Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, officially received the hosting rights for the 6th UN World Data Forum 2026 on behalf of Saudi Arabia. This announcement came at the conclusion of the 5th edition of the forum, held in Medellín, Colombia, from November 12 to 15, 2024. The forum gathered representatives from 193 UN member states. The High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building in Statistics welcomed Saudi Arabia’s selection as the host for the next forum in Riyadh, following its success in securing the majority vote within the group. The Kingdom’s outstanding bid and capabilities were commended by the group. This achievement highlights Saudi Arabia’s leadership in statistical work and the significant advancements in its statistical system. It also reflects the impact of the Kingdom’s data in demonstrating its role in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On this occasion, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, extended his congratulations, on behalf of himself and GASTAT employees, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prime Minister. He expressed gratitude for the support and empowerment GASTAT has received in recent years, which has significantly strengthened its local and international presence, enabling it to excel in statistical work and compete on the global stage. Aldossari noted that Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 6th UN World Data Forum in Riyadh in 2026 reflects the Kingdom’s significant advancements across various sectors, including its statistical system. He emphasized that the event presents a valuable opportunity to share technical expertise in statistics and establish strategic partnerships with national statistical offices worldwide.
In his speech, Aldossari expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Colombia, the United Nations, and the National Department of Statistics (DANE) for hosting and organizing this global event. He also extended his appreciation to all representatives of national statistical offices, the program team, and members of the HLG-PCCB for their dedication and hard work in preparing the program. He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's commitment, through the General Authority for Statistics, to enhancing the quality and transparency of statistical data across various fields. He highlighted the Kingdom’s exemplary leadership and outstanding performance in the region, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing statistical excellence.

The UN World Data Forum is a major international event attended by over 20,000 participants, including representatives from governments, national statistical offices, international and regional organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The forum serves as a platform to discuss challenges facing the global data and statistics system and to foster collaboration among policymakers and experts from around the world. It reflects the growing level of cooperation across diverse data systems and underscores the critical importance of data and statistics.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics, will host the 6th UN World Data Forum in 2026 in Riyadh. The High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building in Statistics for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (HLG-PCCB) announced Saudi Arabia’s selection by majority vote, following a review of competing countries’ bids and an assessment of their hosting capabilities. This decision reflects the Kingdom’s prominent global standing and its pivotal role in advancing efforts to provide high-quality data and statistical indicators. It also highlights the exceptional contributions of the General Authority for Statistics to the field of statistical work, reaffirming the Kingdom’s leadership in the global statistical community.

In October 2024, the annual inflation rate in Saudi Arabia stood at 1.9%, compared to the same month last year. This rate is among the lowest within the G20 countries.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the changes in prices paid by consumers for a fixed basket of 490 goods and services. This basket was selected based on the results of the 2018 Household Income and Expenditure Survey. Relevant prices are collected through field visits to points of sale, and CPI statistics are published monthly in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), continued its significant advancement in the Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) issued by the World Bank. In the 2023 assessment, Saudi Arabia advanced by 22 positions compared to 2022, ranking first in the Arab World and among GCC countries. At the level of the G20 countries, GASTAT achieved 14th place, up from 18th in 2022.
The World Bank recently announced the results of the SPI assessment, covering 187 countries, based on the new methodology for calculating the SPI 2023. This update included a time series from 2016 to 2023 for all countries. The assessment covers five main pillars across more than 51 indicators, addressing data use, data services, statistical products, data sources, and infrastructure. Saudi Arabia ranked among the top seven G20 countries in the fifth pillar, achieving a score of 95% in 2023.
Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, explained that the attention and support provided by the wise leadership have greatly contributed to the development of the statistical sector. This had a significant impact on strengthening GASTAT’s role and advancing its global standing among official statistical entities, enabling it to produce accurate, comprehensive, and high-quality statistical data and indicators. This progress supports decision-makers and policymakers with solid information, aiding in the formulation of sustainable development plans needed across various sectors of the country.
This remarkable progress in the SPI reflects the General Authority for Statistics' efforts to implement a statistical transformation strategy focused on enhancing GASTAT’s technical infrastructure, improving field surveys and statistical products, strengthening partnerships with government, private, and non-profit sectors, enhancing data accessibility, and meeting local, regional, and international statistical requirements. The authority also strives to increase customer satisfaction by continuously improving the presentation and accessibility of statistical data and indicators in an interactive and user-friendly way.