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.