Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Drives Over 100 Million USD in Savings with the Support of Ivalua

Procurement transformation sets a government-wide benchmark in procurement innovation, delivering over 50% savings growth with significant efficiency gains

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivalua, a global leader in spend management, today announced that the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has successfully transformed its procurement function, positioning DCT Abu Dhabi as a benchmark for procurement excellence, driving savings of over 400 million AED (equivalent to more than 100 million USD) across 2024 and 2025.

Supported by more robust and streamlined contract management processes and centralized repositories, DCT Abu Dhabi's transformation delivered a powerful financial and operational impact. Procurement became more efficient, with cycle times reduced by 23%, enabling the department to operate with greater agility. Compliance also improved dramatically: process violations decreased from more than 150 incidents in 2024 to approximately 10 annually. Complementing these gains, DCT Abu Dhabi achieved an impressive 92% maturity score in a Department of Government Enablement (DGE) assessment, highlighting the strength of its governance and assurance framework. Through the transformation, DCT Abu Dhabi secured savings exceeding 400 million AED across 2024 and 2025.

At the start of 2024, DCT Abu Dhabi's procurement function faced a period of transition, with processes that had evolved over time and an operating model that had grown organically. As a result, opportunities emerged to enhance consistency, improve visibility, and streamline activities.

As a public-sector organisation supporting Abu Dhabi's Tourism Strategy 2030* and strategic cultural initiatives, DCT Abu Dhabi faced expectations to deliver greater value, productivity, and transparency. This external pressure, coupled with DCT Abu Dhabi's strategic vision, propelled procurement from a transactional support role into a dynamic growth driver.

To drive operational efficiency and governance, DCT Abu Dhabi has redesigned several procurement processes. A key element of this journey has been the digitalization of Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) through Ivalua's platform. This important step helped increase automation and improve compliance monitoring by enhancing transparency and control.     

"Our procurement transformation is not just about efficiency; it is about creating a visionary operating system that raises standards, embeds fairness, and generates measurable value across government and the national economy. Our collaboration with Ivalua has been instrumental in achieving these outcomes and positioning DCT Abu Dhabi as a leader in procurement modernization," said Khalifa Ahmed Al Marzooqi, Supply Management Department Director at DCT Abu Dhabi.

"We are honoured to support the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi's transformative journey. Ivalua's platform has been a critical enabler of this success, providing a flexible, integrated solution that supports DCT Abu Dhabi's strategic goals. The partnership exemplifies how technology and process innovation can drive government-wide procurement excellence and economic impact," said Dan Amzallag, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Ivalua.

Notes

*Abu Dhabi's Tourism Strategy 2030 outlines plans to boost visitor numbers to 39.3 million, increase the sector's GDP contribution to AED 90 billion by 2030, and create 178,000 new jobs (further details here)    

Summary

• Savings: DCT Abu Dhabi's successful transformation drove savings exceeding 400 million AED across 2024 and 2025.
• Faster and more efficient procurement: DCT Abu Dhabi achieved a 23% reduction in cycle time.
• Reduction in process violations: Procurement process violations decreased from over 150 incidents in 2024 to approximately 10 annually, reflecting enhanced compliance.
• Strengthened Governance and Assurance: DCT Abu Dhabi achieved a remarkable 92% maturity score in a Department of Government Enablement (DGE)-led assessment.

About Ivalua 

Ivalua is the only truly unified, enterprise AI platform for managing spend and suppliers. We seamlessly connect people, AI agents, workflows and data, making businesses more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. We are trusted by over 500 of the world's most admired brands and consistently recognized as a leader by Gartner and other analysts. Learn more at www.ivalua.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Ivalua