How Kanz Is Supporting Workforce Development in Saudi Arabia
Learn how Kanz expanded into Saudi Arabia with AstroLabs, using AI-powered recruitment and workforce development to support Vision 2030 and local employers.
Saudi Arabia's labor market is undergoing a rapid transformation as Vision 2030, Saudization policies, and AI adoption reshape how companies attract, assess, and develop talent. Employers increasingly require recruitment solutions that can identify qualified candidates while supporting long-term workforce development.
Kanz, an AI-powered recruitment platform, is one of the companies responding to this shift. After establishing its operations in Saudi Arabia, the company has expanded its local presence, helping employers hire more efficiently while investing in initiatives that strengthen the Kingdom's future workforce.
Expanding into Saudi Arabia to Support Local Employers
Kanz was founded by Lebanese entrepreneur Roy Baladi following the success of Saudiaat, a social impact initiative supported by the Womanity Foundation. Originally designed to equip 1,800 Saudi women with employability skills and place 600 into jobs, the initiative far exceeded its original ambitions, ultimately supporting more than 50,000 Saudi women and over 400 employers through a free recruitment model.
The experience revealed a growing need for technology that could connect qualified Saudi talent with employers more efficiently. To address that demand at scale, Baladi relocated to Riyadh and launched Kanz, transforming the initiative's learnings into an AI-powered recruitment platform built specifically for the Saudi market.
To accelerate its expansion, Kanz partnered with AstroLabs to manage company registration, regulatory requirements, and operational setup, enabling the team to focus on commercial growth and product development. Today, the company has already hired three Saudi employees and plans to continue expanding its local team as demand grows.
“When I first arrived, I didn't have an office or know where to begin with the business setup process in Saudi Arabia. AstroLabs was my anchor; they made what could have been a major headache disappear,” Baladi said.
For Baladi, establishing a foreign business in Saudi allowed Kanz to work more closely with customers, better understand employers' evolving hiring requirements, and tailor its platform to the Kingdom's labor market.
"The support we received from AstroLabs went from being a nice-to-have to a must-have," Baladi added.
AI Recruitment Supports Saudi Arabia's Workforce Transformation
Kanz combines AI-powered recruitment with workforce development, helping employers identify qualified candidates while providing job seekers with practical tools to improve their employability.
The platform screens applicants using artificial intelligence, evaluates candidate skills, and provides personalized feedback within one week of every application. Candidates also gain access to free upskilling courses, AI-powered career guidance, and professional certifications delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Lebanese American University's Academy of Continuing Education.
To date, Kanz has built a network of more than 1.2 million candidates, including approximately 250,000 Saudi job seekers, while serving more than 500 employers. Its client base includes organizations such as Amazon, Novartis, Booking.com, the United Nations, and Cartier.
The platform has already helped place more than 5,000 candidates into employment, with graduates collectively earning more than $325 million in wages.
As Saudi Arabia's labor market evolves, the company's approach is resonating with employers seeking recruitment solutions that align with Saudization requirements while improving hiring efficiency. Fintech company Qlub, for example, made its first Saudi hire through Kanz within days of an initial product demonstration before expanding the partnership to support recruitment across additional international markets.
According to Baladi, this reflects a broader shift in employer expectations. “Companies increasingly need local hiring solutions that understand the Saudi market, and that's exactly what we've built,” he said.
Building Saudi Arabia's AI-Ready Workforce
Beyond recruitment, Kanz is expanding its role in workforce development by supporting AI skills across the Kingdom.
Within a year of establishing its Saudi operations, the company partnered with MHRSD to organize what it aims to become the world's largest AI training hackathon. Scheduled for 15–22 July, the initiative seeks to set a Guinness World Record for the largest online AI training event, surpassing the current record of 1,842 participants.
With more than 37,000 registrations already secured, Kanz is targeting 100,000 participants, reflecting growing interest in AI skills as Saudi Arabia continues to invest in its digital economy.
The initiative marks the next phase of its Saudi growth strategy, bringing together a local presence, strategic public-sector partnerships, and technology designed to address the Kingdom's evolving workforce needs in support of Vision 2030.
