Design-Build

Design-build is a project delivery method in which the owner contracts a single entity to handle both design and construction under one contract, giving single-point responsibility for design, quality, cost and time. It allows design and construction to overlap to speed up the project, unlike the traditional design-bid-build approach that separates designer and contractor. In Saudi Arabia the method is used in both the private and government sectors, and its contracts are often based on FIDIC forms such as the Yellow Book (plant and design-build) and the Silver Book (EPC/turnkey), usually amended in the employer's favour. In government procurement, Art. 95 of the Implementing Regulation of the Government Tenders and Procurement Law permits turnkey contracts for major construction, infrastructure and industrial facilities, with the contractor responsible for the conformity of design and execution at a lump-sum price; a new procurement law published in September 2026 replaces the 1440H law 120 days after publication. The method does not waive licensing: design must be prepared by accredited engineers and licensed offices under the Engineering Professions Practice Law, construction by a classified contractor where required, and the code remains binding throughout. In practice, design-build reduces designer-contractor disputes because responsibility is unified, speeds up delivery and gives the owner an earlier, clearer price. But it reduces the owner's control over design details and requires precise written employer's requirements and an independent supervisor representing the owner, since the same entity designs and builds.