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GASTAT hosted the 13th meeting of the GCC Permanent Committee for Statistical Work at its headquarters in Riyadh. The meeting was attended by President of GASTAT, Fahad Aldossari; Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center in the UAE, Hanan Ahli ; CEO of the Information and eGovernment Authority in Bahrain, Mohammed Al-Qaed; CEO of the National Center for Statistics and Information in Oman, Dr. Khalifa Al-Barwani; Director of the National Center for Statistics in Qatar, Ahmed Al-Obaidly;  Director General of the Central Statistical Bureau in Kuwait, Wafaa Al-Yahya and Director General of GCC Statistical Centre, Intisar Al-Wahaibi.

During the opening discussion, the President of GASTAT expressed Saudi Arabia’s appreciation for the role played by the GCC-STAT in coordinating efforts and strengthening Gulf integration in the statistical field. He emphasized the importance of unifying statistical efforts across GCC and developing joint work mechanisms to keep pace with international developments. He also affirmed GASTAT’s commitment to continuing its collaboration with GCC statistical offices to achieve an integrated statistical system aligned with the development visions and programs of the GCC countries. He noted that statistical integration among GCC member states is a fundamental pillar for advancing economic and social development and enhancing the region’s presence in international reports and indices.
The meeting discussed most notable statistical developments and reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation and integration in various statistical domains in support of decision-makers and the requirements of sustainable development. The meeting also addressed the progress of implementing joint GCC statistical initiatives and projects and discussed the strategic plan for joint GCC statistical work for the period 2026–2030.
The meeting concluded with the issuance of several recommendations aimed at strengthening the exchange of expertise and best practices and advancing the statistical infrastructure across the GCC. The recommendations also called for expanding joint programs to build national capacities in the statistical field.
These regular meetings form a key element of the GCC countries’ ongoing efforts to strengthen the framework of joint statistical work and improve its tools to support development strategies and elevate the region’s standing in the global statistical domain, keeping pace with rapidly evolving global changes.
 

Represented by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia will host the 13th meeting of the Permanent Committee for Statistical Work on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh. It will bring together heads and directors of GCC statistical offices, GCC-STAT, as well as several experts and specialists in the statistics field.
This meeting is part of the ongoing GCC’s efforts to strengthen statistical cooperation and develop national systems in line with international standards. It serves as a key platform for discussing ways to harmonize statistical policies and exchange expertise among national offices, contributing to informed decision-making and the formulation of development policies.
Alongside the meeting, a panel discussion titled “International Statistical Standards and the Role of GCC Statistical Offices in Development and Implementation” will take place as part of “Road to Riyadh” organized by GASTAT in preparation for hosting the 6th UNWDF from November 9-12, 2026. They aim to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange among data and statistical transformation specialists at both regional and international levels, while showcasing the latest global practices and trends in this vital sector. These events also serve as a platform to highlight the Kingdom’s leadership in statistical work and its significant advancements in the field, in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released today the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) results for Q3 of 2025. Real GDP grew by 4.8% compared with the same period in 2024. This increase is attributed to growth across all major economic activities, with oil activities rising by 8.3%, non-oil activities by 4.3%, and government activities by 1.4% year-on-year, according to the results. 
They also showed that seasonally adjusted real GDP grew by 1.4% compared with Q2 of 2025. Oil activities recorded a 3.3% increase, non-oil activities grew by 0.6%, and government activities expanded by 1.1% quarter-on-quarter.
It is worth noting that most economic activities achieved positive annual growth rates. Petroleum refining activities recorded the highest growth during Q3 2025, reaching 11.9% year-on-year and 3.9% quarter-on-quarter.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the results of the Non-profit Sector Organizations Statistics for 2024, which show that the total revenues of the sector reached SAR 73.1 billion, an increase of 22% compared to 2023. Expenditures rose to SAR 60.8 billion, reflecting a growth rate of 17%, while employees’ compensation amounted to SAR 28.9 billion, up 13% from 2023.
Results indicated that education and research activities contributed 29% of total revenues, followed by health at 24% and culture and entertainment at 19%, making these the largest contributors to the sector’s revenues. Data also showed that culture and entertainment activities accounted for 42% of total employees, followed by social services at 20%, while development and housing activities recorded 9%.
Regarding fixed capital formation, the value of asset purchases reached SAR 4.37 billion, with the health sector contributing the highest share at SAR 1.4 billion.
These statistics provide a comprehensive economic database for the non-profit sector. They are collected according to precise methodologies and high-quality standards to ensure the reliability of indicators and to support decision-makers and developmental policies.