On its first day, the Saudi Statistics Forum — held under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics — witnessed the attendance of a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, ministers, heads and representatives of international organizations and statistical offices, local and international experts, and decision-makers in the statistical sector, along with more than 300 individuals interested in statistical work.

The first panel discussion at the forum, titled “The Role of Statistics in Policy Development and Decision-making,” featured the participation of His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, and His Excellency the President of the General Authority for Statistics, Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Dossari.

The session discussed the impact of collaboration and integration between national statistical offices and governmental and private entities in decision-making and enhancing developmental outcomes. It also addressed the importance of statistical indicators in measuring the success of policies and aligning them with national targets, in addition to highlighting the critical role of statistical data as a fundamental pillar in shaping public policies, making decisions, and setting national priorities.

The second panel discussion was dedicated to the topic of "International Statistical Methodologies and Practices". It featured the participation of the President of the General Authority for Statistics, along with several heads of statistical offices, representatives of international organizations, and several local and international experts. The participants discussed the importance of globally recognized statistical standards and classifications, the unification of methodologies to ensure comparability between countries, and the role of modern technologies in advancing statistical methodologies. They also addressed the challenges facing statistical practices and emphasized the importance of ensuring reliability and transparency in official statistics.

It is worth noting that the Saudi Statistics Forum will continue its specialized sessions focusing on the statistical sector, covering a range of topics such as innovation and development in statistical methods, the role of the private sector in supporting and producing statistical data, and the integration between statistical institutions and data users. These efforts are part of the forum’s broader goal to develop a comprehensive national statistical system that supports decision-making and contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.

وقع رئيس الهيئة العامة للإحصاء الدكتور فهد بن عبدالله الدوسري مذكرة تفاهم مع مدير عام  إحصاءات فنلندا بجمهورية فنلندا الأستاذ ماركوس سوفالا على هامش المنتدى السعودي وتهدف مذكرة التفاهم إلى رفع مستوى التعاون بين الطرفين وتعزيز التنسيق وتكامل الجهود في مجال اختصاصاتهما، إضافةً إلى وضع إطار عام للأنشطة والمهام المشتركة وتطوير القدرات المؤسسية والتكامل لخدمة الأهداف المشتركة، 
واشتملت الاتفاقية على تبادل الدعم والخبرات الفنية والمعرفية بحسب اختصاص كل طرف في المجالات ذات الاهتمام المشترك وتبادل البرامج الخاصة بنشر الوعي الإحصائي، واستراتيجيات التواصل مع الجمهور وتنظيم المؤتمرات والندوات وورش العمل إضافة إلى تبادل الزيارات بين الخبراء والمختصين في المجالات ذات العلاقة بالأعمال الإحصائية.
الجدير بالذكر أن برنامج المنتدى تضمن خمس جلسات حوارية متخصصة تهدف إلى مناقشة الموضوعات ذات العلاقة بالقطاع الإحصائي وتستهدف ترسيخ مفاهيم العمل الإحصائي والتي تشمل تأكيد أهمية البيانات والإحصاءات في التخطيط وقياس الأداء الحكومي إضافة إلى رفع وعي أفراد المجتمع بأهمية الإحصاءات ومساهمتها في إدارة الحاضر وبناء المستقبل، وشهد المنتدى والذي استمرت أعماله على مدى يومين خلال الفترة من 27 إلى 28 إبريل 2025م مشاركة  عدد من أصحاب السمو و المعالي الوزراء ورؤساء وممثلي المنظمات الدولية والمكاتب الإحصائية والخبراء المحليين والدوليين. وحضور أكثر من 300 شخص من المهتمين بالعمل الإحصائي. 
 

In the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mr. Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim; His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef and Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the National Planning Council, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Statistics Center of Qatar. The signing took place on the sidelines of the first Saudi Statistics Forum.
The agreement aims to elevate the level of cooperation between the two parties, enhance coordination, and integrate efforts in their respective fields. Furthermore, it seeks to establish a general framework for joint activities and tasks, develop institutional capabilities, and foster integration to serve common objectives.
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, and His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al-Obaidli, Director-General of the National Statistics Center of Qatar. The memorandum outlines several key areas of cooperation, including the exchange of technical expertise and knowledge aligned with each party’s area of specialization in mutually relevant fields. It also covers the development and sharing of programs aimed at promoting statistical awareness, strategies for public engagement, and the joint organization of conferences, seminars, and workshops. Additionally, it encourages the exchange of visits between experts and specialists engaged in statistical activities.

In this context, Dr. Fahad Aldossari emphasized that GASTAT’s statistical efforts play a vital role in advancing the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by developing and monitoring statistical indicators. Pointing out that cooperation with the National Statistics Centre of Qatar contributes to measuring progress towards achieving the objectives of national visions and sustainable development through joint work in raising the level of performance concerning the exchange of statistical data, meeting the requirements of both parties and identifying statistical developments and future trends in developing statistical products. This collaboration aims to support the national economy and sustainable development, enhance knowledge, and build societal awareness towards the various sectors and activities of the state.

It is worth noting that the General Authority for Statistics is the entity responsible for statistics in the Kingdom and the sole official reference for implementing and technically supervising and organizing statistical work. GASTAT's tasks are diverse and include collecting statistical data and information from public and private entities and individuals, as well as analyzing and studying this data.

With the attendance of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics, Mr. Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim, His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Mr. Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, and His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, GASTAT signed a memorandum of understanding with  Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre of United Arab Emirates. The agreement aims to elevate the level of cooperation between the two parties, enhance coordination, and integrate efforts in their respective fields, in addition to developing institutional capabilities and integration to serve common objectives. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari president of the General Authority for Statistics and Her Excellency the Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, Ms. Hanan Ahli.
The agreement included the exchange of technical and knowledge-based support and expertise based on each party's specialization in areas of mutual interest, the exchange of programs related to statistical awareness dissemination, public communication strategies, and the organization of conferences, seminars, and workshops, in addition to the exchange of visits between experts and specialists in fields related to statistical work.
Dr. Fahad Aldossari emphasized the importance of the joint relations between the two countries and the significance of cooperation in the field of statistics, opening broader and more promising collaboration with European countries. in addition to effective cooperation in the field of statistical information and data exchange between the two nations. This will be achieved through joint work in raising the level of performance regarding the exchange of statistical data, meeting the requirements of both parties, and identifying statistical developments and future trends in developing statistical products.
It is worth mentioning that the Saudi Statistics Forum, organized by the General Authority for Statistics, is the first of its kind with the participation of a number of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers, heads and representatives of international organizations and statistical offices, local and international experts, and decision-makers in the statistical sector. With the attendance of more than 300 individuals interested in statistical work, the forum aims to discuss important topics in the statistical field and highlight the positive impact of the statistics sector in supporting the Kingdom's progress and sustainable development, measuring the level of progress in the indicators of Saudi Vision 2030, and establishing the importance of data and statistics in the awareness of community members.