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Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, officially received the hosting rights for the 6th UN World Data Forum 2026 on behalf of Saudi Arabia. This announcement came at the conclusion of the 5th edition of the forum, held in Medellín, Colombia, from November 12 to 15, 2024. The forum gathered representatives from 193 UN member states. The High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building in Statistics welcomed Saudi Arabia’s selection as the host for the next forum in Riyadh, following its success in securing the majority vote within the group. The Kingdom’s outstanding bid and capabilities were commended by the group. This achievement highlights Saudi Arabia’s leadership in statistical work and the significant advancements in its statistical system. It also reflects the impact of the Kingdom’s data in demonstrating its role in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On this occasion, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, extended his congratulations, on behalf of himself and GASTAT employees, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prime Minister. He expressed gratitude for the support and empowerment GASTAT has received in recent years, which has significantly strengthened its local and international presence, enabling it to excel in statistical work and compete on the global stage. Aldossari noted that Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in Riyadh in 2026 reflects the Kingdom’s significant advancements across various sectors, including its statistical system. He emphasized that the event presents a valuable opportunity to share technical expertise in statistics and establish strategic partnerships with national statistical offices worldwide.
In his speech, Aldossari expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Colombia, the United Nations, and the National Department of Statistics (DANE) for hosting and organizing this global event. He also extended his appreciation to all representatives of national statistical offices, the program team, and members of the HLG-PCCB for their dedication and hard work in preparing the program. He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's commitment, through the General Authority for Statistics, to enhancing the quality and transparency of statistical data across various fields. He highlighted the Kingdom’s exemplary leadership and outstanding performance in the region, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing statistical excellence.

The UN World Data Forum is a major international event attended by over 20,000 participants, including representatives from governments, national statistical offices, international and regional organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The forum serves as a platform to discuss challenges facing the global data and statistics system and to foster collaboration among policymakers and experts from around the world. It reflects the growing level of cooperation across diverse data systems and underscores the critical importance of data and statistics.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics, will host the 6th UN World Data Forum in 2026 in Riyadh. The High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building in Statistics for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (HLG-PCCB) announced Saudi Arabia’s selection by majority vote, following a review of competing countries’ bids and an assessment of their hosting capabilities. This decision reflects the Kingdom’s prominent global standing and its pivotal role in advancing efforts to provide high-quality data and statistical indicators. It also highlights the exceptional contributions of the General Authority for Statistics to the field of statistical work, reaffirming the Kingdom’s leadership in the global statistical community.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued the Hajj Statistics Publication for the year 1446 H / 2025. According to the publication’s results, the number of workers serving pilgrims during the 1446H/2025 Hajj season from both the public and private sectors, including security sectors, reached 420,070 workers, serving a total of 1,673,230 male and female pilgrims. Of these workers, 92% were male, while 8% were female.
Meanwhile, the number of male and female volunteers within the holy sites reached 34,540, who contributed a total of 2,134,398 volunteer hours during the 1446 H / 2025 Hajj season.
The publication also revealed that 314,337 male and female pilgrims benefited from the "Makkah Route Initiative" this year, representing 20.9% of all external pilgrims. These pilgrims arrived from eight countries. The initiative, which began during the 2017 Hajj season, aims to facilitate travel procedures for pilgrims arriving to perform the Hajj rituals.
It is worth noting that on 9 Dhul-Hijjah 1446 H (June 5, 2025), the General Authority for Statistics announced that the total number of pilgrims reached 1,673,230, including 1,506,576 external pilgrims who arrived through various entry points, and 166,654 internal pilgrims comprising both citizens and residents.
GASTAT’s statistical results for this year's Hajj also indicated that the number of male pilgrims was 877,841, while the number of female pilgrims was 795,389 out of the total number of internal and external pilgrims
It should be noted that the General Authority for Statistics relied in issuing the Hajj Statistics Publication on administrative records provided by the Ministry of Interior, which included the number of pilgrims, their detailed characteristics, and the services provided within the temporal and spatial boundaries of the pilgrimage. These data were collected, analyzed, and classified according to the statistical procedures followed over the past five years.
 

The United Nations has announced the election of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics, as a member of the High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB).
This announcement affirms the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to develop an advanced statistical system based on innovation, quality, and openness, and reflects its commitment to continuing its role in promoting transparency and providing accurate statistics to support development policies in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The group is one of the high-level committees operating under the umbrella of the United Nations and plays a pivotal role in leading and coordinating global efforts related to the follow-up and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It does so through strengthening national statistical capacities, enhancing international partnerships, overseeing preparations for the United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF), developing global statistical data strategies, and making recommendations to boost financial investments in statistical infrastructure, stimulate innovation, and ensure the sustainability of statistical systems to consistently produce accurate data in the long term.
Saudi Arabia’s membership will contribute to supporting international cooperation, enhancing the exchange of expertise with member countries, and activating new partnerships with international organizations and national statistical offices around the world. It will also further the Kingdom’s efforts to build an advanced statistical ecosystem rooted in innovation, quality, and openness, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and to providing accurate statistics that support development policies aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
It is worth noting that the 39th meeting of the group was held earlier today, with the participation of Dr. Fahad Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics. During the meeting, he welcomed the Kingdom’s upcoming hosting of the High-Level Group’s meeting, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia this November. He also presented the Kingdom’s preparations for hosting the United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) in Riyadh, November 2026 and discussed several other topics related to international conferences on sustainable development.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has released today International Merchandise Trade Statistics publication for April 2025. According to the publication’s findings, the total merchandise exports amounted to SAR 90.3 billion, marking a decline of 10.9% compared to April 2024. Meanwhile, non-oil exports (including re-exports) increased by 24.6%, reaching SAR 28.4 billion compared to April 2024.
Imports also rose in April 2025, reaching SAR 76.1 billion, an increase of 18.3%. As a result, the trade balance surplus decreased to SAR 14.2 billion, reflecting a drop of 61.7% compared to April 2024.
The publication’s results showed an increase in the ratio of non-oil exports (including re-exports) to imports, which stood at 37.2% in April 2025 compared to 35.4% in April 2024. On the other hand, the share of oil exports in total exports declined from 77.5% in April 2024 to 68.6% in April 2025.
According to the publication, chemical industry products were among the top non-oil export commodities, amounting to SAR 6.0 billion and accounting for 26.4% of total non-oil exports. As for imports, the leading commodity group was machinery, electrical equipment, and parts thereof, which recorded SAR 21.1 billion and made up 26.0% of total imports.
The publication also indicated that the People’s Republic of China remained the Kingdom’s top trading partner. Exports to China totaled SAR 11.4 billion, representing 12.6% of total exports in April 2025, while imports from China reached SAR19.0 billion, accounting for 25.0% of total imports.
It is worth noting that international trade statistics rely on administrative records from Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (for non-oil trade) and the Ministry of Energy (for oil trade). The Kingdom’s imports and exports are classified according to the 2022 Harmonized System (HS) for the Description and Coding of Goods.