Under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Chairman of GASTAT’s Board of Directors, Mr. Faisal Alibrahim, GASTAT organized a celebration at its new headquarters in Riyadh to mark 65 years since the launch of official statistical work in the Kingdom. The event was attended by GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldossari, along with a number of GASTAT’s leaders and employees.
This celebration comes as an extension of a national journey of statistical work that began in 1960 with the issuance of Royal Decree No. (23), which established the official statistical body in the Kingdom. This body later evolved into an independent authority that serves as the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating statistical work. 
In a speech delivered during the celebration, His Excellency the Minister emphasized that this occasion represents a documentation of a national journey that has made statistics a central element in decision-making, guiding public policies, tracking progress, measuring performance, and evaluating the impact of national targets.
His Excellency explained that GASTAT is entering a new stage, where statistics play a key role in the national transformation taking place across all levels in the Kingdom. This aligns with the ambitious national targets of Saudi Vision 2030, which has linked the performance measurement of various sectors to data and statistical indicators.
For his part, GASTAT’s President, Dr. Fahad Aldosaari, expressed his appreciation for the Minister’s patronage of the celebration, affirming that this occasion embodies the trust in the fundamental value of statistical work and the continuous support from the wise leadership. He added, “The statistical achievements realized to date would not have been possible without the support of the Kingdom's leadership, which is aware of the importance of this sector. They also wouldn't have been possible without the integrated efforts among government entities and the cooperation of society-both individuals and institutions-in providing GASTAT with data. He noted that in 2023, the Kingdom led Arab countries in the Statistical Performance Index and advanced 22 ranks globally. This achievement significantly strengthened the Kingdom's international standing, enabling it to host global statistical events, such as the sixth edition of the United Nations World Data Forum, which the Kingdom successfully bid to organize in 2026. Furthermore, it was elected as a member of the High-Level Group for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Statistics.
It is worth noting that statistical work in the kingdom began at an early stage in 1930 with the issuance of the imports and exports statistics system. It later became an organized activity with legal, administrative, and technical foundations established by the General Statistics Law issued by Royal Decree No. (23) dated 07/12/1379 AH (corresponding to 01/06/1960), aiming to activate and enhance the impact of statistical work. In its early stages, it relied on limited field surveys. The department was later transformed into a "General Authority" in 1436 H (2016) by a Royal Decree, becoming an independent entity with legal personality and financial and administrative autonomy, and was entrusted with leading, organizing, and managing the statistical sector in the Kingdom.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is set to commemorate, the 65th
anniversary of establishment of official statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This milestone traces back to the issuance of Royal Decree No. (23) on 07/12/1379 AH (01/06/1960),
which laid the foundation for the national statistical system. The decree played a pivotal role in advancing the Kingdom’s development strategies and economic and social policymaking. It also marked the introduction of the General Statistics Law, which established the General Department of Statistics.
Over the decades, the statistical sector has witnessed key milestones, starting with the issuance of the Imports and Exports Statistics Regulation in 1349 H (1930), followed by the establishment of the General Department of Statistics as the official statistical body in 1379 H (1960). In 1437 H (2015), a Royal Decree was issued transforming the department into the General Authority for Statistics. This marked a major turning point in the Kingdom’s statistical journey, as GASTAT became an independent entity with legal personality and full financial and administrative autonomy. GASTAT now leads, organizes, and manages the statistical sector through a Board of Directors comprising ministers, officials, and independent experts, strengthening its role as a prominent national statistical reference.
This historic occasion provides an important opportunity to highlight the significance of statistical work in implementing development plans and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It also
emphasizes the role of GASTAT as a trusted official source for data and statistical indicators, a key partner in decision-making alongside public and private sector entities, and a vital component in policy-making, performance measurement, and support for economic and social growth.
Furthermore, GASTAT plays a crucial role in strengthening the Kingdom’s position in statistical work both regionally and internationally.
It is worth noting that statistical work in Saudi Arabia began as early as 1349 H (1930) and later became an organized practice based on legal, administrative, and technical foundations under the
General Statistics Law issued by Royal Decree No. (23) dated 07/12/1379 H (01/06/1960). This law regulated the statistical sector by defining the relationship between the Department of Statistics and
Information (as a central statistical body) and other entities, with the aim of activating, expanding,and deepening the impact of statistical work in planning and promoting statistical awareness.
Throughout this period, several major developments occurred, including Council of Ministers Resolution No. (284) dated 24/11/1426 H, which approved the recommendations of the Ministerial
Committee for Administrative Organization on the study of the information, research, and studies sector. Under this decision, the department was made responsible for statistics and information in the Kingdom, and its name was changed to the Department of Statistics and Information. Later, Council of Ministers Resolution No. (11) dated 13/01/1437 H approved the establishment of the General Authority for Statistics. This decision assigned GASTAT technical oversight and regulation of
the statistical sector and tasked it with building a comprehensive system of national statistical databases across various fields. It also called for the development of a centralized national information system at GASTAT, linked electronically to all public entities, and participation in the
advancement of information systems and statistical work to establish a comprehensive, accurate, and unified statistical system. 

Industrial Production Index (IPI) recorded a 1.5% increase in May 2025 compared to May 2024. This rise was driven by increased activity in mining and quarrying activity , manufacturing activity and water supply, sewerage and waste management and remediation activities, according to IPI publication issued by GASTAT.

The publication's results showed a 2.1% annual increase in the sub-index for mining and quarrying, and a 0.9% rise in the sub-index for manufacturing. However, the sub-index for electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply decreased by 7.7%. Conversely, the sub-index for water supply, sewerage, and waste management, and remediation activities significantly increased by 15.5% year-on-year.
Furthermore, the publication indicated an annual increase in both the oil activities index (0.5%) and the non-oil activities index (3.8%).
GASTAT publishes the Industrial Production Index monthly. It measures relative changes in industrial production quantities based on data from the industrial production survey. This survey is conducted on a selected sample of establishments operating in targeted industrial sectors, including mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, and water supply, sewerage, and waste management, and remediation activities.