GASC said it was seeking short grain milled white rice of any origin, with 10-12 percent broken parts.

The deadline for offers, to be submitted on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis, is Nov. 12 and the rice is for arrival Jan. 1-31.

"Every supplier should submit four samples, each two kilograms, of their rice alongside their offer for testing," Ahmed Youssef, vice chairman of GASC, said.

"We need to determine how suitable the rice is for our consumers' taste," he said.

Results for the tender will not be announced on the same day.

Further details on the rules and specifications are available in a booklet as of Thursday, Youssef said.

Traditionally a rice exporter, Egypt is estimated to need around 500,000 tonnes of rice imports this season as it cuts down on its local production to save on water.

Earlier this year, Cairo decreed that only 724,000 feddans (750,000 acres) of rice could be planted with the grain in 2018, which grain traders estimate is less than half of the 1.8 million feddans actually cultivated in 2017.