The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced the launch of the second edition of the Saudi Statistician Program. This initiative aims to attract outstanding graduates from local and international universities, and qualify them academically and professionally to become promising national cadres in the fields of statistics and data science.
The program objective is to enable Saudi talents to pursue their higher studies at top global universities in certain fields including statistics, applied statistics, and data science, with full financial support that covers tuition fees, training, and monthly allowances. This support enhances the competitiveness of national talents in both the local and global labor markets.
Accepted candidates will undergo several integrated developmental stages, starting with basic training, which includes training in statistical programming languages, developing personal and technical skills, and job rotation, before moving on to academic scholarship and then returning to apply the expertise they have gained and contribute to implementing the National Statistics Strategy.
This program represents one of the strategic steps to build a specialized national elite capable of enhancing the quality of statistical work in the Kingdom and strengthening its global competitiveness, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and the principles of sustainability, governance, and digital transformation.
GASTAT welcomes all those who have passion and excellence and who meet the program requirements. Interested applicants can visit GASTAT’s website for more details and information .

https://careers.stats.gov.sa/en/job-search-results/?

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released today the results of the Industrial Production Index (IPI) for March 2025, which showed a 2.0% increase in the overall index compared to the same month of the previous year.
According to the publication, manufacturing activities recorded a notable year-on-year growth of 5.1%, while the water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities rose by 15.0%. In contrast, mining and quarrying activities decreased by 0.2%, and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activities declined by 0.9%.
At the level of major economic classifications, oil-related activities increased by 0.5%, while the non-oil activities recorded a 5.6% rise compared to March 2024.
It is worth noting that the General Authority for Statistics issues the Industrial Production Index on a monthly basis to measure the relative changes in industrial production volumes. This is based on data from the Industrial Production Survey, which is conducted on a selected sample of establishments operating in targeted industrial sectors, including: mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, and water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities.

GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, held a meeting with John List, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and his accompanying delegation during their recent visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, Dr. Fahad Aldossari reviewed key transformations of the statistical sector in the Kingdom in recent years. He highlighted the significant expansion in the statistical work and the qualitative initiatives led by GASTAT to enhance the production of statistical indicators, develop the infrastructure and governance of the statistical sector, and integrate multiple data sources while improving exchange mechanisms according to the highest international standards. The two parties also discussed areas of cooperation aimed at linking research and innovation in the statistical field to several areas within the Kingdom.
 This collaboration seeks to contribute to raising the level of awareness and disseminating research that enhances global scientific content in relevant disciplines, through an integrated framework between GASTAT and the University of Chicago.
 It is worth noting that this meeting aligns with GASTAT's strategic direction towards expanding its scientific and research partnerships with leading international academic institutions. This aims to enhance its capacity to produce high-quality statistics and support the integration between its statistical products and scientific research, ultimately contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals and strengthening the Kingdom's statistical standing at both regional and international levels.
 

GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, met with the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Dr. Claudia Mahler. During the meeting, they reviewed the efforts made by GASTAT to support the elderly through the production of updated statistical data and indicators specifically for this group.

Dr. Fahad Aldossari provided an overview of the statistical transformation project launched in 2023, which aims to ensure comprehensive coverage of all statistical indicators in the Kingdom, including data and indicators related to the elderly. He also emphasized that after collecting, analyzing, and processing field and register-based data, it is essential to align this data in cooperation with relevant government entities to achieve accurate results that continuously enhance service quality.

It is worth mentioning that this meeting is part of GASTAT's efforts to enhance international cooperation and exchange experiences with international organizations, aiming to raise the Kingdom's ranking in international indicators and develop statistical work according to the best global practices.
 

GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, received the Chief Statistician of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Dr. Jose Rosero, at GASTAT’s headquarters in Riyadh. They held a bilateral meeting to discuss several topics of mutual interest.

During the meeting, they reviewed GASTAT’s key projects and highlighted its strategic transformation journey, which includes the improvement of various statistical product methodologies, the enhancement of the digital infrastructure within GASTAT, and the improvement of information technology efficiency supporting statistical work.

Dr. Jose Rosero expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, stating FAO's interest in enhancing cooperation with GASTAT, considering the increasing importance of data regularly requested by the organization from international statistical offices and agencies.
 

Saudi Arabia made significant progress in the 2024 Open Data Inventory report issued by Open Data Watch, rising to 41st place globally out of 197 countries. This marks an advancement of 28 positions compared to the year 2022 assessment. Also, Saudi Arabia advanced from 15th to 9th place among G20 countries in this year’s report reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing transparency and data openness. The ODIN report is based on two main elements: the Data Coverage Score, which measures the comprehensiveness and diversity of published official data, and the Data Openness Score, which measures the ease of access and usability of data.

Open Data Watch, through its official report, praised the significant progress made by the Kingdom, considering this advancement the result of ongoing efforts and notable initiatives worthy of recognition. The Kingdom’s data coverage score increased by 16 points, and the data openness score rose by 15 points, achieving a growth of 143% in the overall score since 2017. underscoring its commitment to adopting global best practices in the field of open data.

This national achievement is the result of the efforts of the General Authority for Statistics, which leads the national statistical ecosystem by developing statistical products, launching strategic indicators that support Saudi Vision 2030, expanding the provision of open data, and facilitating access through official digital platforms.

In line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, GASTAT has strengthened its strategy to develop IT infrastructure, enabling government entities, the private sector, and researchers to use data to support strategic planning and decision-making. GASTAT’s efforts have also contributed to fostering a culture of transparency and open data, raising community awareness of the importance of data as a key driver of sustainable development and innovation.

This progress in the open data inventory report reflects the Kingdom’s growing status as a regional and global hub for providing official data and statistical indicators, reinforcing its role in building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy, enhancing transparency, attracting investment, and keeping pace with the rapid digital transformations taking place worldwide.
 

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced the implementation of a comprehensive update to Saudi Arabia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in line with the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance economic transparency, improve the quality and statistical data reliability, and accurately measure national economic indicators that support development goals and align with international best practices.
GASTAT explained that the updated results showed a 14.1% increase in GDP estimates for 2023, equivalent to an additional SAR 566 billion compared to previously published results, bringing the updated GDP total to SAR 4.5 trillion. The comprehensive update also revealed a higher relative contribution of the non-oil economy, reaching 53.2%, an increase of 5.7 percentage points from earlier estimates, driven largely by the increased economic activity of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The update further indicated significant growth in several economic sectors, including a 61% increase in construction activity, a 29.8% rise in wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels, and a 25.6% increase in transportation, storage, and communications, in addition to growth across various other sectors.
This update is part of GASTAT’s ongoing efforts to provide more comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate, and high-quality statistical data that serves decision-makers, policymakers, investors, researchers, and stakeholders at the local, regional, and international levels. Over the past period, GASTAT has implemented several enhancements to national accounts statistics, most notably the adoption of the chain-linked methodology. This globally recognized approach is used to estimate real GDP growth rates based on the weights and prices of the year preceding the measurement year, in accordance with the recommendations of the System of National Accounts (SNA) manual.
At the beginning of 2024, GASTAT launched the comprehensive GDP update project through a series of statistical surveys aimed at collecting detailed and wide-ranging data for the year 2023. Key surveys included the comprehensive economic survey, the household income and expenditure survey, and the comprehensive agricultural survey, in addition to an expanded use of administrative data sources. These inputs were used to develop more detailed supply and use tables and to produce accurate GDP estimates using the production, income, and expenditure approaches. The update also provided detailed data covering 134 economic activities, compared to 85 in the previous classification.
GASTAT affirmed that this update aligns with globally recognized statistical practices, helping to deliver a more accurate and up-to-date representation of the national economy. It captures significant structural shifts, enhances the precision of economic indicators, and boosts the credibility and international alignment of national data. GASTAT also emphasized that without regular updates, the data may fail to reflect the ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia’s economic structure, particularly in light of the rapid expansion of the non-oil sector since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030. The revised GDP data is now accessible through GASTAT’s official e-portal.

استقبل رئيس الهيئة العامة للإحصاء الدكتور فهد بن عبدالله الدوسري، اليوم في مقر الهيئة بالرياض، وفدًا رسميًا من المركز الاتحادي للتنافسية والإحصاء بدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، برئاسة مدير المركز الأستاذة حنان أهلي.

وفي مستهل اللقاء، رحّب الدكتور الدوسري بالوفد الزائر، مؤكدًا عمق العلاقات الأخوية التي تجمع المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، وأهمية التعاون الثنائي بين الجهازين الإحصائيين في البلدين الشقيقين لدعم مسيرة العمل الإحصائي وتطوير القدرات الوطنية بما يسهم في تحقيق مستهدفات التنمية المستدامة ورؤية البلدين الطموحتين. كما عُقد اجتماع موسع بين الجانبين، نوقشت خلاله عدد من الموضوعات ذات الاهتمام المشترك في مجالات العمل الإحصائي، من أبرزها: تبادل الخبرات في تطوير المنهجيات الإحصائية الحديثة، وتعزيز التكامل في جمع وتحليل البيانات الإحصائية، وتطوير آليات إنتاج المؤشرات الاستراتيجية الداعمة لصناعة القرار، واستعراض أفضل الممارسات في إتاحة البيانات المفتوحة وضمان جودتها، وبحث فرص التعاون المستقبلي في الابتكار الإحصائي والتقنيات التحليلية الحديثة مثل: الذكاء الاصطناعي وتحليل البيانات الضخمة. كما استعرض الجانبان أبرز الإنجازات الوطنية التي حققتها المملكة ودولة الإمارات في مجال تطوير البيانات الرسمية، والجهود المبذولة للارتقاء بجودة البيانات، وتوسيع نطاق استخدام الإحصاءات لدعم الخطط التنموية والرؤى الوطنية.

وفي ختام اللقاء، أعرب رئيس الهيئة العامة للإحصاء عن تقديره لزيارة الوفد الإماراتي، مشيرًا إلى أهمية تعزيز التعاون الإحصائي بين البلدين عبر مبادرات عملية تسهم في تبادل المعرفة والخبرات، وتعزز من التكامل الإحصائي الخليجي، وتدعم بناء اقتصاد معرفي متطور يستند إلى البيانات الدقيقة والموثوقة. كما أكد الجانبان التزامهما بمواصلة العمل المشترك لاستكشاف مجالات جديدة للتعاون الإحصائي، بما يعزز من مكانة البلدين في الساحة الإقليمية والدولية.

                                    
GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, held a series of bilateral meetings with several heads and directors of international organizations and statistical centers during the Saudi Statistics Forum. The forum was hosted in Riyadh from April 27-28, 2025.
These meetings involved discussions on areas of bilateral cooperation, exploring opportunities for integration and the exchange of expertise in developing statistical work, and examining ways to expand partnerships with leading statistical entities at both regional and international levels. The aim was to enhance data quality and contribute to the development of statistical products and indicators that support decision-making.
The meetings included discussions with: Dr. Johannes Jutting, Executive Head of PARIS21; Dr. Ola Awad, President of PCBS; Dr. Steve Macfeely, OECD Chief Statistician; Professor Xuming He, President of ISI; Mr. Mohamed Bin Ahmed Al Obaidly, Director-General of the National Statistics Center of Qatar; Intisar Abdullah Al Wahaibi, Director General of the GCC Statistical Centre;   Dr. Diaa Awad Kazem, President of the Statistics and Geospatial Information Authority in Iraq; Dr. Khalifa Al-Barwani, Chief Executive Officer at National Centre for Statistics and Information in Oman; Ms. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC; Mr. Rafeal Diaz, Senior Statistician at ILO; and Dr. Ziad Abdullah, Director General of the Arab Institute for Training and Statistical Research.

During the meetings, Dr. Fahad Aldossari emphasized GASTAT's commitment to strengthening its international and regional partnerships to develop methodologies, enhance the efficiency of statistical systems, expand the scope of open data, and keep pace with global technological advancements in the field of statistics and analysis.

The Saudi Statistics Forum is a significant national platform for activating statistical cooperation, promoting capacity building, and transferring knowledge. It was held with the participation of prominent statistical leaders, decision-makers, and local and international experts, and was attended by over 300 participants from various entities related to statistical work.