14 May 2024
Economic Survey

Last update 9 / 05 / 2024

Economic Survey

Survey definition

 

It is a survey that targets a sample of establishments practicing different economic activities. It aims to provide the requirements of updating the GDP base year, provide necessary data for the Structural Business Statistics Publication, in addition to enhancing and updating the statistical work record. 

 

Key objectives

 

• Providing the necessary data to update the base year in (GDP).

• Providing the necessary data for the publication of structural business statistics.

• Updating and enhancing the statistical business register.  

• Providing the necessary data to cover spatial gaps.

 
Key concepts
 

 

Workers:

All individuals (Saudis and non-Saudis) who already do paid or unpaid work for the establishment as well as the owners of the establishment or their relatives or workers, whether they are full-timers or part-timers, permanent or temporary workers, male or female workers.

 

Compensation of Employees:

All amounts due periodically by the establishment to its employees during the year including wages and salaries for regular working hours and any fixed allowances given to them, in addition to all kinds of benefits and allowances.

 

Operating revenues:

All cash revenues achieved as a result of practicing the main activity or other secondary activities, such as the sale and marketing of the establishment's products, providing services for consumers, or trading in goods in general. They also include sales of goods purchased to be sold in the same condition.

 
FAQ
 
1. What is the economic survey?
It is a survey targeting a sample of establishments engaged in various economic activities, aimed at providing the requirements to update the base year for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing the necessary data for the structural business statistics publication, and also updating and enhancing the statistical business register.
2. What is the purpose of the economic survey?
To provide statistical indicators for measuring the structure of the business sector with comprehensiveness and accuracy regarding employment and compensation, expenses and revenues, as well as capital formations for all economic activities to assess the private sector's contribution to GDP and the particular contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises to GDP.
3. What are the objectives of the survey?
• Providing the necessary data to update the base year for Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Providing the necessary data for the Structural Business Statistics publication.
• Updating and enhancing the statistical business register.
• Providing the necessary data to address spatial gaps.
• Contributing to providing detailed indicators to support decision-makers and policymakers.
4. What is the time scope of the survey?
It means the start period of data collection for the economic survey, which will start from May 5, 2024 AD to June 8, 2024 AD.
5. 1. What is the role of the establishment in the economic survey?
A major and important role by providing the necessary data for the economic survey in order to produce statistics and indicators that help measure the private sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product and provide indicators related to economic activities, contributing to providing detailed indicators to support decision-makers and policymakers.
6. 1. How long does it take to complete the survey form?
The time taken to complete the questionnaire varies from one establishment to another depending on the size of the establishment, its financial statements, and its readiness. The General Authority for Statistics has worked on dividing the survey form and allocating the questionnaire’s questions according to the size of the establishment (micro - small - medium - large) to facilitate the process of completing the survey form for establishments. It also provides more than one method for completing the survey form for all establishments, such as self-completion via electronic links, the statistical communication center, and assistance through the field researcher and the large accounts at the General Authority for Statistics.
7. Who is responsible for completing the survey form data from the establishment?
The person primarily responsible in the establishment for financial statements and the establishment's data, or those authorized by them, confirms their commitment to maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of establishment data and non-disclosure policies in accordance with the official procedures followed.
8. What are the sections of the economic survey form?
The economic survey form contains eight sections:
1. Average number of employees 2. Employee compensation 3. Operating expenses. 4. Operating revenues and services provided. 5. E-commerce sales. 6. Transfer expenses. 7. Transfer revenues 8. Change in assets and liabilities.
9. Can the data be completed online?
Data governance at the General Authority for Statistics requires maintaining the confidentiality of data. The survey forms are filled out through highly secure electronic links and are sent only to the establishment and its authorized representatives to ensure data confidentiality. Additionally, survey forms can be completed through other methods such as contacting the statistical call center, field researchers, and specialists in large accounts at the Authority.
10. What assistance is available to complete the Economic Survey questionnaire?
The General Authority for Statistics provides the establishment with clarifications attached to the form, such as definitions of terms and concepts, which the respondent can view. The Authority can also be contacted through the Economic Survey e-mail or the Authority’s representatives in the Statistical Contact Center and Field Operations, providing assistance and responding to any inquiries in this regard.
11. Will the data be shared individually with other parties?
Data cannot be shared individually, as the information is kept confidential in the General Authority for Statistics and is used only for statistical purposes only. It is not possible, under any circumstances, to publish any individual data about any establishment, and what is published are aggregate statistical tables at the level of the Kingdom and the regions. Administrative according to economic activities.
12. Are there definitions for financial and administrative terms in the economic survey form?
Yes, definitions for all terms have been prepared and included in the questionnaire with drop caps that respondents can refer to for assistance in completing the form easily.
13. How is the main activity of the establishment determined to complete the questionnaire in case the establishment has more than one activity?
The most profitable activity for the facility is determined.
14. If there are two activities of the establishment that are equivalent in terms of revenue volume, how is the main activity determined to complete the survey form?
In this case, the main activity with the most revenue for the target fiscal year and the previous year is chosen.
15. If the establishment has permanently closed its business activity after April 2024, does completing the survey questionnaire require using the financial statements of the establishment, or is it sufficient to select a permanently closed establishment?
If its financial data is available, the form will be completed for the year 2023.
16. If the establishment permanently closed its business activity in the first quarter of 2023, does completing the survey questionnaire require using the final financial statements of the establishment, or is it sufficient to select a permanently closed establishment?
The form data is completed for all establishments that were operating during the year 2023, even if for a short period of the year.
17. 1. A new start-up establishment that began its activity in the fourth quarter of 2023. Is it necessary to complete the form? What is the correct choice for the state of the establishment in the survey form?
If the establishment was in the process of being established, its status should be indicated as "Under Establishment". However, if it commenced operations, it is considered an active establishment, and all sections of the questionnaire should be completed accordingly.
18. What is meant by the status of the establishment (individual - main center - branch with independent accounts - branch without independent accounts)?
Individual: Means that the establishment does not have branches. Main center: Means that the establishment has at least one branch. Branch with independent accounts: Means that the establishment has independent accounts separate from the main center. Branch without independent accounts: Means that the establishment does not have independent accounts separate from the main center.
19. 1. What is meant by the average number of employees and what is the difference between it and the number of employees?
It includes all individuals (Saudi and non-Saudi), males and females, who work in the establishment including owners, partners, and their employees, whether working on a full-time or part-time basis, permanently or temporarily, receiving wages on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This also includes partners and members of the boards of directors who work in the establishment, as well as employees who are on paid leave. The average number of workers is calculated based on the total number of workers at the end of each month divided by the number of months in the year.
20. How are values recorded in thousands of riyals? For non-accountants?
The value is calculated by dividing it by a thousand. For example, if the revenue of a facility is five million riyals (5,000,000), it is divided by 1,000, so it is recorded in the form (5,000).
21. What is meant by the relative distribution of workers, and does it include branches?
This question pertains to main centers that have financially non-independent branches outside the administrative region of the main center. The relative distribution of workers is assessed by calculating the percentage of workers in each administrative region from the total number of workers.
22. What is meant by the book value at the end of the year for non-financial assets?
Net book value at the end of the year = Net book value at the beginning of the year - annual depreciation + purchases - sales (+\-) the change in the value of assets resulting from revaluation (+\-) other changes.
23. What is the difference between operating revenues and transformational revenues?
Operating revenue includes all cash revenues generated as a result of the entity's primary activity or other secondary activities, such as the sale and marketing of its products, provision of services to consumers, or general merchandise trading. This encompasses sales of goods purchased for resale in their original condition, which are recorded in Section Six. Additionally, it includes daily revenues received from operations. Operating revenue comprises the total sales value of manufactured products plus other operational revenues not directly related to the entity's primary economic activity but to its secondary activities. This includes industrial service revenues, secondary activity revenues, revenues from the sale of production waste, leasing of non-agricultural buildings and land, as well as leasing of machinery and equipment, among others. Any other operating revenues must be specified.
On the other hand, transformational revenue includes all revenues collected or due from investment returns, project profits, and the like, such as stock dividends, contributions, interest earnings, profits from the sale of capital assets, and so forth. These revenues are not derived from the entity's primary or secondary economic activities. Transfer revenue also encompasses government grants, donations from others, compensation received from insurance, and any other transformational revenues, which must be specified.
24. What is the difference between operating expenses and transformational expenditures?
Operating expenses are all that the establishment spends in terms of commodity and service supplies, raw materials, used commodity supplies, subcontractors, spending on research and development, and spending on renting buildings and non-agricultural lands.
  As for transformational expenditures, they are all amounts paid or payable by the facility during the year that are not included within the goods or service requirements but are related to the current activity of the facility. Such as compensation, fines, distributed profits, insurance premiums, zakat, donations, customs duties...etc.
25. What is meant by the terms local products and imported products?
Local products that are produced locally for the purpose of selling them, while imported products are products that were purchased and imported for the purpose of selling them.
26. What is the difference between the name of the establishment in commercial records and the commercial name of the establishment?
The name in the commercial records means the trade name registered in the commercial records, while the trade name means the name of the establishment, which is the nickname recorded on the establishment’s license plate.
27. What do values less than a thousand record?
The accuracy of the values is verified by the data provider for the establishment. If the values are accurate, all values are divided by one thousand. In case of fractions, they are rounded to the nearest whole number. For example, if an establishment's revenue is 700 Riyals, it is divided by 1000, resulting in 0.70, which is a fractional number rounded to the nearest whole number, so it is recorded as 1.
28. What is meant by e-commerce sales? Is it considered total revenue or net profit?
It is the percentage of electronic sales of total operating revenues.
29. When is the estimated rent for the building recorded?
If the building is owned, a rent is estimated for it.
30. Do electronic point of sale (ePOS) devices (networked) considered part of e-commerce sales?
No
31. If the building is owned by the establishment, where is the value of the asset recorded?
It is registered in non-residential buildings.
32. Is the complete loss of an asset (such as fire damage) considered depreciation?
It is considered as other changes, not depreciation.
33. When are the survey results announced?
According to the statistical calendar announced on the website of the General Authority for Statistics, you can access it through the following link: https://www.stats.gov.sa/
34. Do operational expenses include VAT?
Operating expenses do not include value added tax when recorded in the economic survey form.
35. In the construction activities supplement, for the question (H: How many projects have been executed...), is the number or value recorded?
The number of implemented projects is recorded as an integer for the year 2023 AD.
36. In the construction activities supplement, is the value in thousands of riyals?
Yes, all values in the form are in thousand riyals.
37. What is a basic contract?
It is a direct contract from the establishment.
38. What is subcontracting?
It is that the facility seeks the help of some companies with a subcontract to complete these works, and thus the value of the subcontract is agreed upon.
39. What is new construction?
These are new projects that are under construction.
40. What is meant by capital maintenance and give an example?
It is the maintenance of projects that have a long-term, capital-intensive investment with the aim of benefiting from, adding to, or improving capital assets, such as (complete restoration).
41. What is meant by ongoing maintenance and give an example?
It is periodic work required to maintain the project's potential on an ongoing basis, such as (building painting - building cleaning).
42. Give some examples of civil engineering constructions?
Pouring foundations and bases, extending electrical wiring, and installing computer and communication networks.
privacy notice
 
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is a government entity with an independent legal personality. It is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It provides statistical products in social, economic, and environmental fields to support policymakers and decision-makers in advancing the implementation of development plans.
You can contact us by clicking on contact us link in our website, or send an email to: info@stats.gov.sa 
Date of last update:
The last update on the privacy notice was made on (update date). 
What is personal data?
Any data, regardless of its source or form, that may lead to identifying an individual specifically, or that may directly or indirectly make it possible to identify an individual, including name, personal identification number, addresses, contact numbers, bank and credit card numbers, photos, and videos of an individual, and any other data of personal nature.
What personal data is collected?
Various types of personal data and information is collected, which cover all aspects of life in the Kingdom: (demographic, social, economic, environmental, and cultural), including but not limited to:
Full name, age/date of birth, sex, address, contact information (e.g.: email address and phone numbers), ID number, marital status, current job information, previous job information, information about dependents/spouse/household.
How is personal data collected and what is the purpose?
Personal data is collected and obtained "directly or indirectly", using various methods, which include:
 
       
- Direct methods of obtaining personal data:
- Field visit to the household or establishment by GASTAT’s staff or one of its representatives. 
- Phone call by GASTAT’s staff through the unified phone number:920020081.
- Self-completion on GASTAT’s website.
 
 
Indirect methods of obtaining personal data:
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By collecting data, GASTAT aims to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, i.e., any personal data collected, whether it belongs to the individual, or on behalf of another individual, will be used for statistical purposes and the production of official statistics.
 How do we use your personal data?
We use personal data collected directly or indirectly to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, and support policymakers and decision makers in advancing the implementation of development plans. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  
How do we share your personal data?
Your personal information won't be given to any third party for the purpose of direct marketing. We are also dedicated to protecting the confidentiality of all Saudi Arabia’s resident data, and not disclosing it. GASTAT abides by the participation guidelines that the regulators have approved. We also pledge to enforce the laws governing data confidentiality, non-disclosure, and personal data protection vigorously and strictly.
The legal basis for collecting and processing personal data:
According to the policy of personal data protection issued by the National Data Management Office, the legal basis for collecting and processing personal data is: 
- our explicit consent, and you can withdraw your consent at any time except for some exceptions explained above, and to do so you can contact the Data Governance Department.
- Legal Obligation: The regulations and bylaws in force - including Royal and High Orders - are a legal basis on which GASTAT can rely if the collection and processing of personal data is necessary to comply with these statutory requirements.
- Public Interest: Statistics collected from personal data aim to support policymakers, and decision makers to advance the implementation of Saudi Arabia's development plans.
How do we store your personal data?
Your personal data is stored securely in the technical assets of GASTAT in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Your personal data is kept for a specified period, after which we dispose of this data securely so that it cannot be accessed or restored again, based on GASTAT’s data preservation and destruction policy.
Rights of personal data owner:
Under the personal data policy, you have the following rights, which depend primarily on the purpose of collecting and processing personal data:
- Right to access personal data: you have the right to request a copy of your personal data, such data will be provided to you within seven working days via email DPO@stats.gov.sa. 
- Right to dispose personal data: you have the right to request the disposal of your personal data in certain circumstances that do not contradict with the legal basis based on which data was collected.
- Right to restrict data processing: you can restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances and for specific period of time.
- Right to object to processing: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data that is not inconsistent with the legal basis.
- Right to transfer your personal data: you have the right to ask us to transfer your personal data - collected directly from you - to another party, or to deliver it to you for a fee. This right cannot be exercised if your consent is the legal basis for processing.
Except as otherwise specified, you are not required to pay any fees for exercising these rights, and in the event that a request is made to exercise one of these rights, you will be responded to within (7 days) from the request date.
Furthermore, it should be stressed here that some of these rights (the right to data disposal, the right to data transfer, and the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights but rather depend on the primary purpose and the legal basis mentioned earlier. Other than that, they are regarded as absolute rights.
For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Data Protection Officer at GASTAT using the contact information provided below:
Except as stipulated, you are not required to pay any fee for the exercise of these rights, and if an application is made to exercise one of these rights you will be answered within (7 days) of the date of application.
It must also be emphasized here that some of these rights (the right to destroy data, the right to transmit data, the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights, but rather depend on the main purpose and statutory basis referred to earlier, and otherwise are absolute rights.
For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Authority's Personal Data Protection Officer according to the contact data below:
How to submit a complaint?
If you have any complaints or issues regarding our adherence to the National Data Management Office's policy regarding the protection of personal data, you can contact the Data Governance Department via email at info@stats.gov.sa. 
You can email the GASTAT’s Data Governance Department at DPO@stats.gov.sa  to file a complaint if you are dissatisfied with how we handled your complaint or if we did not reply to you within three working days.
If GASTAT’s Data Governance Department does not resolve your complaint within 7 days, you may also file a complaint with the National Data Management Office about how we use your personal data.
 
Address of National Data Management Office:
 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
Website: Complaints (sdaia.gov.sa) 
 
Start and end dates of data 

 

Start of data collection 05/05/2024 
End of data collection 08/06/2024

 

 

Data collection methods

 

Telephone, self-completion, and field. 

 

 

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