LONDON, 25th May, 2026 (WAM) -- The Ministry of Finance has won the Procurement Excellence Award at the World Procurement Awards 2026, organised by Procurement Leaders, part of the World 50 Group, in London, United Kingdom, in recognition of its efforts to advance the government procurement ecosystem, enhance purchasing efficiency, and accelerate procurement decision-making.

Mariam Mohammed Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Government Financial Management Sector at the Ministry of Finance, said the award reflects the level of maturity achieved by the government financial management ecosystem, particularly in relation to managing the procurement cycle through effective institutional frameworks.

She added that the achievement will serve as a catalyst for the continued advancement of government financial operations and the adoption of solutions that enhance data quality, support faster decision-making and improve operational efficiency, ultimately enabling government entities to manage resources and assets more effectively.

Al Amiri further noted that the Ministry of Finance's outstanding performance and achievements are driven by the leadership's trust and continued support, as well as by a strong culture of teamwork and dedication to delivering responsibilities in a manner that serves the public interest and strengthens the leadership of government performance.

The award was presented during an official ceremony, during which Nadia Sultan Al Ali, Director of the Government Procurement Platform Department at the Ministry of Finance, accepted the award on behalf of the Ministry.

The digital procurement ecosystem has delivered transformational results that demonstrate its direct impact on government efficiency. More than 50 federal entities have now been unified under a single AI-powered system, contributing to a 75 percent reduction in procurement cycle times and shortening processing times for catalogue-listed items from more than 60 days to less than 6 minutes.

The platform has also generated savings exceeding 30 percent in federal spending, with total savings surpassing AED100 million during the first year alone. Supplier satisfaction rates rose to 85 percent, while more than 17,000 suppliers joined the fully digital, transparent and integrated procurement ecosystem.

Participation by small and medium-sized enterprises more than doubled from 22 percent to 47 percent, supported by the adoption of national content standards in procurement evaluations. The platform has also helped eliminate the use of more than 1 million sheets of paper annually, supporting the UAE Vision 2031 and Net Zero 2050 goals.

The Digital Procurement Platform is one of the Ministry of Finance's flagship transformational initiatives in government procurement, bringing together e-sourcing systems, catalogues, supplier management, sustainability assessments and real-time analytics within a unified digital ecosystem.

The advancement of the government procurement ecosystem extends beyond enhancing procedural efficiency across federal entities. It also creates broader value for suppliers, customers and the wider business community by facilitating access to public procurement opportunities, strengthening transparency across purchasing operations, and improving the quality and long-term sustainability of government services delivered to the public.

The enhanced ecosystem enables federal entities to meet their operational needs with greater speed, flexibility and reliability, helping ensure uninterrupted service delivery, strengthening government performance across vital sectors, and supporting the UAE's wider vision of a more agile, proactive and future-ready government that advances quality of life and sustainable economic growth.

The Procurement Excellence Award recognises leading procurement functions that adopt forward-looking approaches capable of delivering measurable and tangible value through advanced spend management practices.

The award forms part of the World Procurement Awards, organised by Procurement Leaders, which celebrate excellence across the procurement sector through a diverse range of categories.

Winning entities are assessed against a comprehensive set of criteria, including the initiative's objectives, the measures implemented to ensure project success, the impact achieved, and the rationale behind the award recognition. The assessment process also considers performance evidence, key performance indicators (KPIs), testimonials, recommendations and media coverage.

The World Procurement Awards 2026 spotlight organisations helping redefine procurement practices and establish new benchmarks for excellence. Entries are evaluated by a judging panel comprising leading chief procurement officers from around the world across award categories including Procurement Excellence, Digital Impact, Social Impact, Risk and Resilience Management, Supplier Collaboration and others.

The awards attracted competition from a number of leading global institutions and international brands, most notably American Airlines, NASA, Deutsche Telekom, China Mobile, Air Canada and Tahakom, among others.

The award comes as part of the Ministry of Finance's ongoing efforts to further develop the federal government procurement ecosystem in ways that strengthen spending efficiency, accelerate procurement procedures, and enhance the readiness of federal entities to meet their operational requirements with greater efficiency and flexibility.

The achievement also aligns with broader government efforts aimed at simplifying procedures and accelerating service delivery, most notably through the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, which seeks to eliminate unnecessary processes and requirements while reducing service delivery timelines, thereby enhancing government efficiency and improving the quality of services provided to customers.

The award further reflects the measurable impact of the digital procurement ecosystem in enhancing the experience of both federal entities and suppliers. The platform streamlines purchasing procedures, strengthens transparency, and enables government entities to source approved products and services through the Federal Catalogue Guide, a unified reference tool designed to support faster and more effective procurement decisions through framework agreements with accredited local suppliers across the UAE.