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.

                                    
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.
 

GASTAT's President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, received today at GASTAT headquarters in Riyadh an official delegation from the UAE’s FCSC, headed by Ms. Hanan AHLI, Director of the Center.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Aldossari welcomed the visiting delegation, stressing the depth of the brotherly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the importance of bilateral cooperation between the two statistical agencies in the two brotherly countries to support the march of statistical work and develop national capabilities to achieve the goals of sustainable development and the ambitious vision of the two countries.
An expanded meeting was also held between the two sides, during which some topics of common interest in the fields of statistical work were discussed, most notably: exchanging experiences in developing modern statistical methodologies, enhancing integration in collecting and analyzing statistical data, developing mechanisms for producing strategic indicators to support decision-making, reviewing best practices in making open data available and ensuring its quality, and discussing future cooperation opportunities in statistical innovation and modern analytical techniques such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis. The two sides also reviewed the most prominent national achievements made by the Kingdom and the UAE in the field of official data development and the efforts made to improve data quality and expand the use of statistics to support development plans and national visions.
At the end of the meeting, GASTAT's President expressed his appreciation for the visit of the UAE delegation, pointing out the importance of enhancing statistical cooperation between the two countries through practical initiatives that contribute to the exchange of knowledge and expertise, enhance GCC statistical integration, and support building an advanced knowledge economy based on accurate and reliable data. The two sides also affirmed their commitment to continue joint work to explore new areas of statistical cooperation to enhance the position of the two countries in the regional and international arena.

GASTAT signed four agreements on the concluding day of the Saudi Statistics Forum. The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Chairman of GASTAT’s Board of Directors. It brought together several ministers, heads and representatives of international organizations and statistical offices, local and international experts and decision-makers in the statistical sector.

The cooperation agreements were signed with the Riyadh Chamber, Jeddah University, the Social Development Bank, and ROSHN Group. The agreements aim to strengthen collaboration, enhance coordination, and integrate efforts across the parties' areas of expertise. They also establish an institutional framework for joint activities and tasks, while supporting the development of institutional capacities in areas of mutual interest.

The areas of cooperation focused on several strategic tracks, most notably the exchange of technical support and expertise according to each party’s specialization, strengthening partnerships in the development of statistical products and indicators, improving the quality of statistical data, and promoting statistical awareness across various sectors.

GASTAT's president, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, emphasized that strengthening cooperation with government and private sectors is a key pillar in achieving national and sustainable development goals. He emphasized that the exchange of statistical data and expertise contributes to enhancing institutional performance efficiency, meeting the needs of various stakeholders, and anticipating future trends for the development of statistical products and services, thereby strengthening the national economy and raising public awareness that supports comprehensive development.

It is worth noting that GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for statistical data and information in Saudi Arabia. It plays a key role in collecting, analyzing, and studying statistical data and information to support decision-makers and policy-makers.