50 Students Participate at the General Authority for Statistics “Cooperative Training Program" this semester The General Authority for Statistics has implemented the “cooperative training program’’ with the participation of 50 students from educational institutions during this semester for many majors including economics, statistics, accounting, media, mathematics, information technology, administration and law. The program provides the trainees with the opportunity to apply for a number of academic courses that students have taken within their educational institutions in the labor market. within a period of time to be counted in the academic graduation program. The training program, which runs from hours to four months, aims to help students gain the practical skills and efficiency in their fields of study in their university, allowing them to develop many of their practical experiences that may differ in nature from those gain over during periods of study. The training period helps colleges and universities to evaluate the academic preparation of their students through the report of their Cooperative Training Program, statements and job evaluation reports given by the direct supervisor to the trainee at the General Authority for Statistics. The "Cooperative Training" program aims to attract outstanding students from the newly graduated for the General Authority for Statistics. The program also aims to strengthen the relations between the General Authority for Statistics and the educational institutions in the public and private sectors. The General Authority for Statistics aims to do a couple of programs and projects to activate the academic sector considering it one of the four basic components of the statistical sector besides the Authority and the statistical units in government agencies and the private sector. These programs goal is to participate with fields that are related to the statistical work and the future plan for statistics in the kingdom and its transformation program. And also to cooperate with universities to evaluate or develop the products of the statistical work. The Authority has given a couple of programs to the Saudi universities during the last period.

After joining the program of international comparisons and experts of tourism satellite accounts, and to confirm its role in the international statistics map “Saudi Statistics” is a member in the Global Work Group on big data for official statistics After being a board member in the international comparison program and the international experts team for developing tourism satellite accounts 2017, Saudi Arabia, represented in the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat), has become a member in the Global Work Group (GWG) on big data for official statistics which pertains to the United Nations. This group includes 22 countries and 9 international authorities. Saudi Arabia has decided to be a member in this group to reflect the positive role of GaStat in the UN different statistical programs. It also wants to show its progress in the field of big data. GaStat is represented in this group by three statistical and technical leaders who are considered experts in big data; dr. Mohammed Alahmed, vice president of statistical innovation and customer service, Mr. Khalid Aldalqan, deputy of information technology, and Dr. Aseel Almansour, director-general of statistical innovation department. Dr. Fahad bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi, GaStat president, asserted that Saudi Arabia has decided to be a member in the global work group on big data for official statistics to confirm the effective role of Saudi Arabia in the international statistics map. This membership will reflect the results of the Saudi statistical sector’s strategic transformation which Saudi Arabia is really concerned about and support for its role in enhancing the national development decisions. He added, joining this group will enhance the role of Saudi Arabia in the field of big data internationally. The participation of GaStat in this group is represented through capacity building and raising awareness about the importance of big data, in addition to joining the global platform for data, services, and applications. Altekhaifi indicated that the participation of those three national leaders among an elite of worldwide data and statistics experts under the umbrella of the United Nations Statistical Commission is considered an opportunity to benefit from the group works’ outputs. It will contribute in developing the use of big data in Saudi Arabia as these data are one of the very important recent sources of information, in addition to the field surveys and register data. Moreover, it will have an essential role in addressing issues pertaining to methodology, quality, technology, data access, legislation, privacy, and management. It will also pave the way for collaborations with the most distinct statistical organizations such as the international institutions, data producers, and big data experts. This might increase the quality of statistical products provided by GaStat to support decision and policy makers. Furthermore, the group works and results will collaborate in raising the level of information exchange about the big data projects in the statistical community. It is worth mentioning that the creation of the Global Working Group (GWG) on Big Data for Official Statistics was agreed at the 45th session of the UN statistical commission which was held last November. The group work aims at investigating the benefits and challenges of Big Data, including the potential for monitoring and reporting on the sustainable development goals. In addition to Saudi Arabia, the Global Work Group includes 21 representatives and some international organizations: Eurostat, GCC-Stat, ITU, OECD, UNECE, UNESCAP, UNSD, UN Global Pulse, World Bank

The Indicator Covers Three Main Sectors (Housing, Commercial, Agricultural) GaStat Releases Real-Estate Prices Index for the 4th Quarter 2017 The General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) released on Sunday, 11 Jumada Al-Awal 1439H corresponding to January 28, 2018, its quarterly indicator for the General Index of the Real Estate Prices Q4  2017 in Saudi Arabia and published it on its official website www.stats.gov.sa.com . Furthermore, the indicator is based on the data records about real-estate’s transactions available at the Ministry of Justice, and it is an important tool to support economic and statistical decision makers regarding the changes of property prices and future forecasts during different periods of time. The indicator covers three main sectors consisting of several types of real estate: housing sector which includes the followings (plot of land, building, villa, apartment and house), commercial sector includes (plot of land, building, exhibition, commercial center or shop), agricultural sector with one category which is the agricultural land. On the other hand, the indicator recorded a decline amounted to (3.2%) compared to the same quarter last year (Q4 2016). The indicator attributed this decline to the decrease of the main sectors composing it: the housing sector (2.2%), the commercial sector (5.7%) and the agricultural sector (0.6%). Moreover, the indicator edged down (0.3%) compared to the previous quarter (Q3 2017) reaching (84.6%) in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to (84.9%) for the previous quarter. This decline is attributable to the main sectors composing it where they witnessed varying degrees of decline: (0.2%) for the housing sector, (0.7%) for the commercial sector and (0.1%) for the agricultural sector. It is worth mentioning that the release of the Index of Real Estate Prices for Q4 2017 came along with the introductory meeting of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this meeting was within the Authority's plan to raise the statistical awareness of all its customers in which a number of meetings were held previously to discuss Real Estate Price Index in Riyadh and Dammam last year.

It Shows the Housing Characteristics of Dwellings Occupied with Saudi Households Housing Survey 2017 Findings Now Released by GaStat The General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) released on Thursday, 8 Jumada Al-Awal 1439H (25 January 2018)  the findings of the Housing Survey 2017, through its official website www.stats.gov.sa.com. This survey was implemented during the period (17/7 - 22/8) / 1438H) corresponding to (14/4 - 18/5/2017). Furthermore, it was prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and it shows the housing characteristics of dwellings occupied with Saudi households. On other hand, Housing Surveys are one of the most important data sources necessary for development planning in the economic and social fields in general and for housing initiatives in particular, both at the national and local levels. Moreover, Housing Surveys aim to: provide data about the dwellings occupied with households at the administrative level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, study the influence of the surrounding environment and the housing characteristics, create database for housing in order to provide the requirements of the government and the needs of the planners and researchers from the main data about the housing characteristics required by the development plans, provide data and indicators on housing periodically to measure changes in housing characteristics over time and to make local, regional and international comparisons and measure the improvements and the growth in the housing fields by type of dwelling, age of dwelling occupied with the household. In addition, (owned) dwellings and occupied with Saudi households amounted to (49.91%) according to the Housing Survey 2017 findings. (Owned) dwellings that were built by using non-reinforced concreate (clay, stone, bricks, slabs) are excluded from this, in which their rate recorded a decrease down from (13.38%) in 2016 to nearly (10%) in 2017.  Furthermore, (rented) dwellings and occupied with Saudi households represent (38%), and (1.69%) for dwellings provided by employer. It is worth mentioning that findings of this survey did not show the individuals’ ownership of dwellings rate but it discusses the housing characteristics such as: type of tenure of the household’s dwelling included in the field survey. Additionally, villas occupied with Saudi households accounted for (29.44%) of the total number of dwellings occupied with Saudi households, the percentage of apartments occupied with Saudi households was (43.67%) and (7.73%) was for floors in villas occupied with Saudi households. On the other hand, the findings showed that the predominant material used in the construction of dwellings occupied with Saudi households was the reinforced concreate by (87.95%). Dwellings occupied with Saudi households, in which (brick) was used in its construction accounted for (11.88%). In terms of household energy, the findings showed that the percentage of dwellings occupied with Saudi households that depend on the public water network as a source of water recorded (74.28%) of the total number of dwellings occupied with Saudi households, and (99.8%) of dwellings depend on the electricity public network as its main source. In addition, (7.88%) was for dwellings occupied with Saudi households for less than (5) years, (25.38%) was for dwellings occupied with Saudi households between (5 and less than 10 years), and dwellings occupied with Saudi households between (10 to 20 years) accounted for (30.09%). Moreover, GaStat indicate that census surveys conducted every ten years depend on the comprehensive inventory of all dwellings. However, housing surveys depend on the sampling method of selected households chosen in a scientific manner. The survey form includes accurate details to support housing initiatives in which it allows the possibility of studying housing characteristics in a more comprehensive and detailed manner. The findings reveal the housing characteristics of the dwellings occupied with Saudi households at the administrative regions of the Kingdom. Many indicators can be extracted through this survey, such as: dwelling type, approximate age of the dwelling, building material, flooring material, type of possession, source of water, drinking water, source of electricity for the dwelling and other housing indicators related to the dwelling.

A specialized survey, measuring the spread of disability, contains all disability statistics details GaStat: (2.9%) of Saudi population have disability with (extreme) difficulty To get real statistical indicators that reflect the disability spread rates in Saudi and the disability categories in terms of difficulty degrees and spread among society people to be a reference for developing policies, making decisions, providing proper services for persons with disability, and fulfilling the needs of planners, researchers, and those who are interested in disability studies,  the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) has issued a report containing the results of “ persons with disability survey 2017”. When defining disability and classifying its difficulty degrees, GaStat has relied on the elaborated definition of Washington Group on Disability Statistics which contains all difficulty degrees of disability: mild, severe, and extreme. The survey results indicated that (2.9%) of Saudi population have disability with extreme difficulty.     According to the survey results, Riyadh region has registered a disability rate of (25.13%) which is the highest rate of disabled persons compared to the other Saudi regions. However, Najran region registered the lowest rate of disability with (0.87%). The survey results have also showed that the most spread difficulty among disabled Saudi population who only have one difficulty is the visual impairment. Persons with disability who suffer from visual impairment have registered (46.02%) among all Saudi disabled population with different degrees: mild (67.8%), severe (28.5%), and extreme (3.7%). As for the most spread difficulties among Saudi disabled population who suffer from multiple difficulties, physical difficulties have registered the highest rate with (29.13%) with different degrees: mild (54.07%), severe (29.22%), and extreme (16.71%).     It is worth mentioning that persons with disability survey includes many tables that are already published on the website. More than 40 detailed tables that include a large number of statistical data such as disability rates with its different degrees and categories, disabled population structure regarding their age and type, educational status, and occupational status.

Within the Results of the Labor Market Bulletin for the Third Quarter of 2017 The General Authority for Statistics: Stability in the Unemployment Rate of the Saudi Population at (12.8%) and a Decline in the Total Unemployment Rate to Reach (5.8%) The General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) published on its official website www.stats.gov.sa  the Labor Market Bulletin for the third quarter of 2017, which provides comprehensive data and indicators on the labor market in the Kingdom from the estimates of the labor force survey conducted by the Authority on a quarterly basis, in addition to the labor market data from the administrative records of the relevant entities (Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Ministry of Civil Service, General Organization for Social Insurance, Human Resources Development Fund and National Information Center). The results of the bulletin for the third quarter of 2017 showed stability in the unemployment rate of the Saudi population at its previous level during the second quarter of 2017, where it stabilized at (12.8%), (7.4%) for males and (32.7%) for females, and a decline in the total unemployment rate (15 years and above) compared to the second quarter of 2017, where it reached (5.8%) in this quarter (3.2%) for males and (21.1%) for females. The total number of workers from the data of administrative records in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached (13,758,064) indivisuals, the total number of Saudis jobseekrs from the records of administrative reached (1,231,549) individuals, (190,822) are males and (1,040,727) are females. The highest percentage of Saudis jobseekers in the age group (25-29) was represented by 31.3%. Moreover, the results showed that nearly half of the Saudi jobseekers hold Bachelor degrees and their percentages reached (45.8%). According to the administrative records of the relevant entities, the total number of work visas issued reached 509,180. (22.3%) for the public sector, (37.8%) for the domestic sector and (39.9%) for the private sector. The bulletin included a large number of detailed data on workers according to the regulations they are subject to, and according to the nationality, gender, age, administrative region and educational level, as well as data on job seekers, average monthly wage, working hours and domestic workers. On the other hand, the official spokesman of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Mr.Tayseer Al-Mafarj, clarified that there is a difference between job seekers and unemployed. The "unemployed" according to the Labor Force Survey are the individuals (15 years and above) who were jobless during the period of the time reference (the survey period): the previous week of the household visit and have been looking for a job seriously during the four weeks prior to the household visit (they have at least taken one way to look for a job). This includes those who did not search for work during the four weeks prior to the household visit because they were waiting for a job or starting their own business in the coming period, where they had already been looking for work before the time reference period and at the same time they were able to work and were ready to join it (If available), during the week preceding the household visit. Additionally, the definition of job seekers is the Saudi individuals (males or females) enrolled in the job search programs of the Ministry of Civil Service (Jdarah or Saed) and the Human Resources Development Fund (Hafiz). And they register their personal data, qualifications, practical experiences and CVs through an electronic system. It is worth to mention that job seekers in the administrative records are not subject to the internationally recognized standards and conditions of unemployment approved by the ILO and therefore are not considered to be unemployed. Hence, not every job seeker is considered unemployed, he may be looking for work and is working in another job, this is the case in job seekers in government entities who are working, for example, in the private sector.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) Held an Introductory Workshop and Issued the Unified Guide Government Entities Start to Implement the National Guide for Economic Activities (ISIC4) in the Middle of the Current Month The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) explained that it has completed the preparations for enabling the government entities related to economic activities to implement the "National Classification for Economic Activities", the classification was taken from the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, the forth version (ISIC4), and was issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. And it is considered as an approved Classification for Economic Activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia starting next Monday 14 Rabi Thani, 1 January 2018. The official spokesman of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Tayseer Al-Mafraj, confirmed that the Authority has held several workshops for the relevant entities during the past period of time and prepared a unified guide and an electronic room for operations and communication in preparation for the start of the adoption of the National Classification for Economic Activities that can be defined as the way in which counting units can be collected according to a serial order and defined by homogeneous groups with a view to creating a general framework for comparison of statistical data at the local, regional and international levels. He also pointed out that the data of economic activity can be divided according to the guide prepared for this to specific levels in a manner similar to the characteristics of economic activities classified in one rank.  The official spokesman added that the implementation of the Unified Classification for the Economic Activities aims at creating a general framework for comparing statistical data at the local, regional and international levels, and providing a set of statistical data classified according to the economic activity. In addition, the implementation of the Unified Classification for Economic Activities contributes to the organization and restructuring of all sectors, supports the project of electronic connectivity between different entities, improves the quality of administrative records data of the relevant entities, and provides a comprehensive framework of economic activities to facilitate the handling of descriptive formulas automatically. It should be noted that the original version of the Classification was adopted in 1948. Most countries have applied this Classification as their national classification to become an important tool for comparing statistical data on economic activities at the international level. The first version (ISIC_1) of the International Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities was issued in 1958, the second version (ISIC_2) was issued in 1968 and the third version (ISIC_3) was issued in 1990. Finally, in 2006, the United Nations Economic and Social Council adopted the Fourth Amendment to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC4). The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) uses the Classification in all its economic and social products, and follows up the updates on the classification and recently it has been authorized to enable the government entities to apply it as an approved Classification for Economic Activities in the Kingdom.

GaStat president Dr. Fahad bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi word in the third anniversary of the custodian of the two holly mosques accession to the throne, 3rd of Rabee the second 1439H When the king is present, there will be national prestige and achievements process “King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud” is a distinct sentence in the book of abode. His period of rule will be eternalized forever. This period represents a growth journey that will never stop. Three years of king Salman’s rule, a vision was drawn for the future. However, his policy of toughness gave the country a dignity with more wisdom and farsightedness, while determination helped in increasing the country’s achievements.  In the third anniversary of the custodian of the two holly mosques king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s accession to the throne, the country’s agenda became full of achievements. Since king Salman’s period of rule has started, each day represents a whole year during which a future is drawn through establishing security, accomplishments, development, justice, honor, prestige and wisdom. These features led the country to be the most effective geographical area in the world map. They also gave it a historical metalepsis with many events in a non-stop epoch. In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, praise be to Allah for having such government which governs the country with Quran and Sunnah. Thanks God for belonging to such country that has a dominance in many levels because of its leading role towards security, peace, and stability. The kingdom wise attitudes toward the international and regional issues are still contributing in addressing many political, economic, social, and security affairs.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, each citizen should be proud of being engaged in everything. This engagement story has started earlier since the periods of rule of king Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and his sons (Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahad, and Abdullah) may all of them rest in peace. Presently, the story continues in the period of king Salman’s rule and hopefully will never stop.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, every developmental sector has the right to announce its outstanding developments and achievements which could not be accomplished without the government support and efforts. This support aims at making the development a result of each project, a desire for all efforts, and an integration between all sectors in order to reach a brighter future, as the language of figures and statistics in all sectors is the language of facts and achievements.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, our boarders become unattackable and our security is guaranteed, that is because of the top priority given to citizens’ security by our leadership.  Our courage champions are working hard on our security sacrificing their own lives. In addition, our armies are always there when their brothers and neighbors need them. These all show how the sons of “Salman” are united to keep the country boarders secured and prevent intimidation.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, we are proud of serving the two holly mosques. Under his leadership- may God support him-, all countries of the world are impressed of the services provided by Saudi citizens when receiving and serving the guests of Allah, as all public and private entities are working hard to have the honor of serving pilgrims, Omrah performers, and visitors. A clear evidence for that is the services and projects that were provided in the last three seasons of Hajj.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, we are all witnessing the new steps followed to build a modern country with young spirits. Since king Salman’s period of rule has started, the young spirit has appeared in all executive and administrative entities and sectors. That is to show how the country is young and capable of reform and develop, so that all individuals can live prosperous lives under the umbrella of security and development.   In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, we ( here in the General Authority for Statistics) are renewing the commitment intending to achieve the country’s expectations and objectives while keeping on supporting the development, as what the statistical sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing nowadays is considered a transformation not only locally but also regionally and internationally. We will work hard to make the country in a very high position anywhere and everywhere.  In the third anniversary of the king’s accession to throne, we congratulate the custodian of the two holly mosques king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his crown prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (May God protect them all), with all our prayers to always keep this country secured, safe, and stable, and to protect our country and leaders. May the custodian of the two holly mosques live longer and May Allah reward him well.

Congratulating The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince, On the occasion of announcing the largest expenditure budget in the history of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Fahad Altekhaifi: Growth budget, development and transparency trends, and emphasis on the accuracy of the objectives On his behalf and on behalf of all members of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and all the statistical sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr.Fahad Bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi congratulates The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz AL-Saud and his Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohmmad Bin Salman ALSaud, On the occasion of announcing the budget for the fiscal year 1439/1440 H as the largest expenditure budget in the history of Saudi Arabia. This achievement was a result of the directives of the wise leadership of this country to reduce the budget deficit for the current fiscal year by more than (25%) compared to the previous fiscal year despite the high expenditure. Dr. Altekhaifi stressed that the contents of the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the budget declaration came to confirm the continuation of the development and improvement towards achieving the vision of the Kingdom (2030) to increase the size of the national economy and keep its growth. As well as, the continuation to diversify the economic base and income sources to enhance the ability to adapt to the developments and overcome the challenges and to ensure that the private sector can play a greater role in the development. Moreover, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in the budget declaration, stressed on the need to ensure that the burden on citizens will be minimized, he also stressed on dealing with the potential effects as well as supporting the private sector, identifying the objectives to reduce the budget deficit for next year to be less than (8%) of GDP despite the large and expanding budget and the continuation to reduce the dependence on oil. He also emphasized on the continuation to fight corruption and maintain the public money to pursue a bright future for the country. In addition, Dr. Altekhaifi added that this speech confirms the keenness of the wise leadership to ensure that prosperity will prevail in all regions of the Kingdom and that was confirmed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also that this budget will continue to be disbursed to various development sectors in all regions of the Kingdom at high rates. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques concluded his speech ensuring that he had kept in mind that he would continue to work towards comprehensive and balanced development to all regions of the Kingdom and that there is no difference between these regions. The president of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) stressed that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' directive to all officials to raise the level of performance, develop government services, enhance the efficiency of expenditure and transparency to meet the aspirations and obtain the satisfaction of citizens for the services provided to them is a road map to be used by all government entities and in all areas of development. On the other hand, Dr. Fahad bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi said that all the important changes in the structure and mechanisms of the Saudi budget are considered strong cornerstones for the future on the intermediate and long terms. The budget included anticipations about the economy performance on the intermediate term “five years” which assured how clear and accurate are the objectives that the country works on to achieve a financial balance in 2023.  The announcement of these anticipations will be a fundamental base in managing the economic growth in all developmental fields. It will also enhance the transparency and disclosure values, which are values adopted by Saudi Arabia as strategic values in achieving the financial balance program as they comply with the announced objectives of the 2030 Saudi vision. Moreover, the announcement of the developmental funds and the investment fund collaborations in the capital and investment expenditure which exceeded the budget capital expenditure in the past years, in addition to the continuity and increase of the capital expenditure will have a strong impact on the economic development. Altekhaifi indicated that the 2018 budget statement is a result of the new political and economic policies which rely on strong bases both economically and administratively. It also asserts that we are going through the right path toward the future which started to be obvious through the wise economic management that the economic and development affairs council represents. The economic reforms that started with the announcement of the ambitious vision pushed the country towards a change through implementing a financial and economic policies system to improve the efficiency of the government expenditure, and found new non-oil income sources to create a kind of financial balance as a strategic objective on the intermediate term. This will be reflected on the economy of the country and will improve the citizen’s living standard.  GASTAT president added that the announced investments will affect the development positively, as it will enhance the economic growth, collaborate in improving the main services provided to citizens, and motivate the private sector which gets an unlimited support as it is considered a fundamental partner and a main axis in the development process. Furthermore, the high-yield investments that affect development in general and human resources in particular will contribute in increasing the Saudi citizen living standards.  He also mentioned that the budget with all its components will guarantee achieving an effective contribution to improve the efficiency of the government expenditure on one hand, and the quality, accuracy, and transparency of the financial accounts on the other hand. However, moving from cash basis accounting to accrual basis accounting will collaborate in increasing the financial efficiency which will be reflected on the projects outputs that the citizen get benefited from. GASTAT president concluded with prayers to this country “May God keep this country secured and prosperous”

On Tuesday the 3rd of Rabe’a first 1439H corresponding 21st of November 2017, the general authority for statistics (GaStat) has issued the cost of living index’ monthly report for the month of October. The report has been published on the official website of the authority www.stats.gov.sa ,  as the cost of living index has registered a decline by 0.2% in October 2107 compared to last month (September 2017).  The monthly report which was issued by GaStat clarified that the cost of living index in Saudi Arabia has recorded (137.5) in October 2017 which is a decline by 0.2% compared to September 2017 during which it recorded (137.8).       The report attributed this monthly decline of the indicator to the declines of the six main sections that compose the cost of living index which are: transportation section by (1.0%), House Furnishing, equipment, and maintenance section by (0.4%), food and beverages section by (0.3%), restaurants and hotels section by (0.2%), clothes and shoes section by (0.1%), and the sections of housing, water, electricity, gas, and the other kinds of fuel by (0.1%).       On the other hand, three main sections of the indicator have registered an increase which are: health section by (0.4%), culture and leisure section by (0.3%), and telecommunication section by (0.2%).       However, the sections of tobacco, education, commodity and services have not registered any worth mentioning change.

As the First Country in the Middle East.. with the Aim of Working to Improve the Statistics of Tourism  The General Authority for Statistics (GaStat): The Kingdom is enhancing its statistical position at an international level with the membership of the international expert group The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enhanced its statistical position at an international level after the joining of GaStat and the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage to the membership of the international expert group that is concerned with the Tourism Satellite Account of 2017, to be the first country in the Middle East that has been nominated to accomplish the Tourism Satellite Account according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) standards. UNWTO has also nominated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to execute the capacity building program. This initiative ensures an effective execution for information systems and tourism in all countries in the Middle East. Therefore, the Kingdom will represent these countries in managing the project, it is also considered as a mediator to transfer the knowledge and the experience of the organization to the Middle East countries. Moreover, the international experts group will work on preparing a guide to standardize and enhance the statistics of tourism and strengthen the support for the statistics within the United Nation system.  Additionally, the statistics committee and the Tourism Satellite Account will handle the coordination with international authorities and institutions to lead the statistics, set its standards within the United Nation system and support the member countries to enhance their national regulations for the tourism statistics and Tourism Satellite Account.  The president of GaStat Dr.Fahad Bin Sulaiman ALTekhaifi assured that the authority will work in partnership with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage to maximize the benefit from this membership at all levels. He added that choosing two entities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for membership of the international experts group, which is considered with the Tourism Satellite Account 2017, is an extension of the Kingdom's role in improving all the statistical fields and it shows what the statistical sector finds from the wise leadership (May God support them) for its unlimited support. In addition, it is also a result of  joint efforts and integration between GaStat and the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage in the field of tourism statistics. It is noteworthy to mention that the two authorities (Statistics and Tourism) have signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of information, statistics and the regulations of the governmental decision support. The signing was under the sponsorship of HRH the governor of Riyadh city, prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdulaziz AL-Saud, last March of this year within the events of the tourism investment and travel forum in Riyadh city.

Within the joint committee meetings events on the occasion of completing 55 years in the capital city Seoul  Saudi Arabia and South Korea Signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Statistics    Saudi Arabia and South Korea signed on Friday 7th of Safar 1439 H (27th of October 2017) in Seoul the capital city of South Korea a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the field of statistics. It aims to establish a cooperation between the two countries in the field of statistics by exchanging administrative and technical experiences that are related to the work of official statistical entities. Moreover, the signing ceremony was held within the “Saudi-Korean” joint committee meetings events on the 26 and 27 of this October. These events were held in the capital city of Korea on the occasion of completing 55 years of relationship between The Kingdom and Korea. The memorandum was signed by his excellency the president of GaStat Dr.Fahad Bin Sulaiman AL-Tukhaifi from the Saudi side and by the official commissioner of the Korean statistics Mrs. Hwang Soo Kyeong from the Korean side. A number of the two countries officials have attended the ceremony. In addition, his excellency the president of GaStat Dr.Fahad Bin Sulaiman AL-Tukhaifi expressed in his speech for this occasion his thanks to the Korean side for the warm reception and gracious hospitality that the Saudi delegation had. He also assured on the deep cooperative relationship between the two countries since 55 years ago until now in a noticeable improvement. He said" we are here today and more than half century of relationship between our countries have passed where the relations have improved remarkably in different fields, in which the economic interests have gathered the experts of the two countries on the tables of the commercial cooperation. Additionally, the special political relationships between the two countries have attributed in the advancement towards cooperation fields that are more distinguished. Since the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea have agreed on establishing diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level on 16th of October 1962 until this day, the two countries are keeping a strong cooperative relationship as partners and they represent a special model for the West-East convergence”. Dr.AL-Tukhifi added that signing the statistical memorandum between the two countries came along with the new Saudi Vision 2030 where it opens wider horizons for cooperation. The statistical partnership is a qualitative partnership to transfer successful experiences and effective cooperation in the fields of statistical data and information which is considered the strongest cornerstone towards future. It is noteworthy to mention that the statistical memorandum between Saudi Arabia and south Korea includes points for cooperative work in developing technical mechanisms necessary for collecting and publishing statistics according to international standards, determining the fundamentals of statistical databases in different statistical fields, exchanging experiences concerning the necessary requirements for establishing an information central system that is linked automatically with all public entities [and their activation mechanisms], developing statistical work in governmental entities in addition to developing government statistical plans, policies, and mechanisms, exchanging statistical awareness programs and organizing joint seminars and workshops which discuss cooperation issues.

Department of Statistics (formerly the General Authority for Statistics currently) members of the Committee of Economy and Energy Shura Council presented its strategic plan in the transition to an independent body, it came after a discussion of the Council's annual report to the Department of Statistics in the past general. Put some members of the Saudi Shura Council at their session yesterday, a number of views on the Department of Statistics report in the past year, comes at a time when the Department of Statistics turned into a public body for the census, a decision of the Council of Ministers about five weeks ago. In this regard, an informed source revealed «Middle East» yesterday that the General Administration of Statistics in Saudi Arabia will achieve its objectives through the provision of statistics and data and information and high-quality indicators, as all categories of beneficiaries of government agencies and enterprises and private individuals to various statistical areas (demographic, social, economic and environmental and cultural), so take advantage of them in the planning of development work. He said the same source, that the members of the Committee of Economy and Energy Shura Council, briefed on the strategic plan for the benefit of former public statistics, which will be applied in the transition to an independent body, where this plan is based on two major dimensions, namely: the beneficiary of the government agencies, private facilities, and members of service , in addition to high quality. The source said: «These two dimensions that contained five axes of development is the strategy based on the beneficiaries service, and statistical products and services of surveys and research, and methodology of statistical work and procedures, and the development of technical infrastructure for the development of statistical work, and the culture of the organization and capacity building, and restructuring and governance work». He pointed to the same source, to ensure that all the focus of a lot of projects and initiatives in accordance with the time schedule of expected Ontsem in a qualitative leap for statistical work in Saudi Arabia. , The Commission asked for the economy and energy Shura Council, during yesterday's session, the Department of Statistics to expedite the transition to Algiomkana Statistical System, to complete the basic structure of the Standard Rules Spatial Information National, and requiring all government agencies to provide information and data for the project automated link system information, on the bases technical and schedule required by the project. It also demanded the development of budgets for projects, statistical surveys and the transition to Algiomkana statistical system, in order to provide sufficient flexibility to spend it to be completed in the time required. During the session, Mohammed al-Mutairi student, information about the project to shift Algiomkana Statistical System, and hoped to provide this information to evaluate the project and support the necessary recommendations. He called Dr. Saeed Sheikh Department of Statistics to develop its website, providing information on the raw data, researchers can use the form and interested. While Dr. Mohammed Al Naji said during his speech that the Department of Statistics is still using an older scientific techniques, while Dr. Mansour Alkredes stressed the importance of a survey of the workforce in Saudi Arabia every three months, adding that the workforce have statistics of special importance require monitored on a quarterly Yearly dynamic response to changing realities. He suggested Dr. Abdullah Al-Harbi, establishment of a national data bank and information, and cooperation with the statistics departments at universities to build partnerships and specialized rehabilitation of the cadres of interest, and to cooperate with the Shura Council to find a center for public opinion polls and trends. Saudi Shura Council session saw yesterday, to approve the proposal to add two paragraphs fourth and fifth articles of the health system, introduced from Dr. Mona Al-Mushayt and decided Shura Council approval of some «model contract public construction» prepared in light of those amendments and recycled to the Shura Council for consideration in accordance with amendments introduced by the Government on a number of competitions and the government procurement system and project materials to article 17 of the system board. These developments come after an extraordinary economic steps, which decided the Saudi Council of Ministers about five weeks ago, converting Department of Statistics to the general body of the census, and in this regard, said the engineer will be launched after ninety days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette », pointing out that the decision inception keen Adel Faqih, Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning said that «introduction of the new organization of the General Authority for Statistics wise leadership to support statistical track, and translates what looks to him and rulers of the quest towards the further development of service facilities, especially what has to do with the affairs of statistics, data and information, and that to cope with change and successive development in all economic fields, especially after the establishment of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development. He noted architect jurist as given to the Department of Statistics and Information before converted to body care cream and high-Care of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Crown Prince and Crown Crown, to play its role in the provision of statistical data which contribute to strengthening the country's economy and development in various fields. The Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia, that the issuance of this decision was an extension of a lot of decisions, orders and directives of the High precious to support and enhance many of the sectors of government turning to independent bodies proved right those decisions and effectiveness in view of the data that touched and experienced Staff of those sectors and the beneficiaries of its services. He Engineer Faqih hoped to be in the issuance of this wise decision motivation and incentive to tender wealthy achieve what the new body to aspire in their plans and programs and keep pace with the size of the aspirations of the beneficiaries of their services, adding that «this organization, which consists of 28 articles provision in Article II that arise General body called the General Authority for Statistics and enjoy public legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and organizationally linked with the Minister of Economy and Planning ». And that the new regulation provides for the formation of the Governing Council of the Commission headed by the Minister of Economy and Planning, and the membership of the Chairman of the Authority, and a number of members who represent some of the relevant government agencies and a representative of the Council of Saudi Chambers, and two representatives of specialists work of the Commission. According to Faqih that the purpose of the establishment of the Authority is to organize and activate the statistical work in Saudi Arabia, through the preparation of a comprehensive, accurate and unified national statistical system and follow up on its implementation, and the development of plans and programs necessary to meet the statistical needs, service development plans, scientific research and various activities. The Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi that the new organization stressed that «the General Administration of Statistics» responsible for statistics in Saudi Arabia, is the only official statistical reference for the implementation of statistical work system and technical supervisor and regulator to him, a jurisdiction that conducts surveys, as it is the research and studies and dissemination of the results of the different areas statistical, and it is in relation to the conditions of the community and its activities. Engineer jurist considered that the Council of Ministers to ensure that the decision of the Board of Directors shall review the general statistics of the state system, and suggest what would need to be in, and submit it according to regular procedures

GaStat: Real Estate Index Decreased by (6.3%) compared to the previous year and stabilized compared to Second Quarter On Tuesday Safar 4th, 1439 (October 24th,2017), GaStat issued its quarterly indicator of the real estate price general index in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the third quarter (2017) and published it through its official website www.stats.gov.sa . This indicator is based on available registry data of the Ministry of Justice regarding real estate transactions. This indicator is an essential tool that supports entities which make economic and statistical decisions regarding the real estate price movements and future forecasts during different periods of time. The indicator includes three main sectors consisting of many real estate types: residential sector (piece of land, building, villa, apartment, and house), commercial sector (piece of land, building, shop, gallery and commercial centre), and agricultural sector which only includes agricultural land. The index of real estate prices for the third quarter 2017 recorded a relative stability compared to the previous quarter (second quarter 2017), reaching (84.9) in the third quarter 2017. The report attributed the stability of the real estate price index for the third quarter of 2017 to the varying percentage of change in the main sectors composing the indicator. The commercial sector witnessed a decline by (1.0%), the residential sector witnesses an increase by (0.2%), while the agricultural sector was stable without any relative change. The indicator recorded a decline of (6.3%) compared to the same quarter of the previous year (third quarter 2017). The report attributed this decline to the decline in the main sectors composing the indicator: the residential sector (7.9%), the commercial sector (10.9%) and the agricultural sector (1.0%).

Labor Market Bulletin Includes 67 Statistical indicators GaStat: The Saudi unemployment rate is 12.8% in the 2nd Quarter (2017)  The General authority for Statistics (GaStat) published the Labor Market Bulletin for the second quarter of 2017 on Sunday Muharram 11th,1439H (Corresponding to October 1st,2017) which provides comprehensive data and indicators on the labor market in the Kingdom from April 1st to June 30th, 2017 (Corresponding to Rajab 15th to Shawwal 6th, 1438H) to support decision and policy makers regarding labor force. It also contributes in building a database on the labor market in the Kingdom that can be used to prepare and plan future social and economic development programs. The quarterly bulletin includes 67 statistical indicators which contain data and indicators from the Labor Force Survey estimates and labor market data from the administrative records of the relevant entities (Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Ministry of Civil Service, General Organization for Social Insurance(GOSI), Human Resources Development Fund and National Information Center) applying international standards in this area. The results of the bulletin for the second quarter of 2017 indicated that the total number of employees from the data of administrative records in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached (13,841,158) individuals compared to (13,889,137) for the first quarter of 2017.   According to the results of the bulletin also from the data of administrative records in the government agencies for the second quarter of 2017, the total number of Saudis seeking work reached (1,075,933) individuals, (216,352) of them are males and (859,581) are females. The results also showed that the highest percentage of Saudis seeking employment was among the age group (25-29), which is (34.2%). Also according to the results of the administrative records data, nearly half of the Saudi job seekers hold university degrees reaching (50.5%). The results of the bulletin showed that the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi population (15 years and over) from the Labor Force Survey estimates for the second quarter 2017 reached (12.8%), (7.4%) are males and (33.1%) are females. And the unemployment rate in the Kingdom for the total population (15 years and over) is (6.0%), (3.3%) are males and (22.9%) are females. The results also showed that (11.6%) of the unemployed Saudis had previously worked, and (32.9%) of unemployed Saudis who had previously worked left their jobs due to dismissal from the employer. The survey results also showed that (9.6%) of unemployed Saudis have already been trained. Regarding the economic activity rate of total population (15 years and over) it reached (54.2%), divided between males (78.2%) and females (18.7%). In its bulletin, GaStat also explained that the economic activity rate for total Saudi population (15 years and over) reached (40.3%). The bulletin included a large number of detailed data on workers according to the regulations they are subject to, nationality, sex, age, administrative region and educational level, as well as data for job seekers, average monthly wages, working hours and domestic workers. For more details, you can view the bulletin through Gastat’s official website: www.stats.gov.sa

UN International Comparison Program board of directors holds second meeting Dr. Altekhaifi: KSA's distinctive work at statistics leads to council membership and participation in recurring meetings Saudi Arabia has participated at the second meeting of the board of directors of the International Comparison Program (ICP), which was held at Washington D.C. early this week.  His Excellency, president of the General Authority for Statistics, Dr. Fahad bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi, confirmed that the program’s work and results will help shape policies for global comparison to support statistical products of the participating countries. It will also enable the General Authority for Statistics to access the best global practices for statistics for the purpose of improving and developing the statistical work. Also, it will raise the quality of the data, which will reflect positively on the decisions for development that rely mainly on statistics. On the other hand, his excellency Dr. Altekhaifi pointed out that the board of directors, which has 11 countries including Saudi Arabia, which represents west Asia, has looked into the progress made when implementing the 2017 cycle in the participating areas. The council also specified a list of research topics including, implementing a rolling survey approach and building Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) time series, integrating ICP and Consumer Price Index (CPI) activities, Streamlining the process of establishing product lists and the use of importance indicators, improving the availability and quality of input data for rents, government services, and construction, streamline the use of productivity adjustments for government services, fine tuning global linking procedures, quality assurance of resulting PPPs and measures of reliability and other topics related to statistical work. Dr. Altekhaifi added that the ICP selecting of Saudi Arabia for the membership at the 2017-2019 cycle came as a result of the positive role of the General Authority for Statistics in different statistical programs organized by the UN. It also confirmed the kingdom’s effective role on the global map of statistics. Moreover, it reflects the results of the strategic transformation of the kingdom’s Statistic sector, which the leadership cares for and supports due to its role in aiding the national development decisions.  The ICP, which is under the supervision of the World Bank, is a partnership program for statistics on a global level. It is based on a statistical system that is connected with economic analysis. It uses statistical methods to derive the necessary data to calculate the PPP for about 200 countries and economies worldwide. It will facilitate the use of PPP as currency converters. That will allow for the comparison of the total economic indicators and the economic situations of countries worldwide. It is noteworthy to mention that the ICP board of directors is compiled of executives, chairpersons, and leading experts in 11 statistical devices participating in the program. They are distributed according to the regional areas: Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, Latin America, the Caribbean, West Asia, Commonwealth of Independence States, European Union, non-European Union States, members of the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, representatives of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, UN Statistics Division, and the Inter-Agency Coordination Group.

GaStat Enumerates Pilgrims Every Year Saudi Arabia has been honored to serve nearly 24 million pilgrims in 10 years According to the official statistics of the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat), the total number of pilgrims that Saudi Arabia has been honored to serve during the last ten years has reached 23,935,354 pilgrims. The last Hajj season (1437H) recorded the lowest number of pilgrims during the last ten years as it reached 1,862,909 pilgrims. While the year (1433H) recorded the highest number of pilgrims during the last ten years as it reached 3,161,573 pilgrims. The official spokesman of Gastat, Mr.Taiseer Almofarrej, explained that the task of pilgrims enumeration every years is one of the tasks that Gastat has the honor of. It started since 1390H since Gastat was called (the Central Department of statistics), in order to provide accurate information that helps all state agencies in planning and development of everything related to serving Hajj visitors. This mission continued during all these years to witness developments and enhancements in the enumeration techniques every year to be more accurate and comprehensive. Mr. Almofarrej added that the Hajj statistics program aims at the completion of all future planning programs to ensure providing the necessary services needed by the guest of Makkah, whether social, health, security, food, or transportation services. This is done through using a time series of accurate data about the number of pilgrims, in addition to the estimation of labor forces needed for providing the necessary services for pilgrims during Hajj season every year. The data and number of pilgrims is also used by relevant systems who studies the preparations and main facilities in Makkah city and holy places, and take it into consideration when preparing the necessary plans. In addition, accurate data and information about Hajj statistics is provided to researchers, students, and individuals who are interested in this field. The data is also used in the evaluation of activities and events made by relevant entities who serve pilgrims, in addition to identify the method of arrival of domestic and international pilgrims. The official spokesman stressed that GaStat will be announcing the number of pilgrims periodically starting from the 1st of Dhu al-Hijjah. GaStat will also announce the final and official number of pilgrims on the evening of the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah through the Hajj statistics bulletin. The Bulletin will include detailed results about: number of domestic pilgrims, international pilgrims, pilgrims by gender, pilgrims by nationality, pilgrims by arrival destination, number of cars carrying pilgrims by type, and other detailed data. It is worth mentioning that the number of pilgrims in the last ten years exceeded 3 Million pilgrims in one time, and it exceeded 6 Million pilgrims 6 times. The number was lower than 2 Million in 3 Hajj seasons, and last year was the lowest according to the following table:

In cooperation with the Communication and Information Technology Commission and the General Sport Authority GaStat starts to visit more than 57,000 households next Thursday The General Authority of Statistics (GaStat) will start next Thursday, 19 Shawwal 1438H (13 June 2017), to visit more than 57,000 households in all regions of the Kingdom in coopereation with the Communication and Information Technology Commission and the General Sport Authority to conduct 3 household surveys: the survey of ICT’s access and use for households and individuals, sports survey for households, and the labour force survey for the third quarter. GaStat calls upon all citizens and residents to cooperate with the statisticians working in the field in 13 regions of the Kingdom including their cities and provinces. The work of than 450 field researcher will continue until 25 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1438 H (17 august 2017). GaStat official spokesman, Mr. Taiseer Almofarrej, explained that the household sport survey is one of the requirements of the Saudi Vision 2030 in cooperation with the General Sport Authority. It aims to provide recent indicators about the extent of playing sports for households. Through its results, stakeholders will learn about the reasons for playing sports or not and they will get updated statistics about the relationship of households with sports. It will also provide a comprehensive picture on the size of community participation in sports and physical activity. In addition, it will provide data on the ratio of sports practitioners within the household who practice sports on a regular basis, at least once a week. It also provides data on the percentage of sports practitioners in public facilities, clubs or sports centres, and the number of times a person is engaged in sports during the week, and the reasons why a person may not exercise. Mr. Almofarrej added that this survey coincides with the Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of this year which aims to provide detailed data about national labour force, measure the rates of employment and unemployment, provide data on employed and unemployed individuals, identifying the average monthly wages of the workers, provide data on the average weekly actual working hours by occupation, and economic activity of workers, and data on formal and informal workers. The results will be published in the Labour Market Bulletin, which was recently launched by GaStat. Regarding the survey of ICT’s access and use for individuals and households, GaStat’s official spokesman said that in cooperation with the Communication and Information Technology Commission aims at providing updated data and indicators on the extent of household and individual’s access to information and communication technologies. It includes: the availability of communication and information technology devices, the extent of using mail services by households and household access to ICTs. The survey will also provide individual data including: the extent to which information technologies are used for individuals, age groups, educational and occupational status, difficulties, places of use and reasons for not using ICTs. On the other hand, Mr. Taiseer Almofarrej confirmed that the GaStat has been keen to involve all relevant parties from data producers and users in developing its statistical products from creation to publishing through integrated partnership. A training program was recently held for the supervisors of these surveys, in which the Communications and Information Technology Commission and the General Sport Authority has participated. GaStat has confirmed that all information will be treated as an information basis which is reliable and can be used by development decision-makers in all relevant government entities that will serve the interest of citizens and residents. Gastat also has mentioned that al statistical researchers carry official badges and they are officially authorized to collect data to be kept confidential in accordance with the general statistics system issued by the Council of Ministers. GaStat also made available on its official website www.stats.gov.sa the opportunity for students and interested individuals to view field search forms on which the data will be collected. All households and establishments may inquire through the toll free number 8001240440 about this work or other coming work.