Aramco Launches Taleed Program to Accelerate SME growth in Saudi Arabia

Aramco announced on Thursday the launch of a new program, “Taleed”, which aims to accelerate the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia — helping boost their contribution to economic development and support job creation.

The program targets sustainable SME growth across multiple sectors through a portfolio of 20 initiatives, providing a wide range of support from capability building and strategy development to training, market access, advisory services and business planning, read a press statement.

It also aims to deliver funding and financial solutions to existing and new businesses through five funds, with a combined capital exceeding SAR 3 billion ($800 million). The funds are being established in collaboration with partners to support SME development in the sustainability, digital, manufacturing, industrial and social innovation domains.

Aramco is partnering with a wide range of entities to deliver Taleed initiatives, and the Company has signed 30 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading public and private partners to enable development of the SME ecosystem.

Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, said: “Aramco has long been committed to supporting the expansion of the Kingdom’s SME ecosystem, which has a critical role to play in Saudi Arabia’s economic development.”

“Through Taleed, we are working with the public sector, as well as private companies and institutions, to further develop the SME ecosystem and promote entrepreneurship. Our aim is to achieve high levels of excellence among SMEs, which in turn supports our own business and the national economy,” he added.

Ahmad A. Al-Sa’adi, Aramco Senior Vice President of Technical Services, said: “Our Taleed program is a catalyst for change that aims to elevate the contribution of both existing and new SMEs across multiple sectors, in turn promoting job creation and further enhancing the commercial operating environment.”

Taleed will provide SMEs with targeted initiatives, complementing Aramco’s other major programs designed to enhance the Company’s resilient supply chain and the domestic business landscape. These include the Company’s flagship localization program “iktva”, as well as its industrial investments program “Namaat”, advanced product development center LAB7, and entrepreneurship center Wa’ed. These interlinked programs aim to create a supportive environment in which businesses of all sizes can flourish.

The 20 initiatives being offered through Taleed are categorized into three groups:

The first focuses on job-matching upskilled local talent, including a National Vocational Apprenticeship Program and a National Freelancing Program, to provide manpower with relevant skills to companies across Saudi Arabia. The initiative aims to enable thousands of jobs across multiple new or growing industries, including steel plate manufacturing, casting and forging, offshore and subsea diving.

The second focuses on creating business opportunities for SMEs, including the establishment of world-class integrated parks in nine cities across Saudi Arabia targeting untapped fields such as agriculture, artisans and cloud kitchens.

Other components include the establishment of a National Artisans Company to address challenges faced by artisans; a Smart Shared Services initiative; a Carbon Utilization National SME Program; Sustainable City Development initiative; Value Chain Services in Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries initiative; Home Construction Inspection initiative; and Industrial E-Marketplace initiative.

The third focuses on supporting SMEs and enabling the ecosystem. This includes an SME Excellence Program to help SMEs sustain and grow their business, and 150 SMEs have already been enrolled to mark the launch of Taleed.

Ultimately, Taleed’s sustainable growth program is expected to benefit as many as 15,000 SMEs annually. Other components include an SME Mentorship program; SME Leadership Development Program; SME Net-Zero Carbon Program; National E-Commerce SME Support Platform; SME Digital Enterprise Solutions initiative; Customized Logistics Solutions for SMEs initiative; Regional SME Association; SME of the Year Awards; and SME Business Hackathon.

Coinciding with Taleed’s launch, a ceremony was held to recognize companies that have demonstrated a commitment to hiring trained Saudi employees and supporting SMEs, academies and institutions working to upskill Saudi talent, as well as outstanding graduates from these institutions.

US job growth accelerated in September and the unemployment slipped to 4.1%, further reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to maintain large interest rate cuts at its remaining two meetings this year.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 254,000 jobs last month after rising by an upwardly revised 159,000 in August, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 140,000 positions after advancing by a previously reported 142,000 in August.
The initial payrolls count for August has typically been revised higher over the past decade. Estimates for September's job gains ranged from 70,000 to 220,000.
The US labor market slowdown is being driven by tepid hiring against the backdrop of increased labor supply stemming mostly from a rise in immigration. Layoffs have remained low, which is underpinning the economy through solid consumer spending.
Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% after gaining 0.5% in August. Wages increased 4% year-on-year after climbing 3.9% in August.
The US unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in August. It has jumped from 3.4% in April 2023, in part boosted by the 16-24 age cohort and rise in temporary layoffs during the annual automobile plant shutdowns in July.
The US Federal Reserve's policy setting committee kicked off its policy easing cycle with an unusually large half-percentage-point rate cut last month and Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized growing concerns over the health of the labor market.
While the labor market has taken a step back, annual benchmark revisions to national accounts data last week showed the economy in a much better shape than previously estimated, with upgrades to growth, income, savings and corporate profits.
This improved economic backdrop was acknowledged by Powell this week when he pushed back against investors' expectations for another half-percentage-point rate cut in November, saying “this is not a committee that feels like it is in a hurry to cut rates quickly.”
The Fed hiked rates by 525 basis points in 2022 and 2023, and delivered its first rate cut since 2020 last month. Its policy rate is currently set in the 4.75%-5.00% band.
Early on Friday, financial markets saw a roughly 71.5% chance of a quarter-point rate reduction in November, CME's FedWatch tool showed. The odds of a 50 basis points cut were around 28.5%.

Aramco Launches Taleed Program to Accelerate SME growth in Saudi Arabia