The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) obtained the Institutional Excellence Certificate (Qualified by EFQM) from the European Foundation for Quality Management. GASTAT managed to obtain this certificate after achieving compliance with the EFQM model according to the RADAR matrix. This was through the application of institutional excellence standards set by the Foundation, which align with the directions of Saudi Vision 2030. The certificate was obtained due to commitment to the standards of the European Foundation for Quality Management and the application of its adopted model, which was established in 1989 and is considered the most widely spread around the world. Meeting the model's requirements is one of the directions pursued by several local and international entities in the field of institutional excellence. It enables organizations to achieve high-quality business results within a governance framework that contributes to business sustainability, improves work environments and increases productivity. This achievement highlights GASTAT's efforts exerted to develop its statistical system by ensuring sustainable quality operations, creating sustainable value for the statistical product, assessing the comprehensive experience, focusing on digital transformation, and utilizing modern technologies and international practices to ensure high efficiency in performance and access to high-quality statistics. The EFQM excellence model, launched by the European Foundation, is a comprehensive framework for corporate management systems, created to assist organizations in their approach towards establishing institutional work, raising the level of performance, meeting the needs of beneficiaries in terms of services, and ensuring sustainability. In this context, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, expressed his appreciation for the efforts made to align with the European model of institutional excellence by EFQM. He noted that obtaining this certificate is an important contributor to sustainability and development. It also supports GASTAT and its staff in raising the level of performance and developing their operations, especially since it was achieved through an external evaluation by the European Foundation for Quality Management based on a comprehensive and precise set of practical procedures covering all GASTAT's technical and administrative activities. He added, "Through continuous institutional planning and development, we have achieved excellence in this critical stage that GASTAT is experiencing, as it is going through a comprehensive transformation at various levels, striving to achieve the highest standards of quality. This comes from the efforts and collaboration of GASTAT staff and the hard work they put in to be part of this success." It is worth mentioning that the European Foundation for Quality Management is an independent, non-profit organization established in October 1989 when the heads of 67 European companies joined the institution's policy document and declared their commitment to achieving the mission and vision of the European Foundation for Quality Management. The Foundation includes a team of experts and academics to develop the EFQM Excellence Model, a comprehensive framework applicable to any organization, regardless of its size or sector. The Foundation aims to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of all organizations sustainably . It provides its methods and models in more than 30 languages and offers services in over 40 countries worldwide.

The General Authority for Statistics issued the publication of health and safety at work statistics for the year 2023 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The publication showed that 45.8% of employees in the Kingdom work for more than 40 hours per week, and 39.6% of employees work for 40 hours per week on average. The actual working hours per day for employees is 8 hours. The percentage of employees who have been trained on health and safety procedures at work reached 46.6%, while the percentage of employees who have a dedicated health and safety department at their workplace reached 48.7%. The most common risks faced by employees are standing for long periods of at least four hours daily with a percentage of 28.21%, sitting on a chair for long periods exceeding three continuous hours with a percentage of 28.15%, and moving the upper limbs repeatedly for long periods with a percentage of 17.1%. 7.8% of employees directly or indirectly deal with chemical substances, medical waste, radioactive materials, or toxic gases, while 6.3% of employees face risks such as electrical risks, machinery risks, or drowning. The percentage of employees who have coverage for basic healthcare reached 89.7%. The most common work-related health issue in the past 12 months is "work-related stress" with a percentage of 3.2%, while 83.5% of employees do not suffer from any work-related health issues.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries celebrate Gulf Statistics Day under the theme "Statistics for Sustainable Opportunities." This celebration is part of the efforts to enhance statistical work aimed at providing statistical data that supports development plans and achieves the targets of visionary development in the Council's countries. On this occasion, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, the President of the General Authority for Statistics, congratulated the employees in the statistical sector. He commended the role of the statistical center of the GCC countries in developing statistical work and coordinating between national statistical centers and planning agencies in the Council's countries. He emphasized that statistics and statistical centers play a prominent role in providing statistical data that contributes to supporting policymakers and decision-makers in the Council's countries. He added, "The collaborative efforts between statistical centers in the GCC countries have contributed to measuring progress towards achieving the goals of national visions and sustainable development for the Council's countries. This is achieved through joint efforts to enhance performance in terms of exchanging statistical data and implementing the statistical strategic plan. He emphasized the importance of the collaborative relationships among the GCC countries and the extensive cooperation in the field of statistics, providing more opportunities for effective collaboration in the field of information and statistical data." Statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began early in the year 1349 H (1930) and evolved into an organized effort based on the regulatory, administrative, and technical framework of the General Statistics System issued by Royal Decree No. 23 on 7/12/1379 H (1/6/1960). The General Statistics System regulated the statistical sector by defining the relationship between the General Statistics and Information Department and other entities. This culminated in the issuance of a royal decree in 1436 AH, transforming the General Statistics and Information Department into a public entity named the General Authority for Statistics, endowed with legal personality and financial and administrative independence. In 1437 H, approval was granted to regulate the General Authority for Statistics. The regulation stipulated that the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is a government entity with an independent legal personality. GASTAT’s board of directors is chaired by His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning and consists of the following members: Ministers of Energy, Finance, Human Resources and Social Development, Education, and Industry and Mineral Resources. In addition to the Director of National Information Center, President of the General Authority for Statistics, and two other members specialized in the statistical field. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It provides statistical products in social, economic, and environmental fields to support policymakers and decision-makers in advancing the implementation of development plans. It's worth noting that the Ministerial Council of the GCC, convened in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, in November 2016 during its 141st session, approved the designation of a Gulf Statistics Day to be observed annually. The significance of this day lies in emphasizing the partnership of the entire society with statisticians and highlighting the vital role statistics play in achieving sustainable development for the Council's countries. It also underscores the strategic role of the Gulf statistical system in decision-making and the development of policies in the region.

General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has been awarded the excellence award for website performance and digital content efficiency, ranking among the top 10 government entities out of a total of 383 government websites for the year 2023. This recognition was received at the Digital Government Forum, held recently under the theme "Our Future is Now" organized by the Digital Government Authority. GASTAT was recognized for its outstanding performance in website efficiency and digital content, and the award was received by Mr. Mohammed Al-Rasheed, Vice President Operations. In the same context, the General Authority for Statistics is currently implementing an ambitious digital transformation project aimed at achieving a high-quality technological infrastructure that competes regionally and globally. GASTAT also adheres to the highest international standards practiced by specialized institutions in statistical data and information. It seeks to enhance the utilization of its statistical publications and products through the most user-friendly and flexible technological methods. This includes providing users with access to statistical data, the ability to review and download it, as well as presenting the data in ways that contribute to understanding the results and indicators issued by GASTAT. It is worth mentioning that the Digital Government Forum aims to highlight the achievements of the digital government, showcase its success stories locally and internationally, and enable digital community leaders to meet, communicate, exchange experiences, build partnerships, share successful practices, and discuss challenges. The Forum is also designed to explore modern technological best practices, review future trends of digital governments, and explore investment opportunities in the digital sector in the Kingdom.