Jeddah Governor Prince Saud Bin Abdullah Inaugurates Second Statistical Forum For Universities And Associations

Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, the Governor of Jeddah, inaugurated the Second Statistical Forum for Universities and Associations at the University of Jeddah. Organised by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), this event gathered experts, specialists, and academics in statistics and data sciences. The forum serves as a platform for exchanging expertise among academic and professional institutions.

Fahad Aldossari, President of GASTAT, highlighted the forum's significance in advancing research and academic programs. He stressed its role in developing statistical methodologies and fostering innovation through modern technologies and strategic partnerships. This initiative aims to enhance the national statistical system.

Aldossari announced the launch of the "Road to Riyadh" program. This initiative is a preparatory phase for Saudi Arabia's hosting of the sixth UN World Data Forum in November 2026 in Riyadh. The program aims to raise global awareness of Saudi Arabia’s leadership in digital transformation and its pioneering role in statistics.

The "Road to Riyadh" program will span one year, featuring workshops, events, and dialogue sessions. These activities will involve leading experts and global statistical institutions, focusing on enhancing Saudi Arabia's presence in the statistical field.

The forum's agenda included panel discussions on various topics. These covered the role of statistics in community development, modern methodologies for improving data quality, ethics and data privacy in statistical work, and practices of statistical offices in providing data to users.

The first edition of this forum took place in 2024 with strong participation. It produced valuable recommendations that contributed to advancing statistical work. This year's event coincides with World Statistics Day 2025 on October 20, highlighting official statistics' importance in supporting development and decision-making processes.

With inputs from SPA