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GASTAT has announced that registration is now open on its website for the Data Innovation Hackathon, held in partnership with the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum and in cooperation with multiple partners.
The hackathon seeks to foster the development of innovative solutions that tackle current challenges in the statistical data ecosystem, focusing on two primary tracks: innovative data collection leveraging non-traditional sources, and smart processing and classification powered by artificial intelligence technologies contributing to improved quality and greater reliability of official statistics.
Participation is open to citizens and residents within Saudi Arabia, including students, academics, freelancers, and employees, through a dedicated online form for submitting executive summaries of their ideas. Submissions will go through an initial screening to determine the teams eligible for the final stage. Selected teams will be allotted a specific timeframe to develop prototypes of their proposed solutions before presenting them to a panel of judges consisting of experts in technology, statistics, and innovation.

GASTAT emphasizes that the launch of the hackathon is part of its efforts to promote innovation in statistical work and to support the development of a national data ecosystem capable of keeping pace with technological advancements, in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision to strengthen its position as a global hub for data and artificial intelligence.

Non-oil exports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (including re-exports) increased by 7.4% in December 2025 compared to the same month in 2024. Meanwhile, national non-oil exports declined by 8.5%, whereas the value of re-exported goods rose by 43.1%.
The international trade in goods results showed a 3.0% increase in total goods exports compared to December 2024. Petroleum exports rose by 1.0%, while the share of petroleum exports in total exports decreased from 68.7% in December 2024 to 67.4% in December 2025. On the imports side, they increased by 2.4% over the same period, while the trade balance surplus grew by 7.1% compared to December of the previous year.
In Q4 of 2025, non-oil exports (including re-exports) rose by 18.6% compared to Q4 of 2024, while national non-oil exports decreased by 1.5%, and re-exported goods increased by 67.4%. Total goods exports grew by 7.9%, and petroleum exports rose by 3.5%, while the share of petroleum exports in total exports declined from 70.4% to 67.5%. Imports in Q4 of 2025 increased by 4.7% compared to the same period of the previous year, and the trade balance surplus recorded a growth of 26.3%.
Regarding trade partners, Japan ranked first among goods export destinations in December, accounting for 11.7% of total exports, while China led import partners with a 28.7% share. On Q4 level, China was the top partner for exports, representing 13.1%, and maintained its leading position for imports at 27.2%.
International Trade in Goods Statistics is based on administrative records provided by the relevant authorities, including the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority for non-oil data and the Ministry of Energy for oil-related data. These records undergo statistical processing and review according to the methodologies approved by the relevant authorities, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the data before publication.
 

وقَّعت الهيئة العامة للإحصاء وشركة منصة فكر استراتيجيات للصناعة مذكرة تعاون مشترك، حيث مثل الهيئة نائب الرئيس الأستاذ محمد بن عبد الله الرشيد فيما مثل الشركة مؤسسها المهندس جاسم بن محمد الشمري. 
تهدف الاتفاقية إلى تعزيز مستوى التنسيق في مجال تبادل البيانات الإحصائية بما يسهم في تحقيق مستهدفات رؤية السعودية 2030 من خلال توظيف الإحصاءات الرسمية في خدمة القطاع الصناعي، وتطوير مؤشرات الأداء الوطني المتخصصة لقياس نمو وتنافسية القطاعات الصناعية وإطلاق مبادرات وبرامج تدريبية وطنية لتأهيل الكوادر في تحليل البيانات الصناعية، وتقديم الدعم الفني في مجالات التعامل مع البيانات والمعلومات، إلى جانب إعداد المؤشرات الإحصائية، وإصدار التقارير والنشرات، وعقد ورش عمل إحصائية متخصصة.
هذا وتأتي الاتفاقية كخطوة استراتيجية لتعزيز دور الهيئة في دعم مؤسسات المجتمع المدني بالمعلومات الإحصائية الدقيقة وتمكينها من اتخاذ قرارات مبنية على بيانات موثوقة، إلى جانب أهمية تبادل الخبرات الفنية والمعرفية بين الجانبين بما يتوافق مع اختصاص كل طرف في المجالات ذات الاهتمام المشترك، إضافةً إلى التزام المنصة بتطوير الخدمات المقدمة من خلال الاعتماد على بيانات دقيقة وتحليلات موضوعية تدعم التخطيط والتقييم المستمر للبرامج والخدمات المقدمة. 
 

GASTAT has launched the Data Innovation Hackathon, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative to leverage innovation in official statistical data. This initiative forms part of the “Road to Riyadh” series of events, held in preparation for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) in November 2026.
The hackathon aims to advance innovation in statistical work and enhance the readiness of the statistical sector to keep pace with rapid technological developments. Through this initiative, GASTAT seeks to empower citizens and residents across Saudi Arabia including students, academics, freelancers, and employees to contribute to the development of innovative solutions that address key challenges.
The hackathon follows an open participation model and will be delivered entirely through a virtual platform, allowing for wide international engagement and promoting the exchange of expertise among professionals.
It offers total cash prizes of SAR 75,000, along with professional incentives, and provides mentorship and training opportunities for the winning teams.
The hackathon focuses on two primary tracks: innovative data collection leveraging non-traditional sources, and smart processing and classification powered by artificial intelligence technologies contributing to improved quality and greater reliability of official statistics.
This initiative is part of GASTAT’s efforts to expand the adoption of advanced technologies in data collection and processing, while reinforcing

 the role of artificial intelligence in elevating the quality of official statistics, in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision of building a data-driven knowledge 

economy. The hackathon is being prepared in collaboration with local partners to ensure alignment of efforts and to provide an enabling environment for innovators from diverse fields.
GASTAT confirms that full details of the initiative, including participation criteria and procedures, will be announced soon via its official social media platforms and website.