entity?
Rarely in any meaningful way. Serious bidding generally requires a Saudi entity with a MISA registration and CR, Etimad registration, and — for construction — a contractor classification. Some defined-scope government contracts can be delivered on a temporary investment licence.
What is Etimad?
The unified national e-procurement portal for Saudi government and state-owned-entity tenders, established under the 2019 Government Tenders & Procurement Law. The giga-projects also run their own supplier portals.
Do I need an RHQ to win government work?
If you're a multinational, effectively yes — since January 2024 most Saudi government contracts require the group to have a licensed RHQ in the Kingdom, with narrow exceptions.
Does local content really affect who wins?
Yes. Local content is weighted in evaluation (via the LCGPA, and IKTVA for Aramco), and some products must be sourced domestically. A higher-local-content bid increasingly beats a cheaper foreign one.
Which Nitaqat band do I need to bid?
Green or Platinum. A Red-band company cannot bid on Etimad, and compliance certificates are checked at submission.
You can't win the job without the footprint
“We'll set up once we win a contract” fails in Saudi Arabia: entity, classification, Etimad registration, Nitaqat band and — for multinationals — an RHQ are prerequisites to bidding, not consequences of winning. Build the stack early, invest in local content, and the pipeline opens.
Targeting the giga-project pipeline?
We build the footprint that lets you bid — entity, classification, Etimad and a local-content plan — before the tender you want closes.
Speak to an Advisor →Related reading
This article is general information, current as of 2026, and is not legal or procurement advice for any specific situation. Confirm current portal, classification and local-content requirements with the relevant authority before bidding.