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.

Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, received Mr. Erki Kilu, Minister of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Estonia, along with Ambassador Maria Belolfas and the accompanying delegation at GASTAT’s headquarters. During the meeting, they reviewed various topics of mutual interest and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the field of statistical work between the two sides.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Fahad Aldossari welcomed the Minister of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Estonia and his accompanying delegation. He provided an overview of GASTAT’s key activities and its efforts in digital transformation, showcasing GASTAT’s main products, which include 70 statistical products, and the development of data collection tools and methodologies. The significant role played by GASTAT in updating the base year for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) according to chain-linked series, in line with internationally accepted practices among global and statistically advanced references, was also reviewed. In addition, updates to the Real Estate Index and geographic maps were discussed.
Aldossari also highlighted various regional and international projects, mentioning that the General Authority for Statistics was selected to host the sixth United Nations World Data Forum, set to take place in 2026.
For his part, the Minister of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Estonia expressed his gratitude to the President of the General Authority for Statistics for the warm welcome and congratulated GASTAT on its outstanding achievements. He highlighted the strong relations between the two friendly countries and praised the visit by GASTAT delegation to Estonia, along with its positive impact on various areas of cooperation between both sides.
Estonian Ambassador Maria Belolfas also delivered remarks, expressing her appreciation for the visit and commending the strong relations between the two countries, particularly in the economic sector.
It is worth noting that this meeting follows a visit by a delegation from the General Authority for Statistics to the Republic of Estonia last August, during which they met with officials from the Estonian Statistics Office and held meetings with several other officials involved in statistical work.

The General Authority for Statistics announced today the results of Oil and Gas Statistics Publication 2023 for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the publication's results, the total crude oil production in the Kingdom for 2023 decreased by 9.3% compared to 2022, reaching 3.506 million barrels. Meanwhile, the quantity of crude oil exports recorded a decrease of 9.6%, amounting to 2.431 million barrels compared to 2022.

The total production of gasoline in 2023 decreased by 2.6% compared to 2022, with a production quantity of 224 million barrels. Regarding kerosene and jet fuel, there was an increase in production quantity, reaching 57 million barrels, an increase of 2.7% compared to 2022, based on the results.

The total consumption of gasoline in 2023 increased by 1.8% compared to 2022, with a consumption quantity of 186 million barrels. In terms of kerosene and jet fuel, there was also an increase in consumption, reaching 35 million barrels, up by 32.8% compared to 2022, according to the publication.

The publication showed a decrease in total fuel oil exports for 2023 by 10.3% compared to 2022, with export quantities amounting to 67 million barrels, while imports increased, totaling 88 million barrels with a growth rate of approximately 25.9%. As for gas/diesel oil, there was a decrease in export quantities, which amounted to 206 million barrels, marking a decline of 15.7% compared to 2022, while imports rose to 33 million barrels, with an increase of 43.8%.

It is noteworthy that the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication covers energy data at the level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to the International Standard International Energy Product Classification (SIEC), with data available in a time series for the period (2010-2023).

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released today the flash estimates of the real GDP growth rate for Q3 of 2024 on its official website. Accordingly, the real GDP during Q3 of 2024 achieved a growth rate of 2.8% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The flash estimates revealed that oil activities recorded a growth of 0.3% during Q3 of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year, while non-oil activities achieved a positive growth rate of 4.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. Additionally, government activities recorded a positive growth rate of 3.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The report's results indicated that the seasonally adjusted real GDP during Q3 of 2024 increased by 0.8% compared to Q2 of 2024.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the Real Estate Price Index for Q3 2024, which reached 2.6% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, following the updated methodology for calculating the Real Estate Price Index in the Kingdom.
GASTAT clarified that the updated methodology for calculating the index will contribute to providing more comprehensive and high-quality data, supporting efforts to develop the real estate sector, and aligning with best statistical practices used in international benchmarks.
In this context, GASTAT attributed the change in the Real Estate Price Index for Q3 2024 to a 1.6% increase in residential property prices. Year-on-year, residential land prices increased by 1.6%, while apartment prices rose by 1.9%, and villa prices grew by 1.5%. In contrast, commercial property prices saw a significant rise of 6.4%, primarily due to a 6.3% increase in commercial land prices. Among various commercial properties, building prices climbed by 8.6%, while exhibition prices fell by 1.1%. On the other hand, the agricultural sector, particularly agricultural land, experienced a decline of 8.7%.
It is worth noting that the Real Estate Price Index Publication is a statistical tool to measure the relative change in real estate prices in Saudi Arabia. It results from electronic registration and documentation processes carried out by the Ministry of Justice, encompassing various variables in real estate transactions, including value, location, area, sector, and property type.

Under the patronage of His Excellency Majid bin Abdullah Alhoqail, Minister of Municipal and Housing Affairs, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, participated in a panel discussion titled "The Future of Real Estate: Advanced Management and Data Analysis." This session was held as part of the Global PropTech Summit in the capital, Riyadh, with the presence of a distinguished group of industry experts, investors, real estate developers, and leading global technology companies.
During his participation, Aldossari explained the role of the General Authority for Statistics in developing and enabling digital transformation, which has contributed to diversifying data sources to ensure the quality of statistical products and the comprehensiveness of indicators. These data sources include statistical surveys (field, telephone, and online), the utilization of administrative records, and other data sources such as satellite imagery and geospatial data. This approach has improved the efficiency of statistical operations and contributed to the quicker and more accurate production of high-quality statistical products.
In this context, Aldossari noted that through continuous planning and organizational development, we have successfully improved performance in the development of statistical products and indicators. He emphasized the importance of identifying needs and opportunities within the private sector related to statistical information and data. Furthermore, he highlighted the significance of collaborative efforts between GASTAT and private sector partners, which positively influences the success of joint initiatives. This collaboration supports the ongoing development and transformation of the General Authority for Statistics and takes advantage of advanced statistical programs and products that enhance commercial and investment opportunities in various sectors.
He added that in recent years, the scope of statistical work has expanded significantly, and the statistics sector in the Kingdom has undergone substantial transformations. This has been achieved through initiatives and statistical projects led by the General Authority for Statistics, aimed at producing statistical data and indicators. Additionally, there has been a continuous effort to integrate various data sources using the best data management and governance infrastructures, along with ongoing improvements in mechanisms for sharing statistical data.
It is worth noting that the Global PropTech Summit will take place over two days, October 27-28, 2024. This event serves as an innovative meeting point between technology and the real estate sector, with its themes closely aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and its objectives related to the development of the real estate sector. The summit emphasizes the importance of establishing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a leading center for modern real estate technology practices by adopting innovative activities in digital fields, data analysis, and virtual technologies for the future of the real estate sector.