Dulani Business Center

What Dulani Business Center does

Dulani Business Center (مركز دلني للأعمال) is a non-financial enablement initiative wholly owned by the Social Development Bank (بنك التنمية الاجتماعية), the Saudi state-owned development bank, headquartered in Riyadh. It provides free consulting, training, mentoring, and event services to micro and small enterprises, freelancers, productive families, cooperatives, and non-profit associations across all regions of Saudi Arabia. The platform organizes its offering into six core service modules (Development Programs, Specialized Consulting and Guidance, Worker Rehabilitation and Empowerment, Freelance Culture Promotion, Supply Chain Support, and Supporting Events) and is supplemented by dedicated sub-platforms: the Shour volunteer consulting platform (منصة شور), which won first place in the National Award for Volunteer Work 2022; the Tajseer qualification program (تجسير) for productive families and freelancers; and Business Noura (بزنس نورة) targeting female entrepreneurs.

The platform is delivered through a web portal at dulani.gov.sa backed by a consultant booking and scheduling system, virtual consultations via Zoom (up to 30 minutes), and in-person sessions at the Riyadh headquarters on King Fahd Road. A volunteer consultant network spans all Saudi regions and records hours in the National Volunteering Portal. The Technology Partners Initiative aggregates seven or more third-party SaaS partners (Salla, Wasool, Qoyod, ExaCall, Al-Jadwa, Eqrar, Makhazen) offering entrepreneurs 15-50% discounts on e-commerce, POS, accounting, telephony, feasibility studies, and dropshipping services. The center is licensed on the Raqmi digital government platform and operates in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 microenterprise enablement priorities.

The business model is fully subsidized: all services are free to beneficiaries, with operating costs absorbed by the Social Development Bank parent. Dulani does not charge fees and has no disclosed revenue stream, functioning as a public-good enablement layer that funnels beneficiaries into SDB financing products rather than as a commercial enterprise. Its historical lineage runs from a 2009 Business Clinic inside SDB, through the Sponsoring Entities Center (2011) and National Enterprises Center (2014), to its current Dulani branding established in 2015 following a McKinsey strategic study.

Name

Dulani Business Center

Legal name

Dulani Business Center (مركز دلني للأعمال)

Website

https://dulani.gov.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Dulani Business Center is a Social Development Bank initiative providing free consulting, training, and mentoring to micro and small enterprises, freelancers, productive families, and cooperatives across Saudi Arabia, delivered through a national volunteer consultant network, six service modules, and partner SaaS marketplaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Free Non-Financial Enablement Services: All consulting, training, mentoring, and program services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. The center is a non-revenue-generating initiative of the Social Development Bank; no fees are charged for any of its core services.
2. Technology Partner Discount Commission (Indirect): The Technology Partners Initiative aggregates third-party SaaS vendors offering discounted services (15% to 50%) to entrepreneurs. Dulani does not directly charge beneficiaries, but acts as the channel/marketplace for partner promotions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Dulani Business Center is a non-financial enablement initiative of the Saudi Social Development Bank that provides free training programs, specialized consulting, mentoring, and rehabilitation services to micro and small enterprise owners, freelancers, productive families, and non-profit associations across Saudi Arabia. It offers structured development programs (Tasis, Tatwir, Tajseer, Tahlil wa Tamkin), one-on-one consulting across 8+ specialties delivered virtually via Zoom or in-person, a volunteer consulting platform (Shour), and a partner ecosystem offering discounted third-party SaaS tools to entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Dulani Business Center (مركز دلني للأعمال) is a government platform-plus-modules offering from the Social Development Bank (بنك التنمية الاجتماعية) targeting micro/small business owners and freelancers in Saudi Arabia. The platform bundles six core service modules — Development Programs (البرامج التطويرية), Specialized Consulting & Guidance (الاستشارات والإرشاد), Worker Rehabilitation & Empowerment (تأهيل وتمكين العاملين), Freelance Culture Promotion (نشر ثقافة العمل الحر), Supply Chain Support (دعم سلاسل الإمداد), and Supporting Events (الفعاليات المساندة) — and is supplemented by dedicated platforms including Shour Volunteerism (منصة شور), Tajseer (تجسير) for productive families, Business Noura (بزنس نورة), the Bank Supports You Initiative (مبادرة بنك يساندك), and the Technology Partners Initiative (مبادرة شركاء التقنية) which integrates third-party SaaS tools such as Salla, Qoyod, Wasool, ExaCall, Al-Jadwa, Eqrar, and Makhazen with discounted pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shour Platform (منصة شور): A volunteer consulting platform by Dulani Business Center that engages private-sector employees to provide professional volunteer consultations for micro, small, and freelance enterprises.
• Business Noura (بزنس نورة)
• Tajseer (تجسير)
• Technology Partners Initiative (مبادرة شركاء التقنية)

Products and services

• Microenterprise Qualification and Empowerment Program (برنامج تأهيل وتمكين المشاريع متناهية الصغر) One-week Arabic-language development program supporting productive families by providing knowledge to develop their projects, transform them from welfare to productive, and achieve self-sufficiency. Covers microenterprise classification, market forces, competitive analysis, operations, expense calculation, and marketing. Certification jointly issued by Social Development Bank and Dulani Business Center.
• Foundation Program (برنامج تأسيس) Three-day program for aspiring entrepreneurs and pre-incorporation founders that teaches how to convert investment ideas into real projects, craft appropriate business models, and prepare feasibility studies. Delivered in-person at Dulani HQ on King Fahd Road, Riyadh, or via Zoom. Free of charge.
• Development Program (برنامج تطوير) Program for established business owners that helps them rediscover and analyze their project situation, identify causes of setbacks, and rebuild operations, institutional organization, and a business model suitable for expansion. Delivered in Arabic.
• Restaurants and Cafes Program (برنامج المطاعم والمقاهي) Training program explaining concepts and methods of operating and managing food and beverage projects, covering the most prominent market features and challenges, the basic steps in successfully establishing restaurant and cafe brands, and building a solid operational base for daily operations and repeatable success.
• E-commerce Program (برنامج التجارة الإلكترونية) Program aimed at those wishing to start e-commerce and increase income, introducing the basics of e-commerce and how to start successful online businesses on scientific and practical bases, explaining how to create and manage online stores.
• Funding Readiness Program (برنامج التهيئة للتمويل) Program dedicated to qualifying and enabling entrepreneurs and emerging enterprises to achieve readiness to obtain and efficiently manage financing, through developing feasibility study skills and understanding financing requirements, contributing to raising growth and sustainability opportunities.
• Feasibility Studies Skills Program (مهارات إعداد دراسات الجدوى الاقتصادية) Program covering feasibility study concepts and importance across project phases including market study, technical study, establishment/capital/operating costs, financial study, economic indicators, and financial statements. Includes workshops and practical applications using Social Development Bank models. Free attendance certificate from Dulani.
• Tajseer - Bridging Program (تجسير) Qualification program for productive families and freelancers to support the transition of their activities into formal, finance-ready emerging projects. Builds capacities, raises readiness for competition, educates on required licenses, prepares beneficiaries for Social Development Bank financing products, and helps launch their own brand. Three-day Arabic program with consultation sessions.
• Consulting Service for Cooperative Associations (خدمة الاستشارات للجمعيات التعاونية) One-day Arabic consulting program offering specialized consulting solutions to support cooperative associations, enabling them to address operational and organizational challenges and achieve more sustainable and efficient growth. Deliverables include diagnosis, actionable recommendations, process improvement, and decision support.
• Specialized Consulting and Guidance (الاستشارات والإرشاد)

Quantifiable outcome

• 641 visitors and 77+ specialized consultations at Boulevard World 2025 over 60 days
• +6 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Monsha'at (General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises): Saudi government authority mandated to develop the SME sector; coordinates national SME enablement including incubators, accelerators, financing, and consulting. Directly comparable to Dulani as a public-sector SME enablement body, though broader in mandate and operating at a national authority level.
• MISK Foundation: Saudi non-profit foundation established by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focused on youth and entrepreneurship development; comparable to Dulani as a Saudi public-interest entity developing national entrepreneurship capacity through programs, training, and ecosystem initiatives.
• Social Development Bank (SDB): Saudi state-owned development bank providing financing to small enterprises, productive families, and freelancers; Dulani is itself an initiative of SDB. Comparable as the parent financial institution that Dulani's consulting-to-credit pipeline feeds into, and as a public-sector SME enablement entity.
• King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) - Badir: Saudi government science and technology body that operates Badir incubators; comparable to Dulani as a government-backed entrepreneurship and SME development program targeting national economic diversification under Vision 2030.

Direct peers

• Badir Program for Technology Incubators: Saudi government-backed technology incubator program supporting early-stage tech startups with funding, mentorship, and workspace. Comparable to Dulani in mission (SME/entrepreneur enablement) and structure (government-backed, free services), though focused on technology ventures rather than micro/small general enterprises.
• Endeavor Saudi Arabia: Saudi chapter of global high-impact entrepreneur support organization providing mentorship, networks, and access to financing for scaling SMEs. Comparable to Dulani in mission (selective entrepreneur enablement, mentorship, ecosystem connections) and beneficiary overlap, though private/non-profit and focused on scale-stage rather than early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Flat6Labs: MENA early-stage venture capital firm and seed accelerator operating in Saudi Arabia (and across the region); comparable to Dulani in providing structured programs (training, mentoring, ecosystem connections) to early-stage entrepreneurs, though with a private/commercial model focused on tech startups.

Regional players

• King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) - SME Programs: Saudi energy sector ecosystem developer operating SME enablement programs for energy-adjacent supply chain entrepreneurs. Comparable to Dulani in providing structured consulting, training, and ecosystem development for SMEs, though focused on the energy vertical and operating in Eastern Province rather than Riyadh.
• Riyadh Chamber of Commerce - Entrepreneurship Programs: Saudi chamber of commerce operating entrepreneur support programs and forums (e.g., the Investment Opportunities Forum 2025 where Dulani participated). Comparable to Dulani as a Saudi institution providing SME-facing training, networking, and policy advocacy, though with a regional commercial-membership mandate.

Emerging players

• 500 Global (MENA): Global venture capital firm and startup accelerator with active MENA operations including Saudi Arabia. Comparable to Dulani in providing structured accelerator/incubator programming and mentorship to early-stage entrepreneurs, though with a private funding model and global footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SaudiDBC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SaudiDBC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dulani
• Instagraminstagram.com/saudidbc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dulani Business Center