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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), is chairing the 44th meeting of the Permanent Technical Committee for Statistics of the Economic and Social Council of the League of Arab States, hosted in Jeddah on Monday, September 28, 2026, with the participation of heads and representatives of statistical offices of the member states, as well as relevant Arab and regional organizations.
The meeting, chaired by Fahad Aldossari, President of GASTAT, discussed several priority areas for Arab statistical work, including developing and updating official statistics, Sustainable Development Goal indicators, and exchanging statistical experiences and expertise among Arab countries. It also explored ways to strengthen coordination and cooperation among relevant statistical authorities, offices, and organizations.
Furthermore, this meeting comes in light of rapid developments in data sources, methodologies, and technologies used to produce statistics, requiring greater integration among statistical offices and the development of capabilities to support the quality of statistics across Arab countries.
The meeting also comes as part of GASTAT’s preparations to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in Riyadh in November 2026, as GASTAT works to strengthen its organizational readiness and enrich the Forum’s themes by addressing the latest developments in statistical work through panel discussions, workshops, conferences, and international meetings.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) hosted in Jeddah the 51st meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS), with the participation of heads and representatives of Arab statistical offices, as well as relevant Arab and regional organizations.
The meeting discussed a number of topics related to developing statistical capacities across Arab countries and strengthening the role of training and research in keeping pace with the rapid transformations taking place in the field of statistics. These include technological advancements and the adoption of modern tools to enhance the quality of official statistics and strengthen their ability to support development and economic plans and policies across the Arab world.

GASTAT’s hosting of the meeting comes as part of its efforts to strengthen Arab statistical cooperation and in recognition of the important role played by AITRS in supporting knowledge and expertise within statistical authorities. These efforts contribute to developing professional competencies and enhancing the readiness of statistical systems to meet the growing demand for reliable data and statistics.
The meeting is being hosted as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 6th  UN World Data Forum in Riyadh in November 2026. The forum will bring together the global data community to discuss the future of data and statistics and to advance partnerships and international cooperation in this field.
 

أطلقت الهيئة العامة للإحصاء منتجًا إحصائيًا شهريًا جديدًا بعنوان (إحصاءات التجارة الدولية في السلع غير البترولية)، يوفر بيانات ومؤشرات تفصيلية، تشمل الصادرات وإعادة التصدير والواردات وفق التصنيفات الإحصائية المعتمدة. 
ويهدف المنتج إلى رفع حداثة بيانات التجارة الدولية غير البترولية، بما يدعم متابعة تطوراتها وتحليلها والاستفادة من مؤشراتها في الوقت المناسب، ويوفر للمستخدمين بيانات شهرية حديثة عن الشهر المرجعي السابق حول حركة التجارة غير البترولية للمملكة. 
ويأتي إطلاق المنتج ضمن جهود الهيئة في تطوير منتجاتها الإحصائية وتعزيز إتاحة البيانات وفق دوريات زمنية تلبي احتياجات المستخدمين، وتتيح إمكانية إجراء الدراسات والمقارنات ذات الأغراض البحثية والإحصائية.
ويمكن الاطلاع على منتج «إحصاءات التجارة الدولية في السلع غير البترولية» عبر الموقع الرسمي للهيئة العامة للإحصاء.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) organizes, on Thursday, September 24, 2026, a quarterly virtual workshop titled “Statistical Practices: Transformation in Health Statistics – Women and Child Health Survey” as part of the Road to Riyadh events. The workshop is part of a series of quarterly workshops showcasing GASTAT’s experiences and practices in various areas of statistical work and contributing to knowledge exchange within the statistical community.
The workshop aims to review GASTAT’s experience in developing the Women and Child Health Survey as a national statistical product, highlight the statistical and community practices that support the quality of its data, and underscore its role in supporting decision-making, the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, the workshop will cover several topics related to the transformation in social and health statistics, the experience of the Women and Child Health Survey, community and statistical success factors, as well as the key findings of the survey.
The workshop will be held virtually with local and international participation, enabling participants to share knowledge and expertise in the field of health and social statistics.
It is noteworthy that the workshop is part of GASTAT’s preparations to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in November 2026. Through the workshop, GASTAT aims to showcase Saudi Arabia’s efforts to advance statistical work and enhance the quality of statistics in support of public policies and decision-making.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the Maritime Transport Statistics publication 2025, which indicated that the total volume of inbound and outbound cargo at Saudi Arabia’s ports exceeded 341 million tons. The volume of outbound cargo reached 227.2 million tons, increasing by 2.1% compared to 2024, while the volume of inbound cargo totaled 114.3 million tons, an increase of 5.0% compared to the previous year.
The publication indicated that King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu ranked first in terms of exports, representing 50.7% of the total, with 115.2 million tons. Meanwhile, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam ranked first among ports receiving imported goods, with a total of 39.2 million tons.
Data also showed that the total volume of cargo handled at Saudi Arabia’s ports exceeded 298 million tons in 2025. King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu ranked first in terms of cargo handling, accounting for 33.0%, while Jeddah Islamic Port ranked first in terms of handling twenty-foot equivalent units, accounting for 47.3%.
Regarding ship traffic, the total number of ships arriving at Saudi Arabia’s ports reached 7,848 in 2025. Jeddah Islamic Port accounted for the largest share, with 2,677 ships, followed by Jubail Commercial Port with 1,256 ships and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with 1,030 ships.
The publication also showed that the number of passengers arriving at and departing from Saudi Arabia’s ports reached approximately 1.1 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 20.1% compared to 2024. Jazan Port recorded the highest passenger traffic, with more than 489.6 thousand passengers, followed by Jeddah Islamic Port with approximately 413.8 thousand passengers and NEOM Port with more than 187 thousand passengers. Meanwhile, the total number of cruise passengers reached 174.5 thousand during the year.

It is worth noting that the Maritime Transport Statistics publication is based on administrative records obtained from the Saudi Ports Authority, the Economic Cities and Special Economic Zones Authority, NEOM Company, and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, with the aim of providing a reliable database to support studies and research in the maritime transport sector.
 

The UN Statistics Division commends the methodology developed by GASTAT for designing and managing statistical surveys and adopted the Request Assessment and Decision (RAD) survey designing tool as an applied model for professional best practices that enhance the quality of statistical survey design and implementation efficiency. Featured in the United Nations Handbook on Household Surveys, this recognition highlights Saudi Arabia's significant progress in the field of statistics.
The inclusion of the RAD tool in the UN Handbook reflects international recognition of GASTAT’s methodology for planning, designing, and managing surveys. The Handbook describes the applied methodology as an organized and rigorous process that ensures statistical surveys are conducted in accordance with high standards of quality, accuracy, and relevance. This maximizes the added value of data and increases the efficiency of its use in supporting public policies and achieving SDGs, while showcasing Saudi Arabia's investment in advancing statistical tools under the Saudi Vision 2030.
It is worth noting that the development of the RAD tool comes as part of GASTAT’s ongoing efforts to develop national statistical tools and methodologies and its endeavor to strengthen institutional capacities and transform its experiences in conducting surveys into applicable and sustainable practices and tools, thereby enhancing the quality of statistical work.
 

The annual inflation rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Saudi Arabia reached 1.8% in August 2026, compared to the corresponding month of 2025. This was mainly driven by increases in the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels by 3.9%, food and beverages by 1.4%, and transport by 2.0%. On a monthly basis, the CPI increased by 0.1% compared to July 2026.
In the same context, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) increased by 4.6% in August 2026 compared to the corresponding month of 2025, while decreasing by 0.2% on a monthly basis compared to July 2026.
It is noteworthy that the CPI reflects changes in the prices paid by consumers for a fixed basket of goods and services, while the WPI reflects price movements of goods at the pre-retail stage for a fixed basket of goods.
 

The President of GASTAT, Fahad Aldossari, participated in the 17th Session of the Statistical Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), held from 8 to 10 September 2026 in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman, with the participation of heads of national statistical offices from Arab countries and representatives of Arab organizations.
The session focused on a range of topics aimed at advancing statistical work across the Arab region, including modernizing national statistical systems, strengthening data governance, leveraging emerging technologies and non-traditional data sources, and enhancing price statistics in the digital age. Discussions also highlighted the importance of data and innovative analytics in informing policymaking, improving disaster-related statistics, and strengthening coordination efforts to build the statistical capacity of national statistical offices.
During his participation, the President of GASTAT highlighted Saudi Arabia’s experience in advancing statistical practices through the adoption of modern data sources and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, geospatial data, and satellite imagery. He also showcased GASTAT’s efforts in fostering statistical innovation and developing capabilities, contributing to more comprehensive and high-quality indicators, greater efficiency in statistical production processes, and improved access to data for users and policymakers.
He also took part in a panel discussion on coordinating statistical capacity-building efforts for national statistical offices, sharing Saudi Arabia’s experience in strengthening collaboration and facilitating knowledge exchange at both national and international levels. He highlighted the Kingdom’s role in hosting key statistical events and forums, including the UN World Data Forum 2026, which will be held in Riyadh in November, alongside various initiatives and programs focused on building statistical capabilities and promoting knowledge transfer.
GASTAT’s participation in the session underscores its commitment to advancing regional and international statistical collaboration, facilitating the exchange of expertise and best practices with national statistical offices and relevant organizations, and contributing to discussions on the future direction of official statistics. These efforts support the development of modern, sustainable national statistical systems across the Arab region. 
The ESCWA Statistical Committee serves as a regional platform that brings together national statistical offices from ESCWA member states to discuss statistical priorities, foster cooperation and knowledge exchange, and follow up on the implementation of joint statistical recommendations and initiatives at the regional level.