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General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has been awarded the excellence award for website performance and digital content efficiency, ranking among the top 10 government entities out of a total of 383 government websites for the year 2023. This recognition was received at the Digital Government Forum, held recently under the theme "Our Future is Now" organized by the Digital Government Authority. GASTAT was recognized for its outstanding performance in website efficiency and digital content, and the award was received by Mr. Mohammed Al-Rasheed, Vice President Operations. In the same context, the General Authority for Statistics is currently implementing an ambitious digital transformation project aimed at achieving a high-quality technological infrastructure that competes regionally and globally. GASTAT also adheres to the highest international standards practiced by specialized institutions in statistical data and information. It seeks to enhance the utilization of its statistical publications and products through the most user-friendly and flexible technological methods. This includes providing users with access to statistical data, the ability to review and download it, as well as presenting the data in ways that contribute to understanding the results and indicators issued by GASTAT. It is worth mentioning that the Digital Government Forum aims to highlight the achievements of the digital government, showcase its success stories locally and internationally, and enable digital community leaders to meet, communicate, exchange experiences, build partnerships, share successful practices, and discuss challenges. The Forum is also designed to explore modern technological best practices, review future trends of digital governments, and explore investment opportunities in the digital sector in the Kingdom.

The General Authority for Statistics has issued a publication on its official website, which includes statistics on culture and entertainment. The results of the publication indicate that  80  % of individuals (aged 15 and above) visited cultural events or activities, while 90% visited entertainment events or activities. Publication also shows that 13% of individuals attended national celebrations, while 11% visited cinemas.   The percentage of Saudi individuals and non- Saudi individuals visiting Saudi entertainment seasons reached 39% and 36%, respectively.  The publication's findings showed that 20% of individuals did not visit cultural events and activities and 40% did not visit them because of lack of time. According to the publication, 23% of individuals engage in walking, while 19% play football in their free time. Furthermore, 37% of individuals read at least one book in the past 12 months, while 21% read newspapers and 7% read magazines. It is worth mentioning that the publication presents data on the visitation and engagement of individuals (aged 15 and above) in cultural and entertainment activities based on the results of the Household Culture and Entertainment Survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics in 2023. The data was collected using telephone interviews and self-reporting from a selected sample of individuals. For more details, please visit the official website of the General Authority for Statistics (stats.gov.sa).

Yesterday, Wednesday, November 16, 2023, the General Authority for Statistics signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, on the sidelines of the Black Hat global conference and exhibition held in Riyadh. The agreement aims to enhance integration between the two parties in the field of cybersecurity through the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and relevant information . It also aims to create opportunities for the development and implementation of joint programs and initiatives that contribute to the development of national human resources capabilities in cybersecurity. The memorandum was signed on behalf of the General Authority for Statistics by Mr. Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, Director-General of Cybersecurity and Data Governance, while it was signed on behalf of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones by Mr. Khaled Al-Sulaim, Deputy Executive President for Business Sector at the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity. The memorandum included the development and exchange of experiences between the two parties, providing opportunities for the employees of both organizations in the field of cybersecurity, exchanging support, technical experiences, and knowledge in areas of mutual interest, as well as providing consultations in each party's areas of expertise.

Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, received Mr. Jan Reinhold, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia, in a meeting held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023,in Riyadh, to discuss ways to enhance joint work in the statistical sector and opportunities for developing cooperation in the field of statistical data. During the meeting, the two sides discussed enhancing the level of joint coordination between the their countries in the field of statistical data, working on continuous development of bilateral relations, and using modern technology in disseminating indicators, organizing statistical data and its governance, as well as a number of topics of mutual interest in the statistical field between the two countries. Dr. Fahad Al-Dossari emphasized the importance of the joint relations between the two countries and the importance of cooperation in the field of statistics. He opened broader and more welcoming prospects for cooperation with European countries, in addition to effective cooperation in the field of statistical information and data between the two countries. It is worth mentioning that the trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Estonia amounted to 133 million SAR until September 2023, with total exports to Estonia reaching 59 million SAR, while Saudi Arabia’s imports from Estonia amounted to 73 million SAR.

The 48th meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) was held in Jeddah. Heads of official Arab statistical centers participated in the meeting. In the opening session, Dr. Fahad Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, delivered an opening speech welcoming the participating delegations and wishing them successful meetings and a pleasant stay in their second home, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  The 48th meeting began with a review of the activities carried out by the Institute during the year 2022, including training courses, studies, and technical consultations provided by the Institute to various Arab statistical agencies in the field of statistical work. The Board of Trustees discussed the Institute's work plan and budget for implementation during the fiscal year 2023/2024. In addition, discussions were held on statistical activities and initiatives in Arab countries and common statistical issues to contribute to providing accurate data necessary for implementing comprehensive economic and social development plans at the Arab regional level. It also aimed to support official statistical systems in Arab countries in fulfilling their developmental duties at both the national and regional levels by providing accurate data and indicators that contribute to enhancing opportunities for better policymaking. It is worth mentioning that the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics plays an important role in developing and building the capacities of human resources in Arab statistical agencies. This is achieved by meeting their training and technical consultation needs in the field of methodologies, concepts, and tools for managing official statistical work. The Institute also develops and implements research and statistical studies relevant to the interests of statistical agencies, in line with their needs. Additionally, it contributes to raising awareness of statistical work by participating in various seminars and conferences held at the regional and international levels.

The General Authority for Statistics hosted on Tuesday the 12th Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Statistical Commission in Jeddah, with the participation of 56 countries represented by the heads of the official statistical centers in the member states, and in the presence of six international organizations. The Commission 's meetings will continue for two consecutive days and are organized by the Statistical Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). In his opening speech, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, welcomed the participating delegations and expressed his sincere wishes for the success of the 12th session. He also mentioned the efforts exerted by SESRIC to enhance cooperation among Islamic countries in the field of statistical exchange and training, reaffirming GASTAT’s support for all efforts aimed at developing statistical services. It is worth mentioning that the 12th Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Statistical Commission aims to enhance the technical and scientific capabilities of statistical personnel in the official statistical agencies of the member states, and to exchange statistical experiences and knowledge in order to produce high-quality statistics, guided by specific objectives and principles to enhance solidarity and cooperation among Islamic countries. The agenda includes several sessions aimed at enhancing the production and dissemination of accurate and up-to-date statistical data and indicators in accordance with internationally recognized methodologies and standards. It also focuses on developing a strategic vision to improve the level of statistical systems and implementing and monitoring short, medium, and long-term plans to achieve this vision, in order to enhance the technical capabilities of national statistical agencies in Islamic countries.

As part of its efforts to enhance its digital services in line with the objectives of Vision 2030, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has launched the Economic Data Platform, which enables researchers and those interested to follow up with the Saudi economic sphere. Moreover, the platform provides the national and international organizations with economic data and statistics. It also presents the most important statistical data and indicators related to price, energy, GDP, international trade, labor market, and business statistics, in addition to other economic statistical data.  The General Authority for Statistics demonstrated that the launch of this platform facilitates access to economic data and indicators by beneficiaries. The platform displays such data using interactive maps, where users can download them with different formats.  This would help the process of conducting studies and research by providing updated and high-quality data that enables users to follow up with the Saudi economic sphere.  The launch of the Economic Data Platform represents the crucial role of GASTAT in providing all types of statistical data in order to support sustainable development plans and utilize statistical indicators and metadata through statistical classifications that conform with international standards and meet the users requirements. GASTAT invites those wishing to benefit from such statistical information and indicators provided by the Platform to visit (https://economics.stats.gov.sa/). It also welcomes all inquiries and suggestions via its unified number: (920020081), its customer support email  (cs@stats.gov.sa) and its website: (www.stats.gov.sa).

The GCC countries celebrate the Gulf Statistics Day, which is marked on 24 December 2022 under the theme "Statistics for Sustainable Opportunities". The event comes within the framework of enhancing the statistical work aimed at providing statistical data that support development plans and achieve the goals of development visions of the GCC countries. The GCC Statistics Day is an important occasion in which the statistical bodies, centers and offices of the GCC countries renew their interest in statistical work and confirm its vital role in setting plans and programs for comprehensive sustainable development. It is worth mentioning that the Saudi statistical work has started in a very early era of the Saudi development history. It has started in 1349H /1930 and became an organized work that refers technically and administratively to the General Statistics System issued by the Royal Decree No. (23) dated 7/12/1379H -1/6/1960. The General Statistics System has played a vital role to organize the statistics sector by controlling the relationship between the Central Department of Statistics and Information and other agencies, until the issuance of the Royal Decree in 1436H to transform the Central Department of Statistics and Information into a public authority called the General Authority for Statistics which enjoys a legal personality, and financial and administrative independence. In 1437H, the organization of the General Authority for Statistics was approved, whose articles stated that the General Authority for Statistics is the entity that shall be responsible for technical and organizational supervision of the statistics sector and shall form a comprehensive system of national statistical databases for various fields. The Authority has been entrusted with organizing and supervising the statistical sector, in order to enable it and enhance its awareness. During the 141st session of the Ministerial Council of GCC which was held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain in 24 November 2016, a day for the Gulf Statistics Day was allocated to be held every year. The importance of this day is emphasizing the partnership of society in all its categories with statisticians, and shedding light on the vital role played by statistics in achieving sustainable development in the GCC countries. It also shows the strategic role played by the Gulf statistical system in making decisions and building development policies.

On Thursday, 8 December 2022, General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released on its official website www.stats.gov.sa the report of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and National Accounts Indicators for the third quarter of 2022. According to the estimates, real GDP recorded an increase by (8.8%), compared to the same period of last year 2021. The real GDP of oil activities grew by (14.2%) compared to Q3 of 2021. Moreover, real GDP of non-oil activities recorded an increase by (6.0%) compared to the same period of 2021. Seasonally adjusted real GDP increased by (2.1%) during Q3 of 2022, compared to Q2 of 2022, the publication’s results noted It is worth noting that GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for statistical data and information in Saudi Arabia. It carries out all the statistical work, in addition to the technical oversight of the statistical sector. It also designs and implements field surveys, conducts statistical studies and research, analyzes data and information, in addition to documenting and archiving all works of information and statistical data that cover all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia from its multiple sources. Data are written, classified, and analyzed; their indicators are extracted as well.

Today 11 December 2022, General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released on its official website www.stats.gov.sa industrial production index’s results for October 2022. The industrial production index for October 2022 increased by 14.1% compared to October 2021, as a result of the rise in the activity of mining and quarrying and the activity of manufacturing, according to the results of the publication.   The index of mining and quarrying activity for October 2022 went up by 12.0%, compared to October 2021, and the manufacturing activity for October 2022 increased by 23.2 % compared to the same month of last year. However, the activity of electricity and gas supply decreased by 1.8%, compared to October 2021. The general industrial production index for October 2022 increased by 0.3% compared to September 2022, due to the increase in manufacturing activity which went up by 5% during October 2022. On the other hand, the mining and quarrying activity and electricity and gas supply activity decreased by 0.7% and 11%, respectively, the publication’s results noted. GASTAT issues a number of Industry-related statistical products, including industrial production index (IPI), which is an economic indicator that reflects relative changes and evolution in the volume of industrial production quantities based on the data of the industrial production survey. It is implemented monthly and targets industrial establishments operating in targeted activities, such as: activities of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply.

On Thursday November 10, 2022, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) revealed the results of Industrial Production Index (IPI) for the month of September 2022. The publication results showed that during September 2022, IPI increased by 15.7% compared to the same month of last year (September 2021). This increase can be attributed to the increase in mining, quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply. According to the monthly publication results, the index of mining and quarrying increased by 14.2% in September 2022, compared to the same month of last year (September 2021). The manufacturing activity increased by 22% in September 2022, compared to the same month of last year (September 2021). The electricity and gas supply also increased by 5.5% in September 2022, compared to August 2022. The results of the report indicated that the growth rate has been positive since May 2021, continuing the upward trend during the following months, and the growth accelerated at the end of 2021 after a series of months in which growth rates declined in 2019 and 2020, partially affected by the global pandemic. It is noteworthy that GASTAT issues a number of Industry-related statistical products, including the Industrial Production Index (IPI), which is an economic indicator that reflects relative changes and evolution in the volume of industrial production quantities based on the data of the industrial production survey. It is implemented monthly and targets industrial establishments operating in the targeted activities, which are mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply.

General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued on its official website www.stats.gov.sa today, 25 October 2022, the International Trade Publication of Saudi Arabia for August 2022. Value of merchandise exports in Saudi Arabia during August 2022 reached (134 billion riyals), compared to (90 billion riyals) in August 2021, with an increase of (44 billion riyals), a percentage of 49.1%, according to the data contained in this publication. Value of oil exports during August 2022 reached (107 billion riyals), compared to (67 billion riyals) during August 2021, with an increase of (40 billion riyals), a percentage of 60.2%. Value of non-oil exports (including re-exports) during August 2022 reached (27 billion riyals), compared to (23 billion riyals) during August 2021, with an increase of (4 billion riyals), a percentage of 16.6%, the publication results noted. Value of merchandise imports in Saudi Arabia during August 2022 reached (61 billion riyals), compared to (51 billion riyals) during August 2021, with an increase of (10 billion riyals), a percentage of 20.0%. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for statistical data and information in Saudi Arabia. It carries out all the statistical work, in addition to the technical oversight of the statistical sector. It also designs and implements field surveys, conducts statistical studies and researches, analyzes data and information, in addition to documenting and archiving all works of information and statistical data that cover all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia from its multiple sources. Data are written, classified, and analyzed; their indicators are extracted as well.

On Monday September 11, 2022, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) revealed the results of Industrial Production Index (IPI) for the month of July 2022.  The publication results showed that during July 2022, IPI increased by 17.7% compared to the same month of last year (July 2021). This increase can be attributed to the increase in mining, quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply. According to the monthly publication results, the index of mining and quarrying increased by 14.1% in July 2022, compared to the same month of last year (July 2021). The manufacturing activity increased by 32.6% in July 2022, compared to the same month of last year (July 2021). The electricity and gas supply also increased by 5% in July 2022, compared to July 2021.  The results of the report indicated an increase in the General Industrial Production Index (IPI) by 1.6% in July 2022, compared to June 2022, affected by the increase in mining and quarrying, which increased by a similar percentage in July 2022. The manufacturing and electricity and gas supply increased by 0.3% and 14.6%, respectively. GASTAT issues a number of Industry-related statistical products, including the Industrial Production Index (IPI), which is an economic indicator that reflects relative changes and evolution in the volume of industrial production quantities based on the data of the industrial production survey. It is implemented monthly and targets industrial establishments operating in the targeted activities, which are mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity and gas supply.

On Wednesday September 7, 2022, General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released on its official website www.stats.gov.sa the report of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and National Accounts Indicators for the second quarter of 2022. According to the estimates, real GDP recorded an increase by (12.2%) during the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of last year 2021. It is worth noting that GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for statistical data and information in Saudi Arabia. It carries out all the statistical work, in addition to the technical oversight of the statistical sector. It also designs and implements field surveys, conducts statistical studies and research, analyzes data and information, in addition to documenting and archiving all works of information and statistical data that cover all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia from its multiple sources. Data are written, classified, and analyzed; their indicators are extracted as well.

GASTAT revealed on Monday, Muharram 3, 1444, corresponding to August 1, 2022, the results of the real estate price index for the second quarter of 2022, and published it on its official website www.stats.gov.sa The publication results indicated a 0.7% increase in the general real estate price index for the second quarter of 2022, compared to the same quarter of the previous year 2021, mainly due to increase in residential real estate prices of +1.9%. According to the publication results, the increase in residential land prices largely affected the increase in real estate prices in the second quarter of 2022, compared to the second quarter of 2021. The residential sector recorded a 1.9% increase affected by a 0.2% increase in the residential land plots prices, on an annual basis in the second quarter of 2022, due to its high relative importance in the general index. Among other residential real estate prices, the prices of villas, apartments, and houses decreased by 1.1%, 1.1% and 0.9% respectively.  However, the prices of residential buildings stabilized and did not record any significant changes. The commercial sector recorded a 1.5% decrease, impacted by the decrease in the prices of commercial lands plots by 1.5%.  The prices of galleries also decreased by 1.1%, while the prices of commercial centers increased by 0.1%. On the other hand, the commercial buildings prices stabilized and did not record any significant changes. The agriculture sector decreased by 0.6% affected by the decrease in agriculture land prices by -0.6%. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for statistical data and information in Saudi Arabia. It carries out all the statistical work, in addition to the technical oversight of the statistical sector. It also designs and implements field surveys, conducts statistical studies and researches, analyzes data and information, in addition to documenting and archiving all works of information and statistical data that cover all aspects of life in Saudi Arabia from its multiple sources. Data are written, classified, and analyzed; their indicators are extracted as well.

the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) launched the Tourism Establishments Survey project, which is a comprehensive annual economic survey  provided by GASTAT on the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. The importance of this survey lies in the comprehensive data it provides about the characteristic activities of tourism, such as: number of tourism establishments, number of people working in them and their compensation, value of revenues and expenditure, capital formation and other data related to the aspect of tourism display. The Tourism Establishments Survey aims to provide data that will help in reaching indicators to calculate the extent of tourism’s contribution to the gross domestic product, in addition to data about tourism activities that aid in reaching indicators that help in knowing the growth rates of each tourism activity, knowing its capacity of workers by gender and nationality, identifying the amount of compensation paid to workers and other expenses according to different tourism activities, knowing the volume of revenues of each tourism activity, operating and performance rates in all tourism activities, and the percentage of foreign partners' participation in the ownership of the capital of tourism activities. This, of course, contributes to providing the needs of government agencies and authorities and the private sector in terms of statistical data and information about tourism activities. In addition, this data can be used in making local, regional and international comparisons, conducting studies and analyses, and knowing the capacity of tourism activities in terms of official and temporary jobs. GASTAT stated that the survey will be carried out through phone calls, self-completion of data through e-mail, and the record data of the relevant government entities. GASTAT welcomed the main partnership - aimed at achieving the aspirations of the decision maker - and the relevant ministries and authorities as well as investors in the tourism sector to reach high-impact results that positively support the country’s efforts in developing the tourism sector. GASTAT stated that integration with government sectors in implementing high-impact, comprehensive surveys is a strategic step to achieve targets with greater reliability and quality. It is worth mentioning that GASTAT is the official and only statistical reference for statistical data and information in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it carries out all statistical work, technical supervision of the statistical sector, design and implementation of field surveys, conducting statistical studies and research, analyzing data and information, and all works of documenting and preserving statistical information and data that cover all aspects of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from its multiple sources. It is also responsible for codifying, classifying, analyzing and extracting its statistical indicators.

The General Authority for Statistics Participates in the Gulf Statistics Day ... The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, on the twenty-fourth of November 2016, approved to set a day for Gulf statistics every year. The Gulf Statistics day   is set to show emphasize on the importance of the society’s collaboration with statisticians, and the vital role of statistics is playing in achieving sustainable development for GCC member states.  It also shows the strategic role of the Gulf statistical ecosystem in decision making and policy development in the region. The General Authority for Statistics participates with national statistical organizations (NSOs) in GCC countries in celebrating the Gulf Statistics Day this year on Thursday, the 24th of December. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed the beginnings of statistical work and started to produce statistics in the 1930s, where the Kingdom realized the importance of statistics and information as a pillar of development in any country that aims to advance based on solid foundations. About three decades later, The General Statistics Law was issued by a royal decree, so that the statistical work is organized under a legal framework. The Gulf Statistics Day this year under the slogan "Smart data ... the future of official statistics” shows the importance that GCC countries give to smart data, that could facilitate data classification and data exchange, and builds the foundations to produce quality statistics. Hence, this will enhance participation to use statistics and foster institutional innovation. The Statistics Center of the Gulf Cooperation Council was established to be the official source of data, information and statistics in relation to the countries of the Council, and to enhance the statistical work of the national statistical centers and the planning agencies in GCC countries. The establishment of the center was approved by the Ministerial Council of the GCC countries in September 2011, and its main system was approved in December 2012 by the Supreme Council of the GCC, which is composed of Their Majesties and Highnesses Heads of Member States. The General Authority for Statistics produces many statistical products that are important to making development plans. These products draw on multiple sources, including surveys, administrative data as well as big data. Making statistical information, analytical publications, and statistical indicators available to decision makers and the broader public and hence supporting evidence based decision making is the Authority’s main task and objective.

GASTAT Releases the Real-Estate Price Index report for the 3rd Quarter 2020 The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released on Thursday, 5 Rabie Al-Awal 1442H, , corresponding to 22/10/2020, the report of the Index of the Real- Estate Price Q3 2020 in Saudi Arabia and published it on its official website www.stats.gov.sa.com Real- Estate Price index recorded an increase by (0.5+%) in the third quarter 2020 (compared to the same quarter of the previous year) effected by the increase of  the “residential” real- estate price by (+ 2.1%), as the price of the “agricultural” real estate recorded a slight increase by (+ 0.3%), Whereas the price of the “commercial” real estate registered a decrease of (-2.5%), which limit the increase of the General index. The report indicated that the residential piece of land prices witnesses an increase by (+ 2.1%) on an annual basis in the third quarter of 2020, which contributed to an increase in the "residential" real- estate price, which in turn led to an increase in the general index; Due to its large weight in the index, The report attributed that among other "residential" real estate villas prices increased by (+ 0.8%) and apartments prices by (+ 1.5%), while buildings prices decreased by (-0.9%)  residential houses by (-3.1%) also The "agricultural" real- estate Price increased by (+ 0.3%) effected by the increase of the agricultural lands prices by (+ 0.3%). The report pointed out that the Real- Estate Price index decreased by (-0.6%) in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter (second quarter of 2020),Due to the decrease in the "residential" real estate average price (-0.5%) In particular the residential piece of land which witnessed a decreased by (-0.5%),among other "residential" real estate, villas prices decreased by (-0.1%), apartments prices decreased by (-0.1%) and house prices by  (-0.2%) whereas Residential buildings prices increased by (+ 0.1%). The average price of commercial real estate decreased by (-0.7%) especially the prices of commercial piece of land (-0.7%), while shops increased by (+1.0) whereas the prices of buildings and commercial centers recorded a stability and did not record any significant change, as well as the prices of agricultural lands. It should be noted that the Real- Estate Price index is a statistical tool to measure the relative change in the Real- Estate Price in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it is based on a set of data of the real- estate  transactions available at the Ministry of Justice as it is the only official reference and the source of the Real- Estate  data in the Kingdom ,this data set are the result of the Electronic registration and documentation operations that takes place in the ministry, it also includes various variables in the real estate transactions such as: value, location, sector, and type, GASTAT calculates the index (Real- Estate Price) based on these variables on a quarterly basis based on the sector and the type of the property of all administrative regions In the Kingdom, the base year of this indicator is 2014.

For the second quarter in a row: a decrease in unemployment rates and an increase in the economic participation rate of Saudis GASTAT: The unemployment rate of the total population and the Saudis decreased during the first quarter of 2019 compared to the last quarter of 2018 On Sunday Ramadhan 28th, 1440H. (corresponding to June 2nd, 2019), GASTAT released the Labour Market Bulletin for the first quarter of 2019 on its official website  (www.stats.gov.sa). The bulletin is based on the estimates of the Labour Force Survey that is conducted by GASTAT on a quarterly basis as well as the labour market data from the administrative records available at the related entities (Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Civil Affairs, General Organization for Social Insurance, Human Resources Development Fund, and National Information Center). The results of the 2019 first quarter bulletin, based on the estimates of the Labour Force Survey, showed a decrease in the unemployment rate of total Saudis (15 years and above) which reached (12.5%) compared to (12.7%) in the previous quarter. In the first quarter of 2019, the Saudi males’ unemployment rate reached (6.6%), whereas it reached (31.7%) for Saudi females.  The unemployment rate of the total population (Saudis and non-Saudis) (15 years and above) decreased to (5.7%) compared to (6.0%) in the fourth quarter of 2018. The results of the survey also showed that the economic participation rate in the first quarter of 2019 for total Saudis (15 years and above) increased to (42.3%) compared to (42.0%) in the previous quarter. The economic participation rate among Saudi females increased to (20.5%) compared to (20.2%) in the previous quarter, and increased to (63.3%) compared to (63.0%) in the previous quarter. Also, the bulletin showed that the total employed Saudis (males and females) according to administrative records data increased slightly compared to the fourth quarter of last year, where the number of Saudi employees (males and females) reached (3,112,029). According to the results of the bulletin and based on the data from the Ministry of Civil Service (Jadarah and Sa’ed) and the data from the Human Resources Development Fund (Taqat), the total number of Saudi job seekers reached (945,323) based on the administrative records in Saudi Arabia for the first quarter of 2019. GASTAT has defined jobseekers as Saudi individuals (males and females) registered in job seeking programs of the Ministry of Civil Service (Jadarh and Sa’ed) as well as Human Resources Development Fund (Taqat) where they entered their personal data, qualifications, experiences, and CVs electronically. Jobseekers included in the administrative records are not subjected to the internationally recognized criteria and conditions of the International Labor Organization (ILO); hence, not all of them are considered unemployed individuals. Therefore, not every job seeker is an unemployed individual; they may be looking for a work while still working in another job, as in the case of job seekers in the government sector where they work for their own business and not registered as employees in the governmental administrative records (Civil Service, Social Insurance, commercial registers, and municipal licenses) .

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the "Labor Market Statistics Q1 2020” on its official website www.stats.gov.sa. Data in these statistics do not yet reflect the impact of Covid-19 crisis as they were collected early in the first quarter. The total unemployment rate stood at (5.7%) in Q1 2020. The Labor force participation rate for the total population (aged 15 years and over) increased by (1.8) percentage points compared to Q1 of 2019, reaching (58.2%). Male Labor force participation rate was (80.4%), while the rate of participation of women in the Labor force was (25.4%), the Labor Market Statistics results noted. Compared to Q4 of 2019, Saudi unemployment rate decreased from (12.0%) to (11.8%) in Q1 2020. Saudi female’s unemployment rate reached (28.2%), a decrease of (2.6) percentage points. Saudi male’s unemployment rate (aged 15 years and over) reached (5.6%), with an increase of (0.7) percentage points. Based on the administrative data, Saudi and non-Saudi employees amounted to (13,635,612) individuals. The total number of Saudi employees (males and females) reached (3,203,423) individuals, (2,066,553) Saudi males (1,136,870) and Saudi females, based on the Labor Market Statistics results. Saudi job seekers (males and females), based on the administrative sources, is at (1,015,820) individuals, where Saudi males accounted for (186,969) and Saudi females accounted for (828,851). The participation rate in the Labor force for Saudi males and females (aged 15 years and over) fell by (0.5) percentage points to (46.2%) compared to Q1 2020. The Saudi male participation rate in the Labor force fell by (0.8) percentage points from the previous quarter, reaching (65.8%), while the Saudi female participation rate fell by (0.1) percentage points from the previous quarter, reaching (25.9%), compared to the previous quarter. GASTAT has two main data sources to produce the Labor Market Statistics. The Labor Force Survey conducted by GASTAT and administrative data sources. Survey data are collected from a representative sample of households spread out across all administrative regions in Saudi Arabia. The administrative sources include data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Human Resources Development Fund, General Organization for Social Insurance, and National Information Center.