Manama: The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) announced the launch of a new programme to support the digital transformation of Bahraini small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in partnership with Zoho, a leading global technology firm.
According to Bahrain News Agency, participating businesses will receive access to Zoho's suite of solutions for two years. This includes a licence for Zoho One, the company's comprehensive operating system for business, which comprises over 50 integrated applications for business management. The platform offers a wide array of features, such as customer service management, sales automation, HR and finance management, marketing tools, data analytics, and more, substantially advancing digital transformation for these enterprises.
This programme forms part of a broader effort to facilitate the local expansion of international organisations like Zoho within the Kingdom of Bahrain, with support from the Bahrain Economic Development Board, as it works to attract investment and promote economic diversification in the Kingdom.
Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), highlighted the crucial role of Bahraini SMEs in the national economy. She noted that the agreement with Zoho reflects Tamkeen's commitment to equipping SMEs with the tools and support needed to adopt new technologies and undergo digital transformation, thereby boosting their productivity and long-term viability. She added that by collaborating with both international and local partners, Tamkeen aims to foster digital advancement across various sectors, which in turn will create high-quality opportunities for Bahrain's technology professionals and reinforce the Kingdom's reputation as a regional technology hub attractive to global investment.
The initiative aligns with Tamkeen's strategic priorities for 2025, which focus on strengthening the position and competitiveness of Bahrainis within the private sector, equipping them with the necessary skills for career progression, prioritising enterprise growth, digitisation, and sustainability, and supporting the development of the wider ecosystem surrounding the labour market and private sector.
Hyther Nizam, President for the Middle East and Africa at Zoho, remarked that the partnership with Tamkeen represents a significant milestone in Zoho's efforts to provide Bahraini SMEs with world-class digital solutions tailored to their specific requirements. He noted that this collaboration is part of Zoho's wider regional expansion strategy and its approach of investing locally and integrating into the communities it serves. By working alongside Tamkeen, Zoho is helping to bring global technology closer to local businesses and contributing to Bahrain's ambitions for economic diversification and digital innovation.
Zoho has seen a marked increase in demand for its products in the Middle East and Africa since 2020, making the region one of its fastest-growing markets worldwide. Its most popular offerings, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho Creator, are available in several languages, including Arabic and English, and support Right-to-Left (RTL) functionality, as well as integration with both global and local payment gateways.