On its first day, the Saudi Statistics Forum — held under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics — witnessed the attendance of a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, ministers, heads and representatives of international organizations and statistical offices, local and international experts, and decision-makers in the statistical sector, along with more than 300 individuals interested in statistical work.

The first panel discussion at the forum, titled “The Role of Statistics in Policy Development and Decision-making,” featured the participation of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, and His Excellency the President of the General Authority for Statistics, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dossari.

The session discussed the impact of collaboration and integration between national statistical offices and governmental and private entities in decision-making and enhancing developmental outcomes. It also addressed the importance of statistical indicators in measuring the success of policies and aligning them with national targets, in addition to highlighting the critical role of statistical data as a fundamental pillar in shaping public policies, making decisions, and setting national priorities.

The second panel discussion was dedicated to the topic of "International Statistical Methodologies and Practices". It featured the participation of the President of the General Authority for Statistics, along with several heads of statistical offices, representatives of international organizations, and several local and international experts. The participants discussed the importance of globally recognized statistical standards and classifications, the unification of methodologies to ensure comparability between countries, and the role of modern technologies in advancing statistical methodologies. They also addressed the challenges facing statistical practices and emphasized the importance of ensuring reliability and transparency in official statistics.

It is worth noting that the Saudi Statistics Forum will continue its specialized sessions focusing on the statistical sector, covering a range of topics such as innovation and development in statistical methods, the role of the private sector in supporting and producing statistical data, and the integration between statistical institutions and data users. These efforts are part of the forum’s broader goal to develop a comprehensive national statistical system that supports decision-making and contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.

In the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mr. Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim; His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef and Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the National Planning Council, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Statistics Center of Qatar. The signing took place on the sidelines of the first Saudi Statistics Forum.
The agreement aims to elevate the level of cooperation between the two parties, enhance coordination, and integrate efforts in their respective fields. Furthermore, it seeks to establish a general framework for joint activities and tasks, develop institutional capabilities, and foster integration to serve common objectives.
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, and His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al-Obaidli, Director-General of the National Statistics Center of Qatar. The memorandum outlines several key areas of cooperation, including the exchange of technical expertise and knowledge aligned with each party’s area of specialization in mutually relevant fields. It also covers the development and sharing of programs aimed at promoting statistical awareness, strategies for public engagement, and the joint organization of conferences, seminars, and workshops. Additionally, it encourages the exchange of visits between experts and specialists engaged in statistical activities.

In this context, Dr. Fahad Aldossari emphasized that GASTAT’s statistical efforts play a vital role in advancing the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by developing and monitoring statistical indicators. Pointing out that cooperation with the National Statistics Centre of Qatar contributes to measuring progress towards achieving the objectives of national visions and sustainable development through joint work in raising the level of performance concerning the exchange of statistical data, meeting the requirements of both parties and identifying statistical developments and future trends in developing statistical products. This collaboration aims to support the national economy and sustainable development, enhance knowledge, and build societal awareness towards the various sectors and activities of the state.

It is worth noting that the General Authority for Statistics is the entity responsible for statistics in the Kingdom and the sole official reference for implementing and technically supervising and organizing statistical work. GASTAT's tasks are diverse and include collecting statistical data and information from public and private entities and individuals, as well as analyzing and studying this data.

GASTAT's President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Professor Markus Sovala, Director General of Statistics Finland of the Republic of Finland, in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Chairman of GASTAT’s Board of Directors, Mr. Faisal Alibrahim, and His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar Alkhorayef, during the Saudi Statistics Forum organized by GASTAT in the capital Riyadh, on April 27-28, 2025

MoU aims to enhance cooperation between the two parties, improve coordination and integration of efforts in statistical work, establish a general framework for joint activities and tasks, and develop institutional capacities to serve the strategic objectives of both parties. It includes several areas of cooperation, notably: exchanging technical and knowledge-based support and expertise according to the specialization of each party, exchanging programs focused on promoting statistical awareness, developing communication strategies with the public, and organizing conferences, seminars, and workshops.

The Saudi Statistics Forum is the first of its kind and aims to discuss important statistical topics, highlight the positive impact of the statistics sector in supporting the Kingdom's path of progress and sustainable development, and reinforce the importance of data and statistics in raising awareness among members of society.

وقّعت الهيئة العامة للإحصاء مذكرة تفاهم مع "إحصاءات إستونيا" في جمهورية إستونيا، أثناء انعقاد المنتدى السعودي للإحصاء، الذي أُقيم في مدينة الرياض خلال الفترة من 27 إلى 28 أبريل 2025م، وذلك في إطار تعزيز التعاون الدولي في مجال العمل الإحصائي.

وتهدف مذكرة التفاهم إلى رفع مستوى التعاون بين الجانبين، وتعزيز التنسيق وتكامل الجهود في المجالات الإحصائية، إضافة إلى تطوير القدرات المؤسسية، وبناء إطار عام للأنشطة والمهام المشتركة، بما يخدم الأهداف الاستراتيجية للطرفين. وقد وقّع الاتفاقية كلٌ من الدكتور فهد بن عبدالله الدوسري، رئيس الهيئة العامة للإحصاء، والسيد أورميت لي، المدير العام لـ "إحصاءات إستونيا".

وتتضمن المذكرة التعاون في تبادل الخبرات والدعم الفني والمعرفي، إلى جانب تبادل البرامج الخاصة بنشر الوعي الإحصائي، واستراتيجيات التواصل مع الجمهور، وتنظيم المؤتمرات والندوات وورش العمل، فضلاً عن تبادل الزيارات بين الخبراء والمختصين في المجالات ذات العلاقة بالأعمال الإحصائية.

يذكر أن المنتدى السعودي للإحصاء هو الأول من نوعه، ويهدف إلى مناقشة مواضيع مهمة على الصعيد الإحصائي وبيان الأثر الإيجابي لقطاع الإحصاء في دعم مسيرة النهضة والتنمية المستدامة في المملكة وترسيخ أهمية البيانات والإحصاءات في وعي أفراد المجتمع.
 

GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, and Managing Director of FCSC, Ms. Hanan Mansour AHLI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities in the presence of H.E. Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of GASTAT's Board of Directors; H.E. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources; and H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The MoU was signed during the Saudi Statistics Forum held in Riyadh. This initiative aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in statistical fields. It seeks to coordinate and integrate efforts in areas of statistical work, develop institutional capacities, and exchange technical and knowledge-based expertise. It also aims to share programs related to raising statistical awareness and public communication strategies and organize conferences, seminars, and workshops.

Under the patronage His Excellency Faisal bin Fadhel Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of GASTAT’s Board of Directors, The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is launching the First Saudi Statistics Forum this coming Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Riyadh, under the theme “Statistics for Sustainable Opportunities”. The event will run for two days, concluding on April 28.
The forum will gather high-level participants, including ministers, leaders and representatives of international organizations, experts from statistical offices, and both local and international specialists. More than 300 attendees with a strong interest in statistical development are expected to participate.
The agenda will explore several key topics across five sessions. Discussions will begin with the role of statistics in policy development and decision-making. Subsequent sessions will cover global methodologies and practices in statistics, as well as the latest innovations and developments in statistical techniques. Attention will also be given to how the private sector contributes to producing and supporting statistical data. The forum will conclude with a session focused on strengthening collaboration between statistical institutions and data users.
As the first national platform of its kind, the Saudi Statistics Forum aims to spotlight the growing importance of data in supporting the Kingdom’s sustainable development journey, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It also seeks to raise public awareness of the impact and value of reliable statistics in everyday life.
GASTAT has called on statisticians, data professionals, and stakeholders to take part in this significant event and benefit from the insights shared by experts from across the globe. For registration and more details, visit:
https://ssf.eventy.sa/?event_id=dhcimVphLIB1d4J3r9yJnA

The General Authority for Statistics is organizing the First Saudi Forum for Statistics under the theme "Statistics for Sustainable Opportunities" on April 27-28, 2025, in Riyadh. The Forum will be attended by high-ranking officials, including princes, ministers, heads and representatives of international organizations, statistical offices from various countries, as well as local and international experts, with more than 300 participants interested in statistical work. The forum will highlight several key topics across five sessions, discussing the role of statistics in policy development and decision-making, international statistical methodologies and practices, innovation and development in statistical methods, the role of the private sector in supporting and producing statistical data, and the integration between statistical institutions and data beneficiaries. As the first forum of its kind in Saudi Arabia, it aims to discuss important statistical topics, highlight the positive impact of the statistics sector in supporting the Kingdom’s journey of growth and sustainable development, measure the level of progress in the indicators of Saudi Vision 2030, and reinforce the importance of data and statistics in raising public awareness. The General Authority for Statistics invites all interested individuals to register and learn more about the forum through the official website: 
https://ssf.eventy.sa/?event_id=dhcimVphLIB1d4J3r9yJnA

The General Authority for Statistics released the results of the Industrial Production Index (IPI) for February 2025. According to the report, IPI decreased by 0.2% compared to the same month of the previous year (February 2024), primarily due to a decline in mining and quarrying activities.
The report showed a 0.7% year-on-year decrease in the sub-index for mining and quarrying activities. In contrast, the sub-index for manufacturing activities rose by 0.2%. The sub-index for electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply recorded an increase of 1.1%, while the sub-index for water supply, sewage, waste management, and treatment activities recorded a significant rise of 13.1%.
According to the main economic activities, the results indicated that the IPI for oil-related activities decreased by 1.6% in February 2025, while the index for non-oil activities rose by 3.2%.
It is worth noting that the General Authority for Statistics publishes IPI monthly. This economic indicator reflects the relative changes in the volume of industrial production, based on data from the Industrial Production Survey, which is conducted on a sample of industrial establishments operating in the targeted industrial activities, including mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, and water supply, sewage, waste management, and treatment activities.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released today the International Trade Statistics Publication for January 2025. According to the publication’s results, merchandise exports grew by 2.4% in January 2025 compared to January 2024. Non-oil exports (including re-exports) increased by 10.7% over January 2024. Meanwhile, imports rose by 8.3% in January 2025, while the trade balance surplus declined by 11.9% compared to January 2024.
The publication’s results indicated an increase in the ratio of non-oil exports to imports (including re-exports), reaching 36.5% in January 2025, up from 35.7% in January 2024. Additionally, the percentage of oil exports in total exports declined from 74.8% in January 2024 to 72.7% in January 2025.
The publication’s results also showed that "chemical industry products" were among the top non-oil export commodities, accounting for 23.7% of total non-oil exports. Meanwhile, the most imported commodities were "machinery, electrical equipment, and parts," making up 25.9% of total imports.
Moreover, the results highlighted that the Republic of China represented the Kingdom’s main trading partner in merchandise trade. Exports to China made up 15.2% of total exports in January 2025, while imports from China accounted for 26.4% of total imports during the same period.