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The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), in collaboration with the United Nations (UN), is preparing to announce the opening of registration on 30 June 2026 for participation in the 6th World Data Forum (UNWDF 2026), alongside registration for the Second Saudi Statistics Forum (SSF), as part of the preparations for hosting the Forum in Riyadh this coming November.

The registration announcement will be accompanied by the release of media materials through the official channels of GASTAT and the UN. These materials will highlight the Forum’s objectives, key topics, and participation opportunities.

Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Forum reflects the Kingdom’s growing role in the global data ecosystem and its commitment to advancing international cooperation and fostering strategic partnerships in the fields of data and statistics, in alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The Forum is expected to bring together participants from around the world, providing a platform for the exchange of expertise, the sharing of international best practices, and the development of partnerships that contribute to strengthening data and statistical systems.

UNWDF is one of the world’s leading international platforms dedicated to data and sustainable development. It brings together representatives from governments, international organizations, academia, and the private sector to discuss the future of data and its role in supporting policymaking and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 
 GASTAT encourages experts and all interested stakeholders to follow the official channels of both GASTAT and the UN for updates on the Forum, registration details, and participation procedures, which will be announced in the coming period.
 

Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), participated for the first time in the 23rd meeting of the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP), held virtually from 22 to 23 June 2026, with the participation of heads of national statistical offices and senior statistical officials from member countries and international partner organizations.
President of GASTAT, Fahad Aldossari, stated that Saudi Arabia’s participation in this meeting, held ahead of the Conference of European Statisticians (CES) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), underscores the Kingdom’s advanced standing within the international statistical community and reflects the growing global confidence in its institutional capabilities, particularly as it prepares to host the 6th  United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) 2026 in Riyadh.
The meeting reviewed a number of topics related to the advancement of statistical work, including strengthening the quality and reliability of statistical data, leveraging artificial intelligence in statistical processes, and modernizing statistical methodologies and standards. Discussions also covered the use of emerging data sources to support the production of statistical indicators and meet the evolving needs of data users.
CSSP is one of the principal committees of OECD. It is responsible for discussing strategic directions related to official statistics, advancing statistical indicators and methodologies, and strengthening cooperation among national statistical offices and specialized international organizations. GASTAT’s representation of the Kingdom in the Committee’s work reflects Saudi Arabia’s active engagement in international statistical forums and its commitment to keeping pace with global developments in statistics and data. It also contributes to discussions on issues shaping the future of statistical work and its development. Through these efforts, GASTAT continues to support statistical systems and offices regionally and internationally, helping to strengthen statistical capacities and advance progress toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) will organize a quarterly virtual workshop on Thursday, June 25, 2026, titled "Statistical Practices: The Statistical Quality Assurance Framework and Its Role in Enhancing the Quality of Statistics," as part of Road to Riyadh events in preparation for Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 6th UNWDF in November 2026.
The workshop aims to highlight GASTAT's experience in developing and implementing the Statistical Quality Assurance Framework across statistical products to enhance data reliability and support decision-making. It will also showcase GASTAT's organizational efforts to establish an integrated statistical quality system in line with international best practices, develop methodologies for evaluating statistical products, and establish continuous improvement mechanisms, thereby enhancing the quality of statistical outputs and strengthening transparency and confidence in official statistics.
In this context, GASTAT invited specialists and those interested in the fields of statistics and data to participate in the virtual session, which will be streamed via GASTAT's digital platforms, with further details on the Road to Riyadh events available through its website.
It is noteworthy that GASTAT is organizing a series of sessions and events as part of Saudi Arabia's preparations to host the 6th UNWDF 2026 to promote dialogue, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and highlight the progress witnessed by Saudi Arabia in the fields of statistics and data. The events will continue until the Second Saudi Statistics Forum, taking place on November 8, 2026, ahead of UNWDF, which will be held from November 9 to 12, 2026.
 

‌This policy aims to ensure the implementation of the integrated administrative systems requirements within GASTAT by tracking and following up to achieve the strategic objectives of GASTAT and maintaining the satisfaction of the beneficiaries through the provision of high-quality services and full compliance with the regulatory and legislative requirements as follows:
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Publication for Q1 of 2026. According to the publication 's results, real GDP recorded a growth rate of 3.0% compared with the corresponding quarter of 2025. This growth was driven by a 2.9% increase in both oil and non-oil activities, in addition to a 1.5% rise in government activities. On a seasonally adjusted basis, real GDP declined by 1.2% in Q1 of 2026 compared with Q4 of 2025.
The results also showed that non-oil activities were the main contributor to real GDP growth in Q1 of 2026, contributing 1.7 percentage points. Oil activities contributed 0.8 percentage points, while government activities and net taxes on products contributed positively by 0.3 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively.
It is worth noting that all economic activities recorded positive year-on-year growth rates. Financial and insurance activities, along with business services, posted the highest growth rate in Q1 of 2026 at 5.4%, followed by manufacturing activities excluding oil refining, which grew by 4.0%.