CCTV installation tenders in Saudi Arabia rest on three linked documents: the conditions and specifications booklet, which describes the required performance; the CCTV scope of work, which sets what the contractor supplies, installs, tests and hands over; and the bill of quantities (BOQ) the bids are priced on. In government tenders, the procurement law requires specifications to be detailed, precise and clear, with no brand named except under a documented exception. This article explains how to write these documents for CCTV, networks and access control, and what a contractor should check before pricing, as part of AZEIDK low current systems.
Key takeaways
- The Government Tenders and Procurement Law bars naming a specific type, class or trademark in specifications. The exception needs prior approval and the words “or equivalent”.
- CCTV camera specifications should be performance based: the level of detail needed at each location, lighting conditions, retention period and open-protocol compatibility.
- The Security Surveillance Cameras Law and its executive regulation belong in the booklet, because they set mandatory camera locations and rules for operation and storage.
- A good scope of work separates supply, cabling, programming, testing and handover, and states who provides power, containment and the control room.
- A BOQ split into clear sections reduces variation disputes and makes bids easy to compare.
In this article
- What does a CCTV tender booklet contain?
- Rules for writing CCTV specifications in government tenders
- Which Security Surveillance Cameras Law requirements belong in the booklet?
- CCTV camera specifications: how to write them by performance, not brand
- CCTV scope of work for low current packages: what should it cover?
- Building the BOQ for CCTV and low current systems
- What should a contractor check in CCTV installation tenders before pricing?
- Common mistakes in CCTV specification booklets
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What does a CCTV tender booklet contain?
Article 21 of the Government Tenders and Procurement Law requires tender documents to include the information and data for the works offered. Article 21 of the Executive Regulation lists the contents: conditions and instructions, specifications, bills of quantities, evaluation criteria, drawings and the draft contract. Government tenders are issued electronically through the Etimad platform.
On a CCTV or low current project, these become practical sections:
- Project description: facility type, number of buildings and floors, and whether it is a new system or an upgrade.
- Technical specifications: cameras, recorders (NVR) or video management software (VMS), network switches, cabling, and access control where included.
- Drawings: camera positions and fields of view, cable routes, and the location of the control room and network rooms.
- Scope of work: what sits in the contractor’s package and what stays with the client or other contractors.
- Bill of quantities: items, units and quantities.
- Handover requirements: tests, as-built drawings, passwords and the warranty period.
If the project also includes fire systems, give them their own section and their own BOQ, because the approving and reviewing bodies are different.
Rules for writing CCTV specifications in government tenders
Article 22 of the law is the foundation. It requires technical conditions and specifications to be detailed, precise and clear, and to follow approved standard specifications, or international specifications where no approved national one exists. It prohibits naming a specific type, class, trademark or trade name, or writing specifications that only particular producers or suppliers can meet.
The exception is in paragraph 2 of the same article: a trademark may be named where the specification cannot be described precisely, with prior approval from the unified procurement authority, and the tender documents must include the words “or equivalent”. The article also tells the entity not to over-specify beyond the project’s actual needs.
Article 24 of the Executive Regulation requires the entity to review specifications and drawings before tendering, and singles out devices and software that are updated continuously. That applies directly to cameras, recorders and VMS software. A booklet written years ago may call for discontinued models or outdated compression.
In practice: write what the system must achieve, not a model number. An independent technical review before tendering helps, such as our drawings and specifications review.
Which Security Surveillance Cameras Law requirements belong in the booklet?
The Security Surveillance Cameras Law was issued by Royal Decree No. M/34 dated 7/3/1444H. Its executive regulation and the security conditions and requirements document were later issued by decision of the Minister of Interior. These set points the booklet must reflect, including:
- Locations that must be covered, such as entrances, reception desks, parking entrances and exits, corridors, stairs, emergency exits and fire equipment locations, with coverage good enough to recognise people or read vehicle plates depending on the location.
- Privacy masking for PTZ cameras, zoom cameras and external cameras whose view extends beyond the site.
- Warning signs at entrances and exits using the approved designs.
- Storage media dedicated to camera recordings only, with a retention period set by the security requirements document.
- Prior approval for audio recording or thermal cameras, and compliance with National Cybersecurity Authority requirements when the system is connected to networks.
The booklet should not copy the law. It should reference it and require the contractor to submit a design that meets it. Details are in our article on the Saudi CCTV law and facility obligations.
CCTV camera specifications: how to write them by performance, not brand
A performance specification sets a measurable result. The contractor then proves in the submittal that the proposed device meets it. The table shows the approach for the main items:
| Item | How to write it | How to verify it |
|---|---|---|
| Level of detail | Per area: detection, observation, recognition or identification, in pixels per metre per IEC 62676-4 | Distance and lens calculation, or a field-of-view drawing from the contractor |
| Resolution | Minimum megapixels tied to the level of detail, not one figure for every location | Datasheet |
| Low light | IR range or colour night imaging, by location | Datasheet and a night test at handover |
| Compression | H.265 or equivalent, to cut storage and bandwidth | Datasheet |
| Interoperability | ONVIF support with named profiles (for example S, G and T) | ONVIF conformant products list or datasheet |
| Power | PoE per IEEE 802.3af or at, with a power budget | PoE calculation sheet from the contractor |
| Storage | Required retention days, frame rate and recording resolution | Storage calculation and a copy of the settings |
| Cybersecurity | Default passwords changed, firmware updated, camera network segregated | Handover checklist |
The DORI levels in IEC 62676-4 are the most common way to state what a camera must see: 25 pixels per metre for detection, 62 for observation, 125 for recognition and 250 for identification or plate reading, as listed by TP-Link VIGI with reference to IEC EN 62676-4:2015. For storage, see our CCTV storage and bandwidth calculation or the CCTV storage calculator. For power, see PoE switch power budget.
Outdoor CCTV camera specifications
Outdoor cameras in Saudi conditions need extra items: ingress protection (IP) rating per IEC 60529, the operating temperature range on the datasheet checked against summer site temperatures, impact resistance for cameras within reach, and protection of external cables in suitable conduit or trunking. The booklet should also state how cameras are mounted on poles or walls and who supplies the poles and their bases.
CCTV scope of work for low current packages: what should it cover?
Most disputes on CCTV projects come from a vague scope rather than from the specifications. A clear scope names each stage and who owns it:
- Survey and design: site visit, camera layout and fields of view, and the network diagram. See CCTV coverage.
- Shop drawings and submittals: consultant approval of devices and drawings before procurement.
- Supply: cameras, recorders or servers, storage, switches, monitors, and access control devices where included.
- Cabling: network cable and fibre, conduit and trunking, and who carries out civil works and trenching.
- Control room: racks, video wall, UPS, cooling and power, with a clear split between contractor and client.
- Programming and integration: recording, alerts and user rights, and integration with access control or other systems where required.
- Testing and handover: each camera tested by day and night, retention days verified, and as-built drawings, passwords and a configuration backup handed over.
- Warranty and maintenance: warranty period, and whether a later maintenance contract is part of the tender or separate.
One item often missed: does the scope include a power point for every camera that is not PoE powered, and for every network cabinet? If it is not stated, it becomes the project’s first variation.
Building the BOQ for CCTV and low current systems
Article 27 of the Executive Regulation requires the government entity to set indicative estimated prices for the works in the bills of quantities; otherwise the tender is cancelled. To make those prices and the bids comparable, split the BOQ into clear sections. The grouping below is AZEIDK’s practical recommendation, not an official template:
| Section | Example items | Common unit |
|---|---|---|
| Cameras | Indoor, outdoor, PTZ, plate reading, with mounts | Each |
| Recording and management | NVRs or servers, storage drives, VMS licences | Each or licence |
| Network | PoE switches, core switches, racks, patch panels | Each |
| Cabling and containment | Network cable, fibre, conduit, cable trays | Linear metre |
| Control room | Monitors, workstations, UPS, control furniture | Each or lump sum |
| Access control | Readers, locks, controllers, exit buttons | Each or per door |
| General works | Programming, testing, as-built drawings, warranty | Lump sum |
Each BOQ line should point to a specification clause, and its description should state what the rate includes: supply, installation, termination, programming and testing.
What should a contractor check in CCTV installation tenders before pricing?
- Quantities on the drawings against the BOQ, especially cable lengths, which are often underestimated.
- Items naming a model or brand without “or equivalent”. This conflicts with the law and should be raised formally during the clarification period.
- The required retention period, and whether the BOQ allows enough storage for it.
- Civil works, power and the control room: who does them?
- Integration with other systems or external operations rooms, and who pays for it.
- Local content conditions, if the booklet includes them. AZEIDK holds the Saudi Local Content certificate.
- The programme against equipment lead times.
A site visit before pricing avoids many surprises, particularly in existing buildings. See technical site survey for fire and CCTV.
Common mistakes in CCTV specification booklets
- Copying one manufacturer’s datasheet, so the specification fits a single product.
- One resolution for every camera instead of a level of detail per area.
- No retention period, or a period with no frame rate and recording resolution.
- No cybersecurity or password requirements at handover.
- Mixing analogue and IP cameras in one booklet without explanation. The difference is covered in IP vs analogue CCTV.
- Combining fire and low current systems in one item, which makes each system hard to evaluate and review.
Frequently asked questions
Where are government CCTV installation tenders published?
Government tenders are issued electronically through the Etimad platform, where bidders access the documents under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law.
Can a tender booklet name a specific CCTV brand?
Not as a rule. It is allowed as an exception where the specification cannot be described precisely, with prior approval from the unified procurement authority and the words “or equivalent”.
What are the key CCTV camera specifications in a booklet?
The level of detail needed per area, low-light performance, compression, ONVIF compatibility, retention period and cybersecurity requirements.
What is the difference between specifications and scope of work?
Specifications describe what each device must achieve. The scope of work sets what the contractor does from design to handover, and what stays with the client or others.
Must the design meet the Security Surveillance Cameras Law?
Yes, for facilities covered by the law. The booklet references the law and its executive regulation, and the contractor submits a design that covers the required locations and controls.
How should CCTV tender bids be compared?
With a BOQ split into standard sections and a line-by-line check of each submittal against the specifications, not on total price alone.
Conclusion
A good CCTV tender booklet describes the performance needed at each location, ties the design to the Security Surveillance Cameras Law, defines the scope down to the last power point, and splits the BOQ so bids can be compared fairly. Those four points cut clarifications during tendering and variations during delivery. For the installation stages themselves, read our CCTV installation guide for Saudi Arabia.
Preparing a CCTV or low current tender? The AZEIDK team can review the specifications and BOQ with you and deliver design, supply, installation and testing. Talk to the AZEIDK team
See AZEIDK CCTV solutions: supply, installation and maintenance.
