Smart Link Contact Centers, a business process and contact center outsourcing provider in Saudi Arabia, has announced the completion of an expansion project for its contact center in the Kingdom.
The project, undertaken with Avaya, resulted in the addition of 600 agent seats creating employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.
The company is deploying contact center solutions from Avaya to meet growing demand from public-sector organizations to engage more effectively with citizens, as the Kingdom launches a range of initiatives in line with Vision 2030.
Smart Link delivers flexible solutions and services to more than 50 organizations in the Kingdom, and the expansion of its operations will enable the government to increase the deployment of digital services.
Smart Link, the largest business process outsourcing center in the Middle East, is committed to the recruitment and training of Saudi women, with over 70 percent of its workforce being women.
Smart Link is a subsidiary of Al-Khaleej Training & Education, the largest network of training centers in Saudi Arabia.
Safwan Al-Khatib, senior vice president of Al-Khaleej Group and managing director of Smart Link, said: “At Smart Link, we aim to support the vision of the government by providing the latest communication solutions to connect government and private organizations to their customers.”
He added: “This offering is elevated by building strategic alliances with leading companies in this industry. Leveraging our strategic partnership with Avaya, we have further expanded to meet the growing communication needs of our government customers, raising the citizen experience in Saudi Arabia to new heights.”
He said: “The addition of 600 new agent seats will significantly contribute to raising customer services to the highest international quality standards.”
Nidal Abou-Ltaif, president, Avaya International, said: “We at Avaya take pride in this partnership with Smart Link, making sure that our joint efforts have an impact on the customer experience level in the Kingdom ... Smart Link has a unique competitive advantage with Al-Khaleej Training and Education, which supports them contribute significantly to Vision 2030. With the hiring of women in the workforce, the company is committed to training and developing the Kingdom’s talent.”
Smart Link creates Saudi jobs, invests in KSA skills development with Avaya
Smart Link creates Saudi jobs, invests in KSA skills development with Avaya
25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum
The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.
Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts.
The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies.
The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment.
The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored.
It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track.
In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.
As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs.
This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.
The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts.
The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.
