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