The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has achieved eight certifications in accordance with the international standards of the ISO organization. These certifications contribute to improving the quality of services provided by GASTAT and enhancing its ability to achieve its objectives. Obtaining these certifications is a culmination of its efforts to raise levels of quality and excellence.  
The certifications obtained by GASTAT are IT Service Management System to improve the quality and efficiency of technical services, Business Continuity Management System to ensure the continuity of operations during crises and emergencies, Enterprise Risk Management Guidelines for systematic risk assessment and mitigation, and Compliance Management System to enhance governance and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.  They also include Project Management Guidelines to improve project success rates and performance measurement, Legal Risk Management Guidelines for evaluating and ensuring compliance with legal risks, Competency Management Guidelines for employee training aligned with GASTAT’s objectives, and Code of Ethics and Conduct Management Guidelines to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.  
It is noteworthy that these certifications are awarded to organizations that commit to applying a comprehensive set of global standards in laws, policies, and procedures.  

The Vice President of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Mr. Mohammed Al-Rshaid, welcomed Mr. Jean-Baptiste, Head of the Regional Economic Department for the Arabian Peninsula at Embassy of France in Abu Dhabi , along with his accompanying delegation, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh. The meeting aimed to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two parties in the field of statistics. During the discussion, the delegation was briefed on GASTAT's transformation journey, its key activities, and its statistical products.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Vice President of GASTAT welcomed the members of the French delegation, emphasizing that the meeting aligns with efforts to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in the field of statistical work. Al-Rshaid highlighted GASTAT's efforts in advancing statistical transformation in the Kingdom, including modernizing methodologies for various statistical products, enhancing methods for calculating statistical indicators, and establishing a mechanism to provide an accurate statistical database. This database enables policy formulation and supports decision-makers in formulating development plans across various sectors, contributing to the realization of the goals and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
For his part, the head of the French delegation, along with his accompanying team, presented an overview of their statistical work and discussed ways to enhance cooperation within the framework of exchanging statistical expertise and knowledge. The meeting was attended by several experts and stakeholders in statistical affairs from both sides.

As part of efforts to enhance joint cooperation in the statistical field and exchange expertise and statistical knowledge between the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the Department of Statistics, Dr. Fatimah Al Waef, Director General of Social Statistics, welcomed Dr. Ali Al-Shibl, Deputy Executive Director of the General Population and Housing Census, Director of Operations and Head of the Jordanian Statistical Delegation, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh.

The visit aimed to gain insights into GASTAT’s experience with the (Saudi Census 2022) and discuss ways to strengthen opportunities for cooperation in statistical fields, along with other topics of mutual interest.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Al-Waif warmly welcomed the Jordanian delegation, commending the fraternal relations between the two countries. She emphasized that this meeting falls within the framework of enhancing these relations and exchanging expertise in the field of statistical work. Dr. Al-Waif highlighted GASTAT's efforts in Saudi Arabia's statistical transformation, including updating methodologies for various statistical products, developing methods for calculating statistical indicators, and creating an accurate statistical database to support policymaking and decision-makers in developing developmental plans for various sectors, aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

On his part, Dr. Ali Al-Shibl, head of the Jordanian delegation, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to GASTAT for hosting this visit and the efforts made. He also commended the warm reception and hospitality, emphasizing the delegation’s eagerness to benefit from Saudi Arabia's pioneering experience in the population census. Dr. Al-Shibl praised the progress and rapid development in the statistical field in Saudi Arabia as part of the ongoing statistical transformation and expressed his desire, along with the accompanying delegation, to develop joint statistical cooperation and strengthen ties to further benefit from Saudi Arabia's experience in enhancing statistical work.

The meeting was attended by statistical experts from both sides. The three-day visit took place from November 10–12, 2024, during which the phases of the Saudi Census 2022 project were reviewed. The discussions included the statistical standards and methodologies applied, the mechanisms and procedures of self-enumeration used, as well as various aspects of statistical work, including data collection, analysis, processing, storing , and publication methods.

At the conclusion of the visit, the Jordanian side expressed a strong desire to enhance the partnership between the two sides in all aspects of statistical work, aiming to exchange expertise and statistical knowledge between the two countries. The Saudi side reiterated its full commitment to providing necessary support to the Kingdom of Jordan in the field of census and other diverse areas of statistical work.

The General Authority for Statistics announced today the results of the Household Environment Statistics Publication 2023  in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that bottled water is the primary source of drinking water used by households in Saudi Arabia, with a reliance rate of 57.24%. This is followed by public network water at 23.56%, tanker water at 18.60%, and other sources at 0.60%.
Based on the publication, the percentage of households showing interest in environmental topics reached 87.98%, while 3.94% indicate a lack of interest, and 8.08% are neutral toward environmental topics. The results also showed that 33.48% of households use electrical devices or tools to conserve water, while 66.52% of households do not use water conservation devices or tools.

The results indicated that 47.34% of households complain about visual pollution, 43.33% suffer from noise pollution, and 38.10% experience air pollution. Meanwhile, 6.56% of households reported being bothered by light pollution. 99.44% of total households dispose of household waste in public waste containers, while 0.38% of households burn their waste, 0.02% bury it, and 0.17% use other disposal methods.

The results demonstrated that 60.08% of households have a first aid kit, 40.57% have a fire extinguisher, and 16.84% have fire alarm systems. The results also showed that 17.51% of households have trees at their homes, 7.32% have palm trees, 5.47% have bougainvillea trees, 4.31% have Indian jasmine, and 2.70% have Sidr trees.
The Household Environment Statistics Publication is based on the data of the Household Environment Survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), by collecting data through CATI for a sample covering all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data was also collected from the sources of administrative records from relevant entities. The survey aims to fulfill the requirements of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators, in addition to providing indicators that support decision-makers and strategic planning.

The General Authority for Statistics announced the results of the Household Energy Statistics Publication 2023  in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results indicated that Riyadh region had the highest electrical energy consumption, making up 28.1%, followed by Makkah region at 25.5%. The Eastern region accounted for 16.7% of the consumption, while Al-Baha region recorded the lowest electrical energy consumption at 0.9% among all administrative regions .
In 2023, the average weekly operating hours for water heating appliances was 62.1 hours, while air conditioning units operated for an average of 51.5 hours per week. Heating appliances averaged 17.9 hours of operation weekly, and cooking appliances were used for an average of 6.8 hours per week. 

In 2023, 92.1% of households showed strong interest in energy conservation. Additionally, 83.6% of households followed energy-saving practices when using household appliances. Furthermore, 55.2% of households expressed a willingness to invest in replacing old appliances with newer, more energy-efficient models. The results also revealed that 42.3% of households were interested in using solar energy in their homes across the Kingdom.

In 2023, 98.4% of households in the residential sector used different energy sources for cooking, 89% used gas (cooking gas), and 9.3% used electricity for cooking. The remaining 0.1% of households used other types of energy for cooking.

The Household Energy Statistics Publication relies on two primary sources including data from the Household Energy Survey and administrative records from the Ministry of Energy. The results of the publication also present data on the use of different forms of energy in dwelling by types of dwellings and their ownership in Saudi Arabia.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced today that non-oil exports increased by 22.8% in September 2024. Additionally, national non-oil exports, excluding re-exports, rose by 11.6%, while the value of re-exported goods increased by 65.4% during the same period, according to the International Trade Publication, September 2024.
The results also indicated a decline in total merchandise exports by 14.9% in September 2024, while the ratio of oil exports to total exports dropped from 79.7% in September 2023 to 70.7% in September 2024. The results further revealed a 15.0% increase in the Kingdom’s imports in September 2024. As for the trade balance, the surplus decreased by 56.9% compared to September 2024.
Moreover, the publication showed that the percentage of non-oil merchandise exports reached 37.1% in September 2024, due to the significant increase in non-oil exports (22.8%) in contrast to the rise in imports (15.0%).
 

Today, Sunday, the First Statistical Forum for Universities and Professional and Scientific Statistical Associations was held, organized by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in collaboration with the Council of University Affairs. The forum is hosted by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh, with the attendance of representatives from specialized universities and colleges, research center staff, heads and executive members of several professional and scientific statistical associations, and a number of academics and specialists in the statistical field.

In a speech delivered by Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, he stated that this forum comes as part of GASTAT's ongoing efforts to achieve integration among the components of the statistical sector and its continuous endeavors to raise awareness and promote statistical culture in society. He emphasized the importance of integration between the statistical and academic sectors, affirming the significance of scientific cooperation and strengthening professional and academic partnerships to develop the technical skills of statisticians, which in turn reflects on the advancement of statistical work in the Kingdom to keep pace with the latest global methodologies and international statistical standards.

Dr. Talal Abdullah Al Shehri, the advisor and supervisor of the General Administration of Studies, delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Council of University Affairs, highlighting the vital role of the forum in supporting decision-makers and policymakers with accurate data across various fields of work and production.

Dr. Faisal Al-Sharabi, Chairman of the Professional Association for Statisticians and Data Scientists, expressed his gratitude to GASTAT for organizing this forum and giving statisticians the chance to get together to discuss important statistical and economic topics served by the statistical sector.

The forum included panel discussions and five workshops featuring a number of experts, statisticians, and specialists in data sciences. It discussed the most significant statistical products produced by GASTAT, the procedures followed in executing statistical work, as well as the development of university study plans to meet the needs of the statistical work and provide qualified national statistical personnel. The discussions also included collaboration to establish a statistical hackathon project, innovation and development in statistical products, enhancing the role of university research centers and statistical data, and strengthening the role of universities and associations in developing the technical skills of statisticians.

In this context, the directors- general of departments at GASTAT presented brief overviews of the mechanisms and procedures of work in various statistical fields. They highlighted several important statistical products, including: the population projections and estimates publication, household income and expenditure survey, household culture and entertainment survey, labor market statistics, GDP flash estimates, annual national accounts publication, small and medium enterprises statistics, industrial production index, foreign direct investment, structural business statistics, pilgrimage and Umrah statistics, wholesale and consumer price indices, real estate prices, tourism establishments, livestock statistics, marine fishery and aquaculture publication, food security, electrical energy statistics, household energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, air, maritime, and land transport statistics.

At the conclusion of the forum, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, honored several partners who contributed to the success of the forum, including the Council of University Affairs, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and the Professional Association for Statisticians and Data Scientists.

It is noteworthy that during the forum, GASTAT signed several Memorandums of Cooperation (MoCs) with Al Baha Region Strategic Development Office, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Professional Association for Statisticians and Data Scientists, and Al-Wedad charity for Orphan Care. These MoCs aim to serve the statistical sector in the Kingdom and its strategic directions of Saudi Vision 2030.

Tomorrow, Sunday, the activities of the First Statistical Forum for Universities and Professional and Scientific Statistical Associations will be launched, which is organized by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in collaboration with the Council of University Affairs and the Professional Association for Statisticians and Data Scientists. The forum is hosted by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh, with the attendance of university presidents, vice presidents, deans of specialized colleges, research center staff, heads and executive members of several professional and scientific statistical associations, and a number of academics and specialists in the statistical field.

This forum is the first of its kind that focuses on exploring ways to integrate the statistical and academic sectors in the Kingdom. It is part of GASTAT’s efforts to raise awareness about the practices of statistical work among specialists and other segments of society. This aims to achieve higher levels of effective and broad response to GASTAT’s fieldwork, ensuring the provision of data and information for various statistical indicators. The forum will involve the participation of academics, experts, and specialists in the fields of statistics and data science.

It is worth noting that the statistical sector in the Kingdom consists of several components, each playing a specific role in the field of statistical work. These components include GASTAT, statistical departments in universities, specialized research centers in statistical studies and research, and professional and scientific statistical associations specializing in data science. These associations serve as a link between the academic statistical side and the practical professional side.

The forum is part of the continuous efforts of GASTAT to enhance statistical scientific knowledge and launch initiatives that contribute to raising the level of statistical awareness in society. This ensures the sustainability of awareness about the importance of data and statistical indicators, and their vital role in supporting and empowering decision-makers and policy-makers to develop sustainable development plans in the coming years based on sound scientific principles and existing facts.