Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Faisal Al-Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the General Authority for Statistics, emphasized the vital role of transparency in supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Speaking at the first Saudi Statistics Forum on Sunday, held as the Kingdom marks 65 years of official statistical work, Al-Ibrahim noted that the need for accurate data has become even more pressing amid global challenges and crises.

He highlighted the progress of Saudi Arabia’s statistical sector, which has evolved over six decades to reach a new level of maturity, marked by improved data quality and statistical precision.

Thanks to strong government backing, Saudi Arabia now ranks first among Arab countries in the Statistical Performance Index, climbing 22 places globally in 2023. Al-Ibrahim said this achievement reflects the Kingdom's commitment to advancing the quality and reliability of its economic, social, and environmental indicators, making its data a trusted resource for policymakers.

He underlined the government’s ongoing efforts to further develop data platforms, boost digital transformation, and leverage administrative data, artificial intelligence, and modern technologies to improve efficiency, indicator accuracy, and access to information.

Al-Ibrahim also noted that Saudi Arabia is increasingly emerging as a global platform to showcase its statistical achievements and share its success stories with the international community, contributing to faster development and a greater positive impact both locally and internationally.

The minister added that Saudi Arabia is making steady progress toward the goals of Vision 2030, achieving qualitative milestones while building influential institutions and sustainable capabilities.

He concluded by announcing that Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics, will host the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum in Riyadh in November 2026. This milestone, he said, reflects the Kingdom’s growing leadership in the field of statistics and its commitment to aligning with global economic transformations while playing a central role in shaping future international dialogues.