Monday 28 / September / 2026
Jeddah: The 44th meeting of the Permanent Technical Committee for Statistics of the Arab League was held on Monday in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of representatives of Arab statistical agencies and Arab, regional and international organisations concerned with statistical work.
The meeting discussed a number of items on the Committee’s agenda, foremost among them follow-up on the implementation of the recommendations of the 43rd meeting and a review of the activities of the Statistics and Data Management Division of the Arab League. It also reviewed the statistical activities of Arab statistical agencies and areas of cooperation among them during 2026, as well as reports and recommendations of the subcommittees.
The meeting reviewed a number of statistical experiences and initiatives presented by Arab countries. The Sultanate of Oman delivered a presentation on the implementation of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey using artificial intelligence, along with a presentation on the mechanism for implementing the Digital Economy Survey. The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented an AI-based classification platform, while the Kingdom of Morocco presented a review of migration statistics.
The meeting also addressed the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals indicators and environmental indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as developments in censuses and the use of modern technology in statistical work. It also reviewed the work of the team tasked with preparing a unified strategic model for developing Arab statistical work, the 2027 work programme of the Statistics and Data Management Division, and statistical coordination with specialised Arab organisations.
Dr. Khalifa Abdullah Al Barwani, Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), said the Sultanate of Oman’s participation in the meeting reaffirms its commitment to supporting and strengthening joint Arab statistical cooperation and exchanging expertise and experiences among Arab statistical agencies, thereby contributing to the development of the statistical system and enhancing the quality and efficiency of official data.
He added that rapid developments in data technologies and artificial intelligence are opening broad opportunities for statistical agencies to develop working methods, accelerate the production of statistical indicators and enhance their efficiency. He stressed the importance of strengthening Arab cooperation in exchanging successful experiences and benefiting from modern technologies to support development requirements and decision-making.
Al Barwani noted that the efforts of the Arab League to strengthen coordination among statistical agencies in member States and facilitate the exchange of expertise and knowledge represent an important pillar in developing national statistical capabilities. He also stressed the importance of the recommendations and joint initiatives emerging from the Committee’s meetings in keeping pace with rapid transformations in statistical work at the regional and international levels.
The agenda also included discussion of a proposal to develop a unified Arab measure of human security, alongside the regional project to assist Arab countries in transitioning to the System of National Accounts 2025 (2025 SNA). The meeting is scheduled to conclude with discussion of the report and recommendations.
The Permanent Technical Committee for Statistics is one of the specialised committees within the framework of the Arab League. It plays a role in strengthening statistical coordination and cooperation among Arab countries, discussing technical and methodological issues of common interest, and submitting recommendations aimed at developing the Arab statistical system.
