First: Recommendations to improve efficiency of statistical entities: Second: Recommendations to improve efficiency of statistical products: Third: Recommendations to follow up indicators of sustainable development: Fourth: Recommendations to activate statistics technology use: Fifth: Recommendations to raise statistical awareness: Sixth: Recommendations to improve private sector efficiency: Seventh: Recommendation to develop inter-Gulf statistical work:

Including data of more than 57 entities GASTAT issues the 2016  annual book    The general Authority for Statistics GASTAT issued its annual statistical book (52) of the year 1437/1438H (2016).  This book is considered one of the most important statistical products that GASTAT issues to register and document all statistical data and information and present the public and private sectors’ activities. Moreover, it reflects the growth and development rates in demographic, social, and economic fields. The statistical book, which has more than 460 pages, includes the most important data and information of many developmental sectors. Furthermore, it includes the results of the statistical works conducted by GASTAT over one year, in addition to what GASTAT receives from the governmental statistical departments. The data and information have been distributed among 15 chapters. the book also specified 289 tables that contain data and information of more than 57 government entities.  The statistical book data includes statistics of population, education and training, health. Social services, social insurance, transportation and telecommunication, water and energy, labour market, prices and indices, financial and monetary affairs, national accounts, industry, agriculture and hunting, local and foreign trade, and cooperation council. In addition, it includes statistics about natural conditions, thermometers readings, some natural phenomena such as dust, rainstorms, fog, rain quantity, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed.

To develop the statistical sector and follow up the sustainable development goals Saudi Arabia participates in the (48) round of the UN statistical commission Saudi Arabia participates in the 48th round of the UN statistical commission which is currently held in the UN headquarter in New York. The commission works will continue till Saturday 10th of March 2017. The Saudi delegation is headed by Dr. Fahad bin Sulaiman Altekhaifi. Dr. Fahad said that the participation represents part of the general authority for statistics strategy in establishing international collaborations and benefiting from the best statistical practices, so that they can be reflected on the development of the statistical sector in Saudi Arabia. He added, with this participation, Saudi Arabia aims at following up all the developments regarding the sustainable development agenda and the measurement indicators that are approved by the UN statistical commission to measure the progress in achieving economic, social, and environmental goals. In addition to the effective participation that reflects the important role of Saudi Arabia in the international statistics map. The Saudi delegation will also discuss the proposed mechanisms to develop the national statistical systems and methodologies, prepare statistical policies that affect the development process to support decision and policy makers, in addition to the exchange of experiences provided by statistical, developmental, and economic international organization.  On the other hand, Dr. Fahad clarified that this round will discuss many essential topics related to the role of statistical data in the development process, and developing its methodologies and data sources and the way they are published to be available for users on the proper time. Moreover, the round will discuss the agenda of official statistical systems transformation to enable countries to update the statistical process in order to support sustainable development agenda. GaStat will participate in discussing all issues related to prices, national accounts system, economic-environmental accounting, statistical classifications, international trade, weather statistics, disability statistics, IT and telecommunication statistics, big data as a new source of official statistics, and other topics related to quality assurance, official statistics fundamentals, the preparations for the coming HH surveys, and many other topics.  It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabia has been selected with other (11) countries from all over the world to be a board-member in the international comparison program (ICP) in the United Nations (round 2017-2019). It has been nominated by the UN statistical commission and the data development group in the world bank to represent West Asia countries. Saudi Arabia has been selected for the positive role of the general authority for statistics (GaStat) in the different statistical programs organized by the united nations. The ICP structure includes: UN statistical commission, board of directors (with GaStat membership), and the mutual team works from different agencies and coordination committees and technical consultations. In addition to the international implementing entity (the world bank), the regional offices, Eurostat, OECD, and the national offices and organizations.

Within the activities of the first Gulf Statistical Forum in March GCC-STAT is launching the Statistical research competition for young statisticians… Cash prizes for the first three winners The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) has launched the statistical research competition for young statisticians 2017 which will be held within the activities of the first Gulf Statistical Forum that will take place from March 20th till March 22nd, 2017 in Riyadh city. The competition aims at reinforce statistical research value, raise the spirit of competition among young statisticians in the GCC countries, discover the statistical abilities and talents of Gulf youth, produce new statistical subjects and methods that keep up with the needs of Gulf societies. The competition targets young statisticians working in the statistical sector who are GCC citizens, whether working in national statistical centers or in statistical official government institutions. The competition also targets students (GCC citizens) from different Academic institutions such as colleges and universities (public and private). The statistical center has set two subjects to chose from, the first addresses a new methodology or new statistical methods in official statistics, this includes technical applications that helps in statistical work (such as new methods to collect and disseminate data), while the second subject revolves around the extent of official statistics' contribution in achieving development progress in one of the countries in the region.  To be eligible, the submitter must be a citizen of GCC countries under the age of 35 on February 20, 2017. The submitter must also be working in government official statistical sectors in GCC, including national statistical centers and other official bodies producing statistics, or a student in public or private educational institutions in the GCC countries such as colleges or universities. The applicant has the right to form his own team , each team is a maximum of three members, the research paper must be new and prepared specifically for the forum competition, and has not been previously presented in another competition or forum or has been published anywhere. It also must be within the subject of the competition and has the specific technical requirements. The applicant must attach a copy of his/her passport  and ID. February 20, 2017 is the last day for submission, and the first three winners will be awarded with cash prizes. Applicants can send their entries to the email: Competition@gccstat.org . The first statistical forum is held by the General Authority for Statistics and The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf, under the title "Enhancing the Statistical Partnership to Support Economic Policies and Sustainable Development in the GCC Region", under the high patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – May God Protect him.  The forum will focus on main aspects;  requesting statistical data and information from national growth  tracks, sustainable development agenda and emerging international economic issues, negotiating the provision of statistical products and services to support the national growth  tracks and sustainable development agenda in GCC countries, and discussing the enhancement of statistical collaborations between data users and producers to support the economic policies and sustainable development agenda in GCC countries. GCC Statisical Forum Click here

7 sections has decreased, and an increase in the manufactured commodities and fats & oils  Gastat: the Wholesale Prices Index decreases by 0.7% On Tuesday 21 Rabi'e Al-awwal, 1438 corresponding to December 19 2016, GaStat issued its monthly indicator of the Saudi Wholesale Prices Index of November. It is now published on its official website www.stats.gov.sa. The indicator recorded (160.7) with 0.7% decrease in November 2016, compared to last month (October) in which it recorded (161.8). The indicator includes ten main sections; Food and living animals section, beverages and tobacco section, raw materials except fuel, mineral fuel and related products section, Fats and oils section, chemical materials and related products, manufactured commodities classified by material section, transportation equipment and machines section, diverse manufactured commodities section, and other commodities section.  The report attributed the increase of the wholesale prices index in November to the decrease of the 6 main sections that constitute this indicator: other commodities by (3.2%), Food and living animals section by (1.8%), transportation equipment and machines section by (0.8%), chemical materials and related products by (0.4%), miscellaneous manufactured commodities section by (0.3%), beverages and tobacco section by (0.1%), raw materials except fuel by (0.1%),. On the other hand, 2 of the main sections have increased: manufactured commodities classified by material section by (0.2%), fats and oils section by (0.1%), whereas the mineral fuel and related products section remained the same without any changes. The authority indicated that the Saudi wholesale index measures the average of change in the prices of commodities and services that are sold in the primary markets. What matters here is the price change only. Therefore, the changes that result from the differences in quality, quantity, shipping method, or any other influencing factor in order to get the net price are excluded. This index is provided to everyone, and conducted all over Saudi Arabia.  It is worth mentioning that the wholesale price index is used to record any change in the prices of local or imported commodities. In addition, it monitors the price trends and the status of markets and costs of living. Furthermore, it is used in preparing the national accounts by protecting the income and national aggregates from the influence of price change.

(6) sections decreased, and (3) rose "GaStat" : The indicator of the Cost of Living Index decreases in November by (0.2%) On Monday 20th of Rabi'e Al-awal , 1438 corresponding to December 19, 2016 the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) issued the monthly indicator of Saudi cost of living index  for the month of November. It is now published on its website www.stats.gov.sa . The index recorded a decrease of (0.2%) compared to the previous month (October 2016). The monthly report indicates that the Saudi cost of living index has reached (137.5) in November 2016 compared to (137.8) in last October , recording a decrease of (0.2%).  The report attributed the monthly decrease to the decline of the six main sections that constitute this indicator: food and beverages by (0.6%), clothes and shoes section by (0.6%), furniture, appliances, and maintenance by (0.5%), culture and recreation by (0.4%), health by (0.2%), finally, communication section by (0.2%). On the other hand, 3 of the main sections have witnessed an increase, which are: the transportation section by (0.2%), restaurants and hotels by (0.1%), and the commodities and commodities and miscellaneous services by (0.1%). Whereas, the sections of tobacco, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other types of fuels , and education remained the same with no any relative changes to mention. The cost of living general index issued monthly by GaStat aims at providing data about the prices of commodities and services that are in the consumer basket. It also aims at providing data about the cost of living indices within a time series. (The consumer basket) refers to the actual group of commodities and services that are recorded during the household expenditure and income survey. The relative distribution of the commodities and services consumption inside the consumer basket is extracted to make it the base stone in the process of indices calculation. The cost of living indices are used to measure any change in the prices of commodities and services that are purchased by consumer. Moreover, it is used as an accurate indicator that measures the economic inflation and recession. It is also used in statistical and economic analyses that are associated with prices movement and anticipations in different times. Data are collected by conducting interviews. The sources addresses are clarified to the interviewers to facilitate their task. The sources distribution in one city must cover all available commodities and services with all levels.

Issuing an indicator about the numbers of sports federations, clubs, stadiums, matches, and sports teams GaStat: 1125 teams played 4220 matches in 2015 On Monday, 6 /Rabe'a First/ 1438 corresponding  5/ November /2016, GaStat issued an indicator about the numbers of sports federations, clubs, stadiums, matches, and sports teams (2011-2015) classified according to Saudi Arabia's administrative regions  and their sports federations, ordinary clubs, and disabled and deaf people clubs. The indicator clarifies the number of matches of all individual and group games, in addition to the number of stadiums for each kind of games including closed area stadiums. It also clarifies the number of sports teams.  The indicators states that the number of sports federations in Saudi Arabia has increases from 30 federations to 35 federations in the period (2011-2015). However, the number of clubs including disabled people clubs reached 188 clubs with 1125 sports teams. 4220 matches have been played in 387 closed and open stadiums.  Riyadh region registered the highest numbers in the indicator results with 35 sports federations, 47 clubs, 722 individual and group matches, 99 stadiums for all kinds of games, and 285 teams in 2015.  In its published indicator, GaStat said that sports statistics are one of the most important cultural indicators locally, regionally, and internationally. GaStat started collecting sports data from their official reference.  Furthermore, it revealed that the indicator presents all changes in the numbers of sports clubs ,federations, and teams, in addition to the developments in stadiums during the last five years.  It is worth mentioning that this indicator was launched as part of the 45 statistical products announced lately by GaStat. Their launching constitute the first stage of the new products which include economic, social, demographic, Omrah, and labor market statistics. In addition to other statistics related to energy, knowledge, environment, culture, sport, entertainment, security, and safety.

GaStat: The cost of oil exports in September 2016 is 43.5 billion SAR On Wednesday, the 1st of Rabe'a first 1438 corresponding 2016/11/30, GaStat has issued two indicators; (oil exports in September 2016) and (The percentage of non-oil exports to non-oil GDP in the second quarter of this year). The cost of Saudi oil exports reached 43.5 billion SAR in September. Therefore, Saudi oil exports have increased by (6.2%) compared to the same month of last year ( September 2015). In this way,  oil exports constituted (81.5%) of all exports. According to the indicator descriptive data, oil exports include mineral fuel, mineral oil, distillation products, bituminous materials, and mineral waxes. The exports are composed of local commodities exports ( national exports) and foreign commodities exports ( re-export).  (oil exports) indicator showed that national exports refer to all commodity exports that are locally produced and manufactured, or those which undergone manufacturing procedures that changed their shapes and cost. However, the (re-export) indicated in  the ( oil exports) indicator means exports of previously imported commodities without any clear modifications.  As for the indicator of non-oil exports to non-oil GDP, GaStat revealed that non-oil exports constitute (10.0%) of non-oil GDP in the second quarter of 2016, compared to (11.2%) in the same period of last year. This decrease is attributed to the decrease of non-oil exports (9.8%) compared to the increase in non-oil GDP (1.0%) during the same period.  The published report defined non-oil exports as all exports excluding oil commodities exports. According to the same indicator, non-oil GDP is defined as part of GDP resulted from non-oil sector using current prices, it does not include import taxes. On the other hand, the annual change mentioned in the same indicator means growth on an annual basis. It measures the statistical change during a ( month or quarter) compared to the same period of last year. It is worth mentioning that these indicators were launched as parts of the 45 statistical products announced lately by GaStat. Their launching constitute the first stage of the new products which include economic, social, demographic, Omrah, and labor market statistics. In addition to other statistics related to energy, knowledge, environment, culture, sport, entertainment, security, and safety. Download ( Excel  | PDF ):   Oil Exports, September 2016 Download ( Excel  | PDF ):   Ratio of Non-oil Exports to Non-oil GDP, 2nd Quarter 2016 See more new indicators please click here