The General Authority for Statistics participated in the 10th meeting of the Permanent Committee for Statistical Work, held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, with the attendance of heads of statistical centers in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The committee aims to enhance joint Gulf statistical work, providing statistical data to support development plans and exchanging experiences among member states. During their meeting, the committee members discussed the continued implementation of the recommendations from the previous meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and reviewed the orientations regarding the Gulf Statistical Work Development Initiative, which aims to enhance cooperation with the Gulf Standardization Organization. They also studied statistical indicators to measure the implementation of decisions by the Supreme Council on the ground. Additionally, they discussed a decision by the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee to entrust member states with building databases for the common Gulf market. They also discussed global developments and common challenges facing statistical work in the Gulf countries. Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dosari, The President of the General Authority for Statistics and a member of the Permanent Committee for Gulf Statistical Work, presented the experience of Saudi Census 2022 and the phases it went through. He highlighted the integration of administrative data with field data, which contributed to improving the quality of outputs, and the activation of geographic maps. He also mentioned the steps taken by the authority to enhance innovation in statistical work, expand accurate data, and provide open-source data for beneficiaries.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a positive report on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the conclusion of their 2023 Article 4 Consultation discussions with the Kingdom. The IMF report affirmed that the Saudi economy is in a state of prosperity and growth, and that the Kingdom's fiscal position is strong. The IMF also praised the progress Saudi Arabia has made in implementing its Saudi Vision 2030 reform agenda. Additionally, the IMF lauded the acceleration of the Kingdom's digital transformation, the increase in female participation in the labor market, reforms in the regulatory and the business environment, ongoing efforts to invest in human capital, and the continuous growth of non-oil GDP. The report commended the Kingdom's continuing efforts to complete economic and financial reforms and achieve Saudi Vision 2030 targets, noting that the Kingdom was the fastest-growing G20 economies in 2022 with a rate of 8.7%, and with non-oil GDP growing at about 4.8%, while unemployment rates among Saudis declined to their lowest historical level at 8%. The participation of Saudi women in the labor market has reached record levels at about 37% (from 18% in 2017), exceeding the target of 30% envisioned by Saudi Vision 2030. The report also welcomed the ongoing national efforts to enhance women's contribution to supporting the national economy. In addition, the report praised the Kingdom's efforts to contain inflation that has cast a shadow over the global economy, explaining that it was contained through domestic subsidies/price cap on certain products, as well as the strength of the U.S dollar, which led to the consumer price index (CPI) reaching just 2.5% in 2022. The report noted that although the average index increased in early 2023 to 3.4%, it decreased again to 2.8% by May 2023. The IMF report emphasized that the continuation of Saudi Vision 2030 reforms represents progress in advancing the country's economic diversification programs to reduce its dependence on oil. It projected a continuation of the strong momentum of non-oil GDP growth, and that average growth will reach 4.9% in 2023, driven by strong consumption spending, increase private investment through projects and programs that enhance the growth of the private sector in addition to the accelerated projects implementation, which will reflect positively on the growth of non-oil GDP, the IMF said. The report also welcomed the ongoing reform efforts within the framework of the Fiscal Sustainability Program, including improving non-oil revenues, rationalizing spending, and strengthening the public finance framework. It also noted the low and sustainable debt levels and the availability of a strong fiscal space, while praising the remarkable progress in public finance transparency through the expanded budget statement and other detailed reports. The IMF stressed that the Kingdom's monetary policy (fixed exchange rate) is appropriate and serves the Kingdom's economy, and that the performance of the banking sector remains strong during the current year, thanks to the continuous efforts of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to modernize the regulatory and supervisory frameworks. This contributed to the achievement of high profitability rates (higher than pre-pandemic levels), in addition to high capital adequacy ratios and low non-performing (NPL) loan ratios. The report also welcomed the efforts of the Saudi Central Bank to promote the Kingdom as a fintech hub. The report praised the continuing efforts by the Kingdom's government to enhance governance, fight corruption, and confront the challenges of climate change. It also praised the plans being implemented to increase renewable energy, the Kingdom's goal to become the largest producer of clean hydrogen in the world, and the tangible role of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) in reducing carbon emissions, expecting that these efforts will contribute to reducing emissions to the target level for the year 2030, and indicating that the Kingdom recorded the second-lowest emissions globally per unit  produced. The report noted the positive transformation in the Saudi housing sector through a number of programs that contributed to an increase in the percentage of home ownership to 60.6% in 2022, in pursuit of the Vision 2030 goal of 70% by 2030. It also noted the importance of industrial policies in the success of the Kingdom's efforts toward structural transformation and diversification under Saudi Vision 2030. With regard to the Kingdom's digital transformation, the report indicated that the Kingdom ranks high in a number of global digitization rankings for example digital infrastructure and the maturity of digital government transformation. Also, the strong digital development in Saudi Arabia has improved financial inclusion, the resilience of the financial sector, and enhanced government effectiveness, pointing out that Saudi Vision 2030 played a pivotal role in accelerating the pace of digital transformation.

The General Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities and the General Authority for Statistics signed a memorandum of cooperation on Monday, 20 Muharram 1445 AH, corresponding to August 7, 2023, in Riyadh. The memorandum aims to enhance the level of joint coordination in the field of statistical data, which contributes to providing data and information and improving the quality of services provided to persons with disabilities, as well as ensuring their necessary care and rehabilitation. The memorandum was signed by Dr. Hisham bin Mohammed Al-Haidari, the CEO of the General Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities, and Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dosari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics. The agreement aims to enhance integration between the two entities in achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, through the exchange of relevant official statistics for persons with disabilities. The General Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities is responsible for serving them and working towards integrating efforts to improve statistical products for this category. Additionally, the agreement includes providing technical support to the General Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities in statistical aspects related to handling and exchanging data and information, issuing reports and publications, and monitoring social variables for persons with disabilities. It is worth mentioning that the General Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities aims to be the comprehensive umbrella for all matters related to persons with disabilities, granting them their full rights and empowering them in collaboration with relevant entities. It seeks to ensure their rights related to disabilities and contribute to enhancing their independence and empowerment through their participation in various activities and full inclusion in all aspects of life, to achieve an inclusive and harmonious society.

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.