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.

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.

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.

وقّع رئيس الهيئة العامة للإحصاء، الدكتور فهد بن عبدالله الدوسري، مذكرة تفاهم مع مدير عام إحصاءات فنلندا بجمهورية فنلندا، الأستاذ ماركوس سوفالا، بحضور معالي وزير الاقتصاد والتخطيط، رئيس مجلس إدارة الهيئة العامة للإحصاء، الأستاذ فيصل بن فاضل الإبراهيم، ومعالي وزير الصناعة والثروة المعدنية الأستاذ بندر بن إبراهيم الخريف، وذلك خلال انعقاد أعمال المنتدى السعودي للإحصاء، الذي نظمته الهيئة العامة للإحصاء في العاصمة الرياض، خلال يومي 27-28 أبريل 2025م.

وتهدف المذكرة إلى رفع مستوى التعاون بين الطرفين، وتعزيز التنسيق وتكامل الجهود في مجالات العمل الإحصائي، إلى جانب وضع إطار عام للأنشطة والمهام المشتركة، وتطوير القدرات المؤسسية بما يخدم الأهداف الاستراتيجية للطرفين، كما تشمل مجالات متعددة للتعاون، من أبرزها: تبادل الدعم والخبرات الفنية والمعرفية بحسب اختصاص كل طرف، وتبادل البرامج المعنية بنشر الوعي الإحصائي، واستراتيجيات التواصل مع الجمهور، إضافة إلى تنظيم المؤتمرات والندوات وورش العمل.

يذكر أن المنتدى السعودي للإحصاء هو الأول من نوعه، ويهدف إلى مناقشة مواضيع مهمة على الصعيد الإحصائي وبيان الأثر الإيجابي لقطاع الإحصاء في دعم مسيرة النهضة والتنمية المستدامة في المملكة وترسيخ أهمية البيانات والإحصاءات في وعي أفراد المجتمع.