Reforming the public procurement system: the case of the United Arab Emirates

This paper examines several key concepts in public procurement: centralised public procurement, decentralised public procurement e-public procurement, and sustainable public procurement. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of centralised and decentralised public procurement, as well as the benefits of e-procurement in the UAE at both the central and decentralised levels, including its advantages in combating corruption. The study also presents the sustainable public procurement framework in the UAE, which encompasses three dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. The study employed a descriptive approach to analyse the concepts of centralisation, decentralisation, electronic, and sustainable public procurement. An analytical method was used to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the central and decentralised systems in the UAE, as well as the benefits of electronic and sustainable public procurement.