RIYADH — The Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) has established 26 strategic partnerships with entities across diverse economic and development sectors from the beginning of 2026 through the end of July. These partnerships aimed to train, qualify, and employ more than 16,000 Saudi citizens in various fields, including industry, transportation and logistics, communications and information technology, tourism, sports, health, media, education, construction, and the non-profit sector. The total support allocated to these strategic partnerships reached SR1.96 billion, demonstrating the scale of investment in human capital and underscoring the HADAF's focus on directing its resources toward programs directly linked to labor market needs. This enhances the efficiency of spending on training and empowerment while increasing the economic and social return on investment. These partnerships respond to the rapid transformations taking place in the labor market and the growing demand for qualified Saudi nationals with specialized skills in emerging and promising fields. The targeted programs and specializations include artificial intelligence and automation, cybersecurity, electric vehicle manufacturing technologies, supply chains and logistics, e-commerce, port operations, aviation, airport and air traffic technologies, digital media and content technologies, tourism and hospitality, industrial maintenance and engineering technologies, occupational safety and health, and technical health specialties. These partnerships reflect a shift in the methodology for supporting skills development, moving from viewing training as an end in itself to directly linking training with actual labor market demands. This is achieved through the involvement of supervisory bodies, regulatory authorities, and employers in identifying needs and required skills and designing training pathways accordingly. This approach enhances the readiness of national talent and facilitates their transition from training into career paths aligned with the needs of the economy. The partnerships also contribute to anticipating the human capital needs of promising sectors by directing training investments toward fields experiencing rapid growth and transformation. This, in turn, strengthens the readiness of national talent to meet the evolving demands of the labor market. HADAF continues to strengthen its role as a key enabler of the labor market system by forging strategic partnerships that align private-sector needs with qualified national talent, while translating the requirements of economic growth into training and qualification pathways that create high-quality and sustainable career opportunities.