OVI is the AI-native ATS where you chat to hire. Two AI agents — Sora for sourcing and Milo for screening — find candidates, score every CV, and run AI interviews, all controlled from a single chat.

What does "chat to hire" mean?

Chat to hire is OVI's AI-native hiring workflow: instead of clicking through a traditional ATS, you describe what you need in chat and OVI's AI agents source candidates, screen applicants, run AI interviews, and send outreach for you.

What is an AI-native ATS?

An AI-native ATS is an applicant tracking system built around AI agents rather than forms and pipelines. OVI's AI chat ATS lets recruiters source, screen, interview, and follow up through conversation — the agents do the work and surface only the candidates worth meeting.

Who are Sora and Milo?

Sora is OVI's AI sourcing agent — she scans LinkedIn, the open web, and your ATS history to find best-fit candidates and reach out in your name. Milo is OVI's AI screening agent — he scores every applicant against your rubric and surfaces a ranked shortlist.

How do OVI's AI interviews work?

OVI runs async AI interviews for every shortlisted candidate and returns scores, transcripts, and recordings — so your team only meets the people worth meeting.

SDAIA Certification Makes Talentera's SANAD the Compliance Benchmark for Saudi Enterprise Hiring

2026-06-19

SDAIA Certification Makes Talentera's SANAD the Compliance Benchmark for Saudi Enterprise Hiring

In a market racing toward AI-driven recruitment, Talentera's SANAD has earned the one credential that matters most to Saudi enterprise buyers: SDAIA ethical AI certification.

Why SDAIA Certification Changes the Game

Saudi Arabia's National Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched its AI Service Provider Certification program on January 24, 2025, establishing the Kingdom's first formal framework for responsible AI deployment. Within the first week, 40 entities earned certification across five tiers — Conscious, Aware, Engaged, Advanced, and Pioneer — each valid for one year.

For HR technology buyers navigating Vision 2030 mandates, the program creates a clear procurement filter: certified tools carry government-validated AI governance credentials. Non-certified tools do not.

As of May 28, 2025, Talentera's SANAD is the only hiring-specific platform in MENA to hold SDAIA certification — a distinction that positions it as the default compliant choice for Saudi enterprise recruitment teams.

What SANAD Actually Does

SANAD, launched in July 2023, is Talentera's AI-powered screening and matching engine embedded directly within its applicant tracking system. Built by Bayt.com's HR technology division — which serves over 500 enterprise clients including Saudia Airlines, KAFD, and Dubai Islamic Bank — SANAD operates bilingually in Arabic and English with no additional IT setup required.

The tool automates resume screening and candidate-role matching within the existing ATS workflow. According to vendor-reported pilot data, SANAD delivers a 98% reduction in resume-screening time and a 50% faster time-to-fill. These figures are directionally informative but should be evaluated against each organization's own hiring volume and complexity.

"This milestone is a testament to our dedication to innovation and responsible AI," said Bassam Hamed, General Manager of Talentera, in May 2025.

The Compliance Moat: Why It Matters for Vision 2030 Buyers

Saudi Arabia's Nitaqat (Saudization) quotas require companies to meet specific Saudi national employment ratios. Missing targets triggers penalties ranging from restricted visa issuance to business license suspension. AI recruitment tools that accelerate time-to-hire — by up to 60% according to industry benchmarks — give compliance teams a meaningful advantage in filling quota-eligible roles faster.

SDAIA certification adds a second compliance layer. Enterprise procurement teams increasingly require AI governance documentation for vendor selection. A certified tool reduces legal review cycles and satisfies internal audit requirements that uncertified alternatives cannot.

With the Saudi AI HR market valued at approximately $330 million and more than 50% of Saudi companies projected to adopt AI-powered HR systems, the combination of Nitaqat pressure and SDAIA certification creates a procurement environment where compliance is the competitive moat — not just a checkbox.

Global Benchmark: Where AI Hiring Stands Beyond MENA

While Talentera dominates the MENA compliance conversation, the global AI hiring market offers useful reference points. OVI, for example, provides AI-powered voice interviews starting at $99/month, reporting 87% faster time-to-hire and 97% cost-per-hire reduction. OVI's approach — transcript-content analysis only, no biometric data, human-in-the-loop decision support — represents the direction global AI hiring is heading: affordable, auditable, and compliance-ready.

For Saudi enterprises evaluating their AI hiring stack, the takeaway is clear: regional compliance (SDAIA certification via SANAD) and global best practices (tools like OVI with strong compliance postures) are converging toward the same standard — ethical, transparent, human-supervised AI.