Arabian Peninsula: CLDP Conducts Judicial Procurement Training
On September 19-20, 2019, CLDP conducted a workshop for judges from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain on the adjudication of procurement disputes in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The procurement processes in these countries present significant challenges for U.S. companies, especially during the evaluation and selection phases of the government tenders. The workshop, therefore, focused on the role of transparent and efficient bid protest processes to increase competition in the tendering process as a way for governments to lower the prices and raise the quality of goods and services that are obtained. Led by Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and Charles McCarthy, Assistant Regional Counsel for the General Services Administration, the workshop sessions highlighted best practices in assessing the openness and competitiveness of government tendering documents and evaluation criteria. The workshop was especially important for the Saudi judges as Saudi Arabia has recently passed a procurement law that will give judges appellate jurisdiction over bid protest disputes.
