Saudi HRDF (HADAF): Training Support for Private-Sector Employers

Saudi Arabia's Human Resources Development Fund, known as HADAF, is the largest workforce development funder in the Gulf. Its support is generous and specific, but it is built around a different objective from most training subsidies: getting Saudi nationals into private-sector employment and keeping them there. That shapes which products exist, and it explains why professional CPD sits awkwardly within them. Our CPD course library sets out what we offer and how it is certified.

The headline programme: Institutions for Strategic Partnership

This is the most substantial training support in HRDF's 2026 guide for establishments, and the figures are worth setting out properly because they are unusually generous.

Training phase. HRDF covers 75% of training costs for up to 24 months, capped at SAR 3,000 per month per employee. It also covers 75% of the employee's salary during training, capped at SAR 1,000 per month.

Recruitment phase. After training, HRDF covers 50% of salary for one year, capped at SAR 2,000 per month per employee.

Any private-sector enterprise can apply, provided the training aligns with its accredited activities. The structure tells you the intent: this is a train-then-hire pipeline, not a budget for upskilling existing senior staff.

The other products, and who they are for

MAHARAT supports training and qualification for jobseekers, private-sector employees, and new hires with less than a year in post. It is the product closest to conventional upskilling, though the 2026 guide states no support percentage or cap — those need confirming directly.

Tamheer, the graduate development product, pays a monthly bonus of SAR 3,000 for graduates holding diplomas, bachelor's degrees or above, for three to six months. Trainees may not exceed 10% of an enterprise's total Saudi employees.

Cooperative Training and Professional Experience both serve students rather than qualified professionals, with the Fund's contribution described as digital empowerment through its platform rather than a cash percentage.

HADAF Leadership is the exception, and the one product aimed squarely at experienced people. HRDF bears the cost of the training programme itself. Participants must be Saudi nationals working in the private sector, holding at least a bachelor's degree, with at least five years' experience including two in a supervisory or administrative role. It runs in cooperation with leading international universities.

The constraint that decides provider participation

For Institutions for Strategic Partnership, training entities must be licensed by the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training. For MAHARAT, the training agency must be licensed by the authorised accreditation authority, or be a body whose functions include delivering training, and the programmes themselves must be accredited by the authorised accreditation authorities.

In other words, provider participation runs through Saudi licensing and programme accreditation. That is a substantive requirement rather than a registration formality, and it presumes a Saudi operating presence.

What the guide does not say

Two silences matter, and it is better to name them than to read optimism into them.

The 2026 establishments guide says nothing about overseas training. HADAF Leadership runs with international universities, but the guide does not state where that training takes place or how an international institution comes to be involved. The absence of a stated route is not a prohibition, but neither is it a route.

On e-learning, HRDF operates its own platform, Doroob, which establishments can register for to assign training, track performance and build learning pathways. Registration is described as open to all owners of establishments, with no fee or percentage stated. It is HRDF's own platform rather than a mechanism for funding third-party online courses.

How this compares across the region

The contrast with Bahrain is instructive, because the two schemes sit a short flight apart and work in opposite ways for an international provider.

Tamkeen in Bahrain names professional certifications as a funded category, gives ACCA as an example, and lets an individual or enterprise request overseas, online or self-study training directly. HRDF's products route through Saudi-licensed providers and accredited programmes, with no published overseas route. Hong Kong's CEF sits at a third point again, accepting third-party courses but requiring contact hours and in-person invigilated assessment.

For an employer in Saudi Arabia, HRDF support is well worth pursuing and the rates are strong. For an international online provider, the realistic entry is a partnership with a TVTC-licensed Saudi training entity that holds the licence and accreditation, with content supplied into its programmes.

Frequently asked questions

Can HRDF fund a professional accountancy qualification?

MAHARAT covers training and qualification for employees and jobseekers, and accreditation of the programme by the authorised authority is the gate. Whether a specific professional qualification qualifies should be confirmed with HRDF, since the guide names no qualifications.

Does HRDF support training for non-Saudi employees?

HRDF's purpose is developing Saudi human resources, and its support is directed at Saudi nationals. Tamheer's rules reference a separate cap for non-Saudi trainees, so the position differs by product and should be checked per programme.

Can an overseas provider deliver HRDF-funded training?

The 2026 establishments guide does not address overseas delivery. Provider requirements are framed around Saudi licensing and accredited programmes, so a partnership with a licensed Saudi entity is the practical route.

Is Doroob a route to market for third-party content?

Doroob is HRDF's own e-training platform for establishments to assign and track training. The guide does not describe it as a marketplace for external providers.