Middle East Tender Awards up 74%

The total value of awards made by the Executive Board of the Health Ministers' Council for Gulf Corporation Council States on pharmaceutical tender 16 and vaccines tender 9 was $295 million, an increase of 74% on the previous year. The GCC, which was was formed in 1981, comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia dominates the purchases made by the six member countries, accounting for 73% of the total combined tenders in 1994, according to IMS' Pharma Strategy Group; despite the EB's move to two-year tendering, however, Saudi Arabia's purchases have increased by only 60%, implying that it will have drug requirements in the second year of the duration of the tender.

Qatar bought only two items in 1993 (pharmaceutical tender 15 and vaccines tender 8) worth a total of $1,737, but for 1994 it is the second largest purchasing country, with nearly 10% of the total tender value.