1,141 medical and first response field teams provide their services 24/7  GaStat: Over 30,000 employees are ready to provide health services for pilgrims, with 16 hospitals in Mecca and the Holy Sites, 125 health centers, and 132 ambulance centers The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is investing all its human and material capacities in the service of pilgrims to the Holy Sites, as government entities come together to offer health services to pilgrims. The General Authority for Statistics (GAS) announced on Tuesday 5 Dhu'l-Hijjah 1440 Hijri that the workforce dedicated to providing health services and first aid to pilgrims this Hajj season has reached 30,908 people (of whom 8,685 are women). The numbers were published on the Authority’s website (www.stats.gov.sa( and include employees form the Ministry of Health, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, and the Saudi Food & Drug Authority. They are joined in providing health services by teams from the security and military sectors. This brings the total of medical and first response field teams at the Holy Sites during the Hajj season up to 1,141 teams. The GAS explained that health, treatment, and prevention services for pilgrims are offered by the Ministry of Health in the shape of free specialized medical services through a dedicated team of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, technicians, and administrative employees exceeding 27,797 individuals. Treatment services made available to pilgrims include:   open heart surgeries, cardiac catheterization, dialysis - both hemodialysis and peritoneal -, endoscopies, birth procedures, and other specialized medical services. Currently,  16 hospitals are available inside Mecca and the Holy Sites, along with 125 health  centers  fully equipped for medical and emergency response, and 68 field teams operating at the Holy Sites and inside and outside Mecca.  The Saudi Red Crescent Authority has itself dedicated 132 permanent and temporary first response centers, 370 ambulances, 20 bikes, and 2,811 individuals for emergency and medical services in Mecca, Medina, and the Holy Sites.  All health and emergency response teams are operating 24/7 in Mecca and the Holy Sites until Wednesday 20 Dhu'l-Hijjah. The concerned authorities have already set the necessary comprehensive programs and plans to guarantee the provision of all capacities and requirements needed to deal with emergencies and disasters, if any, and to provide medical and emergency aid, treatment, and prevention services to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and visitors. The plans have been rolled out effectively and efficiently based on a unified approach and using the most advanced medical and first aid provision methods. The services also seek to reinforce health security at the Holy Sites and the roads leading to them, and at land, air and maritime entry points. They are not limited to land services provided through ambulances but also cover Saudi Air Ambulance, motorbikes, fast response teams, and field teams at the Great Mosque and Al Masjid an Nabawi and their surroundings. These efforts rely on available human capacities and a group of male and female volunteers.  The Saudi Food & Drug Authority has assigned a team of 300 employees to monitor foods, medicine, and medical equipment and products imported by pilgrims and pilgrimage groups. This team is also in charge of supporting the concerned monitoring authorities in their inspection of establishments offering food to pilgrims in Mecca, Medina and the Holy Sites. The Authority’s seven key services include: inspecting foods, medicine, and medical equipment imported through entry points; health inspection of food establishments in the Mecca region; health inspection of food establishments in the Medina region; health inspection of animals sacrificed at Mina; field studies concerning food safety; raising awareness among pilgrims on the safety of food, medicine, and medical equipment and products; and inspecting transportation means entering Mecca and the Holy Sites. - End -

The survey is based on the "holding" as the economic unit of both plant and animal agricultural production  GASTAT releases the results of the Agricultural Holdings Survey for 2018 On Dhu al-Qidah 29, 1440 (August 1, 2019), the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued its results on the "Agricultural Holdings Survey for 2018" on its official website, www.stats.gov.sa. The Agricultural Holdings Survey is one of the periodic surveys conducted by GASTAT every three years. It aims to provide an updated database from the agricultural census framework 2014-2015 on the main characteristics of the agricultural holdings such as the number of agricultural holdings, their area, the legal entity and the type of holdings. It also provides data on agricultural workers, in addition to a large number of data that support decision makers, policymakers, workers in the agricultural sector and those interested in this field. GASTAT carried out the "Agricultural Holdings" survey of 2018 in accordance with the recognized international practices in the statistical agencies. Since the "holding" is the economic unit of the agricultural production in both plant and animal, it is under one administration and includes all animals in it and all lands used in whole or in part for agricultural production purposes regardless of the ownership, legal form or area. The results of the survey showed that the total number of agricultural holdings in Saudi Arabia’s administrative regions in 2017 was (283,788), with a total area of (34) million dunums. The percentage of traditional holdings is (88.4%) out of total number of agricultural holdings in Saudi Arabia with an area of (10.9) million dunums. Traditional holdings are the predominant type in most of the agricultural holdings in Saudi Arabia. This type of holdings does not have to take prior approval or licenses from the concerned parties and their activity may be plant, animal or mixed production. However, the specialized holdings (projects) reached  (11.6%) of the total number of agricultural holdings in Saudi Arabia with a total area exceeded (23.3) million dunums, including the specialized holdings (projects) that were approved and have been granted licenses from the concerned parties after the technical and economic study to establish such specialized holdings, whether it was specialized in plant production, animal, poultry farms, fish farming, or those projects which mainly follow modern non-traditional methods in the irrigation system, or they use agricultural mechanization and modern technology in agricultural production and they are specialized in the production whether exposed or protected agriculture,  raising cows to produce milk, or in fattening of calves, sheep and poultry . The results of the survey also showed that (93.38% )of the agricultural holdings were owned by the holders and (6.58%) of the holdings were leased. The remaining holdings percentage (0.04%) was distributed among the other land holding systems. Regarding legal entity, "Individuals" ranked first with (98%) of holders. In terms of the main purpose of production, (86.4%) of the landholdings production was allocated for "sale" and the rest of the holdings’ production was allocated for consumption, representing (13.6%). In terms of the main activity of agricultural holdings, the plant holdings reached the highest percentage (91.8% ) of the total number of agricultural landholdings, while animal holdings came second with (8%). The results of the survey revealed that (20.1%) of the holders work in agriculture as the main occupation, and the remaining percentage (79.9%) are holders their main occupation is other than agriculture. The results also showed that the percentage of Saudis working in agriculture as a main occupation reached (99.5%) of the total number of holders who work in agriculture as their main occupation. According to the detailed survey results on the main source used for irrigation water, the number of artesian and manual wells in agricultural landholdings reached (319,393). As for the agricultural holdings where the main source of irrigation depends on rain, it reached (96,627) holdings, with the area of holdings reaching (294,573) dunums out of the total irrigated areas.

Signing a MoU to enhance Use of Data “GASTAT” & World Bank: Our collaboration Supports Government Entities in the Exchange of Statistical Data and highlighting their efforts at the international level The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the World Bank signed on Monday 5/11/1440 H (8/7/2019) a memorandum of understanding to regulate statistical data exchange and enhance the joint work to support government entities. The MoU regulates the provision of data and statistics on Saudi Arabia to the World Bank, the classification of statistical data, whether the survey data produced by GASTAT from economic and household surveys or data of administrative records collected by GASTAT from government entities. The agreement also includes the mechanisms for requesting data from sources, technical responsibilities, intellectual property rights and organization aspects of publication.  HE Dr. Fahad Bin Sulaiman Al-Tekhifi, President of GASTAT, affirmed that the organization of data exchange with international organizations is one of the strategic tracks of the work of GASTAT, which stems from Saudi Arabia’s position which is led by government entities under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Furthermore, it reflects the role of GASTAT in increasing the pace of coordination and collaboration with the international organizations concerning data and statistical indicators of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it reflects the importance of the World Bank’s work in highlighting these indicators in international comparison programs and in carrying out studies and research relevant to the common development aspects of all countries of the world. The Regional Director of the World Bank in the Gulf Region, Mr. Essam Abu Sulaiman, asserted that the collaboration with the General Authority for Statistics as the official statistical body of Saudi Arabia comes in order to highlight the efforts undertaken by Saudi Arabia in various fields of development, and in response to the increasing demand for statistical data, whether survey data or data from records released by government entities. He also added that the collaboration with the Saudi statistical body will play an active role in the data request operations and provision to the World Bank, and ensure their unification according to international classifications and standards. The Regional Director of the World Bank commended the procedures carried out by GASTAT which are in accordance with the international requirements and methodologies of statistical work applicable in all countries. The World Bank is a strong partner in the GCC for more than 50 years. Government entities in the GCC have benefited from the World Bank's global development knowledge and expertise through its technical assistance programs. These include the activities in the GCC in key areas that the Bank has extensive international technical expertise in them, including improving service delivery, encouraging diversification of economic activity, strengthening governance, strengthening social protection systems and pensions. The World Bank is also working with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council to address interrelated issues, particularly in environmental protection.

GASTAT: releases Consumer Price Index(CPI) Monthly Report for June,2019 General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released its monthly report of CPI in Saudi Arabia for June, 2019. The report was published on its official website www.stats.gov.sa. CPI index increased by (%0.2) compared to last month (May,2019). GASTAT’s report indicated that the consumer price index CPI in Saudi Arabia increased from (105.7) in May,2019 to (105.9) in June,2019 with (%0.2) change. As a matter of fact, the report attributed this increase to the increase of the five sections composing it, which are: personal goods and services section with (%1.8), culture and entertainment section with (%1.5), transportation section with (%0.6), restaurants and hotels section with (%0.6), and food and beverages section with (%0.2). In contrast, three of the main sections witnessed a decline, which are: housing, water, electricity, and gas section with (%0.4), clothing and shoes section with (%0.2), finally home furnishing and equipment section with (%0.1). On the other hand, health, telecommunication, education, and tobacco sections remained stable with no change.