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As part of efforts to enhance joint cooperation in the statistical field and exchange expertise and statistical knowledge between the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the Department of Statistics, Dr. Fatimah Al Waef, Director General of Social Statistics, welcomed Dr. Ali Al-Shibl, Deputy Executive Director of the General Population and Housing Census, Director of Operations and Head of the Jordanian Statistical Delegation, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh.

The visit aimed to gain insights into GASTAT’s experience with the (Saudi Census 2022) and discuss ways to strengthen opportunities for cooperation in statistical fields, along with other topics of mutual interest.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Al-Waif warmly welcomed the Jordanian delegation, commending the fraternal relations between the two countries. She emphasized that this meeting falls within the framework of enhancing these relations and exchanging expertise in the field of statistical work. Dr. Al-Waif highlighted GASTAT's efforts in Saudi Arabia's statistical transformation, including updating methodologies for various statistical products, developing methods for calculating statistical indicators, and creating an accurate statistical database to support policymaking and decision-makers in developing developmental plans for various sectors, aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

On his part, Dr. Ali Al-Shibl, head of the Jordanian delegation, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to GASTAT for hosting this visit and the efforts made. He also commended the warm reception and hospitality, emphasizing the delegation’s eagerness to benefit from Saudi Arabia's pioneering experience in the population census. Dr. Al-Shibl praised the progress and rapid development in the statistical field in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing statistical transformation and expressed his desire, along with the accompanying delegation, to develop joint statistical cooperation and strengthen ties to further benefit from Saudi Arabia's experience in enhancing statistical work.

The meeting was attended by statistical experts from both sides. The three-day visit took place from November 10–12, 2024, during which the phases of the Saudi Census 2022 project were reviewed. The discussions included the statistical standards and methodologies applied, the mechanisms and procedures of self-enumeration used, as well as various aspects of statistical work, including data collection, analysis, processing, storing , and publication methods.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Jordanian side expressed a strong desire to enhance the partnership between the two sides in all aspects of statistical work, aiming to exchange expertise and statistical knowledge between the two countries. The Saudi side reiterated its full commitment to providing necessary support to the Kingdom of Jordan in the field of census and other diverse areas of statistical work.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued today the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and National Accounts indicators for Q3 of 2024. According to GASTAT's estimates, the real GDP achieved a growth rate of 2.8% during Q3 of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year, supported by a 4.3% growth in non-oil activities compared to the same period of the previous year.

Oil activities also recorded a slight growth of 0.05% during Q3 of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year, while government activities achieved a positive growth of 3.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Based on the results of the publication, the seasonally adjusted real GDP rose by 0.9% in Q3 of 2024 by 0.9% compared to Q2 of 2024.

The General Authority for Statistics released the results of the Industrial Production Index for the month of October 2024. According to the publication, the Industrial Production Index increased by 5% compared to the same month of the previous year (October 2023), supported by growth in all subeconomic activities that make up the index, including mining and quarrying, manufacturing industry, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, water supply, sanitation, and waste management, and treatment activities.
The results showed a 0.4% increase in the subindex of mining and quarrying activity on an annual basis, a 12.4% increase in the subindex of manufacturing industry activity, and increases of 6.2% and 8.4% in the subindexes of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activities; water supply, sanitation, and waste management; and treatment activities, respectively.

The results also indicated a 5.4% increase in the subindex of oil activities and a 4% increase in non-oil activities compared to the same month of the previous year.

It is worth noting that the General Authority for Statistics issues the Industrial Production Index monthly, which is an economic indicator reflecting relative changes in the volume of industrial production based on industrial production survey data conducted on a sample of industrial establishments operating in the targeted industrial activities.

 

Dr. Fahad Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, met with Mr. Erhan Çetinkaya, President of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), in Turkish capital, Ankara. This meeting took place on the sidelines of the 13th Session of the OIC Statistical Commission (SESRIC). During the meeting, they discussed the progress being made in statistical work in both countries and highlighted the key statistical products that are being developed and issued.

In this context, Dr. Fahad Aldossari welcomed the constructive cooperation between the two sides to exchange experiences, transfer knowledge, and enhance joint efforts. Several officials from both sides attended the meeting.

This meeting is part of a series of international meetings and visits with the goal of fostering cooperative relationships to exchange experiences, share best practices, and inform counterpart organizations about the advancements in the statistical sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Fahad Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, met with Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Director General of (SESRIC) during his visit to the Republic of Turkey. The meeting focused on ways to enhance joint work in the field of statistics and to promote the exchange of expertise between the two parties.

It is noteworthy that this meeting took place on the sidelines of the13th Session of the OIC Statistical Commission (SESRIC), hosted in the Turkish capital, Ankara, with the participation of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Several officials from both sides attended the meeting.

His Excellency Dr. Fahad Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), held a virtual meeting with Ms. Haishan Fu, Chief Statistician of the World Bank, aimed at enhancing partnership and cooperation between the two sides. During the meeting, they reviewed GASTAT's directions towards developing statistical products and discussed international statistical reports issued by the World Bank, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation in various statistical fields. Dr. Fahad Aldossari expressed his gratitude to Ms. Haishan Fu for her commendation of the remarkable progress in statistical work at the national level. He added that exchanging data and statistical indicators with international organizations is one of the strategic pathways within GASTAT's responsibilities, including providing international organizations with statistical data and indicators related to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is worth noting that the World Bank possesses a lot of global development knowledge and expertise and provides many technical assistance programs to most countries of the world in areas in which the Bank has extensive global technical expertise.

Dr. Fahad Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), headed the delegation from GASTAT participating in the 11th Meeting of the Standing Committee for Statistical Work Affairs held in Muscat, Oman. The meeting aimed to enhance Gulf joint statistical work, support sustainable development plans, and exchange statistical expertise among member states.  The Committee reviewed the implementation of its previous decisions and examined performance reports from the past period. It discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to elevate statistical work, keep pace with global developments, and continuously improve mechanisms for exchanging statistical data. The committee also focused on collaboration in sharing expertise and information, supporting programs to raise statistical awareness, and addressing common challenges. GASTAT’s President highlighted the importance of relations among the GCC countries in pushing wider horizons for effective cooperation in the field of information and statistical data. He expressed his appreciation to the committee members for their efforts in consolidating the concepts of statistical work and its role in supporting development plans and national visions for the council's countries. He praised the support that statistical offices receive from the leaders of GCC countries. The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (“GCC-Stat”) was established to enhance statistical and informational work for national statistical centers and planning agencies, serving as the official source of data, information, and statistics in the member states. The establishment of GCC Stat was approved by the GCC Ministerial Council in September 2011. The Charter was officially endorsed in December 2012 by the GCC Supreme Council (comprised of heads of member states).

 

The High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB) announced today, Thursday, September 5, 2024 that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics, won the bid to host the United Nations World Data Forum in Riyadh. The decision was made after securing the majority of votes following a review of the proposals from countries competing to host the forum, showcasing their capabilities to host this global event. The announcement of the Kingdom’s win came following a meeting of the HLG-PCCB group responsible for assigning the hosting rights to the candidate countries, during which Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, presented the Kingdom’s bid. His presentation included an overview of GASTAT’s journey in statistical work, the transformations it has witnessed, the Kingdom's pioneering experience in hosting international events, and its ability to provide all forms of logistical support to achieve the objectives of these events. The proposal also included a suggested main topic for the forum titled “Using the Latest Technologies and Methodologies to Enhance Global Statistical Systems and Enable Sustainable Development”. In this context, Dr. Fahad Aldossari said, “Hosting this leading event by the Kingdom reflects its prominent status among nations, affirming the commitment of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud — may Allah protect them — to support the statistical sector, recognizing the pivotal role statistical data plays in supporting the implementation of comprehensive and sustainable development plans across all fields”. He added, “Winning the bid to host the United Nations World Data Forum 2026 crowns the prominent efforts in the statistical field. It also reflects the significant expansions in statistical work witnessed over recent years, driven by initiatives and projects led by the General Authority for Statistics, aiming to produce accurate and updated statistical data and indicators, through the continuous development of integrating various data sources using the best data management and governance infrastructures”.  It is noteworthy that the international data forum targets the 193 member states of the United Nations. The Kingdom’s win to host the sixth edition of the forum's activities emphasizes its pivotal role in supporting the directions aimed at providing high-quality statistical data and indicators. The forum also involves the participation of international organizations, statistical offices of the UN member states, as well as data scientists and those interested in statistics.

A delegation from the General Authority for Statistics, led by Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari , GASTAT President, met with several government officials and private sector representatives in Estonia as part of their visit to the Republic of Estonia. During the meetings, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the statistical field, reviewed the latest developments in statistical practices, and strengthened the exchange of expertise. It is worth noting that this visit is part of a series of reciprocal visits with statistical agencies aimed at fostering cooperation, sharing experiences, and localizing practices that add value to GASTAT’s initiatives. The delegation also aimed to demonstrate the progress in statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is supported by the generous leadership, reflecting its commitment to providing data and statistical indicators that aid in development planning and inform both the local and international community about the advancements occurring in the Kingdom across all sectors.