Methodology and Quality Update

Latest Update on Methodology and Quality 

12/12/2024 

Statistical Presentation

Data description  

The Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication presents data on recent statistics and indicators on warehousing and logistics in Saudi Arabia.
Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication is a statistical product that collects data through administrative records about key characteristics as follows:
•    The warehouses.
•    Number of outlets for postal services.
•    Existing logistics assets by administrative region
•    Logistics centers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
•    Freight by transportation sector
•    Warehouse Licenses.
•    Applicable licenses for freight transportation.
•    Delivery applications licensed to transport goods.

Classification system

The following classifications are applied in the Warehousing and Logistics Statistics publication:
The National Classification for Economic Activities (ISIC4):
It is a statistical classification based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC4) used to describe the productive activities of an establishment. .
Metadata are collected through interviews, so that outputs can be produces in accordance with all relevant classifications.
The classifications are available on the GASTAT’s website: www.stats.gov.sa

Sector coverage

The Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication covers all transportation, warehousing, and logistics activities in Saudi Arabia.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts of the Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication:
•    Logistics services:
The processes and procedures that ensure the transportation of goods from one point to another through various means of land, sea or air transportation.
•    Logistics Centre:
A geographic cluster of entities and companies involved in freight (e.g.: transportation operators, primary consignors, customs) and additional services (e.g.: warehousing, maintenance and repair) with at least one terminal.
•    Warehousing:
A place where goods are safely stored according to the conditions in which they should be kept.
•    Refrigerated warehouses:
Refrigerated warehouses are specialized storage facilities equipped with temperature-controlled environments that keep goods at low temperatures to prevent spoilage and maintain product quality.
•    Air-conditioned warehouses:
Air-conditioned warehouses maintain a controlled indoor environment with constant temperature and humidity to protect stored goods, including electronics and pharmaceuticals.
•    Air freight forwarder License:
It is a service for obtaining licenses for certified freight forwarding agencies and freight consolidation agencies, allowing them to practice air freight operations legally and in a regulated manner.
•    Handling Contractor License:
It is a service to obtain a special license to engage in handling contractor services such as: organizing the receipt of shipments and verifying the shipments.
•    Air cargo and mail handling License:
It is a service for obtaining a license to engage in the activity of handling, exporting, transporting ,and importing air cargo, or handling incoming and outgoing mail.
•    Air cargo transport license:
It is a service for obtaining a license to conduct operational activities for scheduled and unscheduled air cargo transportation.
•    Air Freight Loading and Unloading License:
It is a service for obtaining the license to carry out the business of handling air freight.
•    Transport Documents License:
A transport document is a document issued under a transport contract and serves as proof of receipt of the goods by the carrier. It indicates that the goods are being transported in the condition specified in the document, to be delivered to the consignee in the same condition.
•    Outlets for postal services:
The place where goods or products are sold to retail and wholesale customers, including private sector companies in the logistics sector.
•    Customs clearance activity licenses:
Licensing customs activities for incoming, outgoing and transit goods in accordance with the customs procedures stipulated in the Unified Customs System.
•    Delivery apps:
These are programs that make it easy to get what you need without leaving your home. They provide food, drinks and other supplies and services, as well as apps that provide delivery service from one place to another.

Statistical unit

Not applicable.

Statistical population

Not applicable.

Reference area

The Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication covers 13 administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Time coverage

The data is available from the year 2020 to the Q4 of 2023.

Base period

Not applicable.   

Unit of measure

•    Most results are measured by numbers (e.g.: Number of outlets for postal services - number of warehouses - number of licenses) (in thousands).
•    Indicators calculated as equations (e.g.: Amount of freight per ton).
•    Results in square meters and cubic meters (e.g.: warehouse space, logistics asset space).

Reference period

Warehousing and Logistics Statistics publication data from Administrative Records are Based on the Last Day of Each Calendar Year. 

Confidentiality 

Confidentiality - policy

According to the Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07-12-1397, data must always be kept confidential and must be used by GASTAT only for statistical purposes.
Therefore, the data are protected in the data servers of the Authority.

Confidentiality - data treatment

Data are displayed in appropriate tables to facilitate its summarization, comprehension, results extraction. comparison with other data and coming up with statistical connotations for the study community. It is also easier to check tables without the need to see any sensitive or confidential data, which violates the confidentiality of statistical data.

Release policy

Release calendar

Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication is included in the statistical calendar.

Release calendar access

Available on the: https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistical-calendar-releases

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to better meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the publication's results once the Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication is published.
It also receives questions and inquiries of the clients about the Publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website:  www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official e-mail address:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Client support e-mail:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Official visits to GASTAT’s official head office in Riyadh or one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
•    Official letters.
•    Statistical telephone: (199009).

Frequency of dissemination

Annual. 

Accessibility and clarity

News release

The announcements of each publication are available on release calendar as mentioned in 7.2. Release calendar access. The news release can be viewed on the website of GASTAT through the following link:
 https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/news

Publications

GASTAT issues the Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication on a regular basis within a pre-prepared dissemination plan and are published on GASTAT’s website. GASTAT is keen to publish its publications in a way that serves all users of different types, including publications in different formats that contain (publication tables, data graphs, indicators, Methodology and Quality Report) in both English and Arabic.
The results of Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication are available at:
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics 

On-line database

Not available.

Micro-data access 

Not available.

Other

Not available.

Documentation on methodology

The definitions and concepts are based on the Glossary for Transport Statistics, a document prepared by the Intersecretariat Working Group of Eurostat, the International Transport Union and the United Nations Commission for Europe, 4th edition, as well as the ESCWA Glossary of Statistical Terms.

Quality documentation

Quality documentation covers documentation on methods and standards for assessing, measuring, and monitoring the quality of statistical process and output. It is based on standard quality criteria such as relevance, accuracy and reliability, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and clarity, comparability, and coherence.

Quality management

Quality assurance

GASTAT declares that it considers the following principles: impartiality, user orientated, quality of processes and output, effectiveness of statistical processes, reducing the workload for respondents. 
Quality controls and validation of data are actions carried out throughout the process in different stages such as the data input and data collection and other final controls.

Quality assessment

GASTAT performs all statistical activities according to a national model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report which outlines all the quality issues related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

Relevance 

User needs 

Internal users at the General Authority for Statistics for Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication data:
•    Statistics of national accounts.
•    International Indicators Department.
•    Price statistics.
Some several external users and beneficiaries greatly benefit from Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication data, including:
•    Government entities.
•    Regional and international organizations.
•    Research institutions.
•    Media.
•    Individuals.
The disseminated key variables used by external users:
•    Number of licenses for warehouses and freight transport services.
•    Logistics Centers by Administrative Region.
•    Total number of warehouses by classification, activity and administrative region.
•    Number of outlets for postal services.
•    Existing logistics assets by administrative region.
•    Amount of freight by transportation sector.

User satisfaction

Not available.

Completeness 

The data of Warehousing and Logistics Statistics publication are based on the main source of data from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Ministry of Municipalities ,General Authority for Transport, and Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority from Housing in order to provide comprehensive information on logistics and warehousing services as well as government and private entities associated with transport, storage and logistics activities, and data in complete status.

Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

•    Data is checked with previous years to identify any significant changes in the data.
•    The internal consistency of the data is checked before it is finalized.
•    The links between variables are checked and coherence between different data series is confirmed.

Timeliness and punctuality 

Timeliness 

The General Authority for Statistics is committed to applying internationally recognized standards regarding the announcement, clarification of the time of publishing statistics on its official website, as outlined in the statistical calendar, as well as adhering to the announced time of publication. In the event of any delay, updates will be provided accordingly.

Punctuality

The publication takes place according to the published release dates on the statistical calendar for Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication on the website of the General Authority for Statistics.
The data are available at the expected time, as scheduled in the statistical release calendar, If the publication is delayed, reasons shall be provided.

Coherence and comparability

Comparability - geographical

The data are geographically comparable at the level of Saudi Arabia.

Comparability - over time 

The Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication began in 2024 for reference data from 2020 to 2023 as annual record data and its data are comparable over time.

Coherence- cross domain 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics 

Not applicable. 

Coherence- National Accounts 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - internal 

Not applicable

Data revision

Data revision - policy

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Data revision - practice

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Statistical processing

Source data

The data source for Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication is the record data from several entities: 
•    Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services.
•    Ministry of Municipalities and Housing.
•    Transport General Authority.
•    Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
The main published variables from the administrative data source are:
•    Number of outlets for postal services.
•    Number and area of warehouses.
•    Number and total number of licenses for logistics services (transportation documents, activity licenses, warehouse licenses).
•    The amount of freight by transportation sector.
•    Existing logistics assets by administrative region.
•    Number and area of logistics centers.

Frequency of data collection 

Annual.

Data collection

Data collection from administrative records:
In coordination with the relevant departments of the Authority for data collection and management, the data records for the Warehousing and Logistics Statistics Publication are obtained from the following entities: Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, General Authority for Transport, and Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
The data is stored in the authority's databases after undergoing auditing and review processes following approved statistical methods and recognized quality standards. If errors or discrepancies are discovered, the data is cross-referenced with the data source for correction or clarification.

Data validation

Data are reviewed and matched to ensure their accuracy and precision in a way that suits their nature with the aim of giving the presented statistics quality and accuracy. 
The data of the current year publication are compared with the data of the previous year to ensure their integrity and consistency in preparation for processing data and extracting and reviewing results.
In addition to the data processing and tabulation to check their accuracy, all the outputs are stored and uploaded to the database after being calculated by GASTAT to be reviewed and processed by specialists in Health and Education Statistics through modern technologies and software designed for this purpose.

Data compilation

Data editing:
Specialists of Traffic and Transportation Statistics Department have processed and analyzed data in this stage, and this step was based on the following measures:
•    Sorting and arranging data in groups or different categories in a serial order.
•    Summarizing detailed data into key points or data.
•    Combining many data segments and ensuring their interconnection.
•    Processing incomplete or missing data.
•    Processing illogical data.
•    Converting data into statistically significant data.
•    Arranging, presenting, and interpreting data.

Adjustment

Not applicable, only final results will be published.