Beirut Port vehicle tender stalls again... sole bidder’s withdrawal sends file back to square one

The Beirut Port Management and Investment Authority issued the following statement:

“As part of ongoing efforts to rehabilitate Beirut Port at both the operational and administrative levels, and in light of the urgent need to provide new vehicles after the complete destruction of the port’s fleet of more than 75 vehicles as a result of the August 4, 2020 explosion — noting that the administration has not purchased any vehicles since that date despite growing operational needs related to security, safety, maintenance and services — the Beirut Port Management and Investment Authority affirms its commitment to adopting the highest standards of transparency and full compliance with the Public Procurement Law in all its administrative and financial procedures.

In this context, on 10/3/2026, the Beirut Port Board of Directors approved the specifications for a public tender to purchase and supply vehicles for the port, which also includes the sale of all vehicles damaged in the August 4, 2020 explosion. The tender was published on the public procurement platform on 12/3/2026, with the deadline for submitting bids set for 22/4/2026.

After the legal deadline expired and bids were opened, it became clear that only one bidder had submitted an offer, prompting the Board of Directors to decide to cancel the tender and relaunch it, in keeping with the principle of competition and to secure the best possible terms for the public administration.

Accordingly, the administration relaunched a new public tender through the public procurement platform on 22/4/2026, setting 8/5/2026 as the deadline for bid submissions.

After the bids were opened, it again emerged that there was only one bidder, and the tender was awarded to RYMCO (Rasamny Younis Motor Co. S.A.L.), in line with the provisions of the Public Procurement Law, which allows, after a tender has been relaunched for a second time, the possibility of awarding the contract to a sole bidder when the required legal conditions are met.