Bahrain’s works ministry unveils contractor pre-qualification portal

The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs, and Urban Planning in Bahrain has announced the launch of an electronic system for contracting companies looking to apply for pre-qualification.

With the launch of the electronic pre-qualification system, companies can now complete their transactions through the ministry’s official portal, instead of having to personally go to the ministry for follow-up and enquiry, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

The ministry also noted that the e-service can be used to submit new pre-qualification applications, as well as applications for the renewal or upgrade of an existing pre-qualification request.

Moreover, the issuance period of the pre-qualification licence has been shortened from 12 weeks to just seven weeks, BNA revealed.

Companies are granted pre-qualification licences based on specialisation and capabilities, Ahmed Al Khayyat, Works Affairs undersecretary and chairman of the contractors and consultants pre-qualification committee, explained.

Remarking on the importance of the process, he noted that a number of ministries and government agencies in Bahrain rely on pre-qualification results and lists of qualified contractors approved by the Tender Board for their projects.

Quoting the undersecretary, BNA said that the works ministry is in the process of reviewing pre-qualification applications from companies interested in working on ministry projects in a variety of sectors, including construction and building maintenance, roads and sanitary, and beautification and afforestation.