# First Public Opening of Sealed Tenders Reported in 2018

> Somaliland government opened sealed tender documents in public for the first time, Somaliland Standard reported on 31 July 2018, citing election pledges.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Business and Costs
- Tags: procurement, tender-evaluation
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/first-public-opening-sealed-tenders-2018

## Key points

- On 31 July 2018, Somaliland Standard reported that the Somaliland government had opened sealed tender documents in public for the first time in the country's history.
- The report said the move was meant to fulfil President Musa Bihi Abdi's election pledges to award contracts to deserving firms without favour.
- Minister of Public Works and Housing Abdirashid Dua'le Qambi confirmed the new tender award system as government policy, according to Somaliland Standard.

On 31 July 2018, Somaliland Standard reported that the Somaliland government had opened sealed tender documents in public for the first time in the country's history. The report attributed the move to election pledges made by President Musa Bihi Abdi to award government contracts to deserving firms without favour.

The report did not name the tenders opened, the companies that submitted bids, or the projects involved. No primary record of the event, such as official minutes or a list of attendees, was provided.

Minister of Public Works and Housing Abdirashid Dua'le Qambi confirmed that the new system for awarding tenders is the policy of President Musa Bihi Abdi's government, according to Somaliland Standard. The minister's confirmation was reported by Somaliland Standard, not stated in an independent ministry statement.

Somaliland Standard did not establish whether the public opening of sealed tenders continued after July 2018. The report did not reference any subsequent government policy document or legislation on tender transparency. No information was provided on whether the practice became standard or legal. Specific contracts awarded transparently as a result of this event were not identified.

The claim that the government opened sealed tender documents in public for the first time appears only in the Somaliland Standard report. The claim about fulfilling election pledges is likewise attributed to Somaliland Standard, not established by official campaign documents or other sources.

## Questions

### What did Somaliland Standard report about public tender openings in July 2018?

Somaliland Standard reported that the Somaliland government opened sealed tender documents in public for the first time in the country's history, and that the move was intended to fulfil President Musa Bihi Abdi's election pledges to award contracts without favour.

### Has Somaliland continued to open tenders publicly since 2018?

The Somaliland Standard report of 31 July 2018 does not say whether the practice continued. No later documentation or policy on tender transparency was cited.

### Which tenders were opened and what were the outcomes?

The report did not name the tenders opened, the bidding companies, or the projects affected. No contract awards from the event were shown.

## Sources

- [Somaliland: Government Carries out Election Promise on Transparency in Awarding Tenders](https://somalilandstandard.com/somaliland-government-carries-out-election-promise-on-transparency-in-awarding-tenders/) — Somaliland Standard, 2018-07-31