Saudi EXPRO Secures Top Spot in Global CIPS Awards for ‘Best Procurement Transformation Program’

The Expenditure and Project Efficiency Authority (EXPRO) announced Friday that it has achieved first place in the global CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards by CIPS in the “Best Procurement Transformation Program” category.

The recognition was declared by the awarding body CIPS on September 20, 2023, in a distinguished ceremony in London, UK. The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply is a global membership non-profit organization, dedicated to upholding excellence in procurement and supply chains, with over 200,000 procurement and supply experts from all over the world.

In light of this remarkable achievement, Eng. AbdulRazzag AlAujan, CEO of EXPRO attributed the award to the unwavering support and empowerment provided by the government, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

AlAujan emphasized that this honour is a testament to the collaborative efforts of partners across various government sectors who have pioneered innovative approaches to enhance government expenditure efficiency, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

He noted, “This synergy has led to overcoming challenges in government procurement governance, standardizing products and services, and enabling more than 500 government entities to benefit from unified government procurement framework agreements. These efforts have significantly streamlined procedures and organizational operations.”

AlAujan underscored EXPRO’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards to ensure excellence in government procurement. This dedication is evident through the implementation of cutting-edge solutions, prioritization of stakeholder engagement, focus on data quality, enhancement of expertise, integration of advanced technologies, and, above all, ensuring sustainability through rigorous evaluation and oversight.

EXPRO achieved first place in the “CIPS” award with its project “SpendVision: Realizing Saudi’s Vision through Smart Spend Management.”

This initiative outlines the strategic steps taken by EXPRO in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the National Center for Government Resource Systems. The project aimed to address various challenges, including significant price disparities, transparency issues, nonstandardized products, lengthy procurement processes, and limited supplier commitment. It focused on optimizing expenditure efficiency for government entities in government tenders and unified government framework agreements.

This distinguished honour marks the Kingdom’s fourth recognition in procurement excellence. The success journey began with the Ministry of Finance receiving the “CIPS” award for Best Transformation Program for Procurement in 2019. Subsequently, the Ministry of Transport achieved an admirable second place in 2022 for the public procurement project of the year.

Upholding this tradition of excellence, EXPRO received two first-place awards in the 2023 Middle East edition of the “CIPS Awards.”

The first award acknowledged the best collaborative teamwork project accomplished in partnership with government entities, while the second recognized outstanding diversity and inclusion practices within procurement teams.