The Statistical Center for Cooperation Countries celebrates Gulf Statistics Day

Muscat, December 24 / WAM / The Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf celebrated the Gulf Statistical Day, which falls on the 24th of December of each year, which reflects the importance of statistics as a basic pillar for decision-making and promoting sustainable development paths. This year’s celebration came under the slogan “Unified Data / A Common Gulf Vision.”

His Excellency Jassim bin Mohammed Al Budawi, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, said that Gulf Statistics Day is an occasion in which we appreciate the efforts of those working in this field and their vital role in supporting the development process and decision-making.

He stressed that based on the keenness of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries – may God protect them – to consolidate statistical work as a basic pillar of joint Gulf action, the Statistical Center for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries was established in 2011, to be a source of unified data, a support for decision-making, and a reinforcement of integration paths among the GCC countries.

He stated that statistics are no longer just numbers, but rather have become a strategic tool that gives policy makers a deeper understanding of reality and a better ability to anticipate the future.

His Excellency said that statistics is receiving increasing global attention as a strategic asset no less important than national resources, due to its pivotal role in understanding economic, social and climate transformations, and in confronting accelerating challenges with accurate and reliable data. In this context, the Gulf statistical system is progressing at a steady pace, through institutional integration and the use of modern technologies, big data, and artificial intelligence, to produce data that reflects the reality of our region and supports sustainable development.

He stated that statisticians and data experts represent the basic foundation of this sector, as through their efforts, data turns into knowledge, and knowledge into decisions that create a better future.

The celebration of Gulf Statistical Day this year comes in line with the outcomes of the Gulf Summit in Manama 2025, which emphasized in its final statements the importance of enhancing economic and social integration, unifying policies, and supporting sustainable development paths and joint Gulf action as strategic priorities for the next stage.

In this context, the celebration’s slogan “Unified data/shared Gulf vision” constitutes a practical translation of the directives of the leaders at the Manama Summit, as the unified official data and statistics represent the technical basis for measuring the extent of progress in implementing the summit’s decisions, whether at the level of economic integration, monitoring indicators of economic growth and diversification, or monitoring progress in achieving the sustainable development goals of the GCC countries.

The growing role of the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council States, which was established by a decision of the leaders of the GCC countries, also reflects the renewed keenness of the 2025 Manama Summit to develop an integrated Gulf system for evidence-based decision-making, and to enhance the use of reliable data in strategic planning, impact assessment, and raising the efficiency of public policies, in a way that contributes to achieving the common national and Gulf visions of the GCC countries.

The celebration witnessed honoring the winners of the statistical competition organized by the Center, and a dialogue symposium entitled “Unified data for a common Gulf vision towards statistical integration that supports sustainable development.”

The Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council States is one of the specialized technical bodies affiliated with the General Secretariat of the Council, and it plays a pivotal role in building a smart Gulf statistical system that provides high-quality data to support decision-making and public policy-making in the Gulf countries.

The center was established in 2012 by decision of the Supreme Council, and works in partnership with national statistical agencies in member states, to coordinate efforts and promote compatibility in statistical standards and methodologies.

The Statistical Center adopts visions and strategic directions aimed at strengthening and coordinating joint Gulf statistical work, to be a reliable source of accurate statistical data and indicators that serve decision-makers and support policy-making, monitoring their implementation, and evaluating their effects.

The Center is working to build a smart and unified Gulf statistical system capable of meeting the statistical needs of the GCC countries, and enhancing integration between national statistical agencies and institutions, thus consolidating the role of statistics as an essential tool for sustainable development and informed decision-making.

The strategic plans for joint Gulf statistical work formed the general framework for unifying efforts and enhancing cooperation between the components of the statistical system, as the implementation of the first strategic plan for the period (2015-2020 AD) was launched, followed by the second strategic plan for the period (2021-2025 AD), which focused on developing data quality, enhancing statistical integration, building joint frameworks that contribute to raising statistical efficiency, and consolidating the center’s role as a knowledge beacon supporting the process of joint Gulf action.

The preparation of the strategic plan for joint Gulf statistical work for the period (2026-2030 AD) comes in a global context characterized by the accelerating pace of digital transformation and the expansion of its scope to include various aspects of life, in addition to the increasing and diversification of the demand for reliable statistical data and information that supports the decision-making process, which has contributed to driving the process of transformation in official statistical work at the global level.

In the context of supporting decision makers, the Center has developed a number of specialized electronic platforms that provide comprehensive data and indicators covering the economic, social, demographic and environmental fields, and provide visual analysis tools and interactive reports, the most prominent of which are the statistical data portal, the Gulf Common Market platform that tracks the implementation of economic integration decisions, the competitiveness performance platform that monitors indicators of international organizations, in addition to the platforms for sustainable development, renewable energy, tourism and culture, and the statistical city that presents data in an innovative interactive manner, in addition to the smartphone application for statistics that facilitates access to data. And share it.

The Center also implements a group of strategic statistical projects and indicators that respond to Gulf development priorities, including the Gulf Youth Development Index, the Women’s Participation in Development Index, the Environmental Performance Index, climate statistics, forecasting models for macroeconomic indicators, projects to measure the digital economy and e-commerce, services trade statistics, and food security, in addition to the statistical process automation project that aims to digitize the statistical production cycle and enhance the integration of data flow between the Center and national statistical agencies, in accordance with the latest international standards.

The center makes a pivotal contribution to the production of statistical reports and bulletins that cover various sectors, as the number of publications during the year 2025 reached about 130 statistical products, which represent a knowledge reference that supports decision makers at the national and regional levels, and contributes to building a unified and reliable Gulf statistical number that enhances the effectiveness of public policies and joint Gulf action.

In the field of capacity building, the Center provided extensive technical support to national statistical agencies, through the implementation of 136 technical support missions, for a total of 2,260 working days, in addition to organizing meetings, workshops, and statistical training courses, with the participation of more than 1,500 specialists, which contributes to unifying statistical methodologies, exchanging experiences, raising the quality of data, and enhancing the capabilities of Gulf statistical cadres.

The Center also plays an active role in supporting Gulf economic integration policies, especially the Gulf Common Market, by providing data and indicators that reflect the reality of implementation and its economic and social impact, in addition to its continuous support for the meetings of ministerial committees and their Excellencies the undersecretaries, through the preparation of statistical reports, infographics, and analytical materials included in official files, in a way that enhances data-based decision-making.

The Center is also keen to expand its regional and international partnerships, and exchange experiences with statistical institutions and international organizations, to consolidate its position as a house of expertise and a reliable Gulf statistical reference.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related