Manama: As part of the Kingdom of Bahrain's presidency of the 46th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive of the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA), chaired the remote 14th meeting of the Permanent Committee on Statistical Affairs of the GCC countries. Al Qaed emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination among statistical agencies in the GCC to develop Gulf statistical work and unify efforts aimed at providing accurate and reliable statistical data and indicators to support development and decision-making across GCC states.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Al Qaed praised the advanced digital and technological readiness achieved by GCC countries. This progress has enhanced institutional continuity and strengthened the ability to efficiently and effectively handle repercussions from malicious Iranian attacks against Bahrain and GCC countries.
The meeting addressed several agenda items, including a review of the efforts undertaken by the GCC Statistical Centre from September 2025 to April 2026. This included statistical capacity building, organizing workshops, seminars, and training courses, statistical publishing, and the development of the centre's electronic statistical platforms. The committee also followed up on the implementation of recommendations from the 12th meeting of the Permanent Committee on Statistical Affairs.
Additionally, the committee reviewed a memorandum on Saudi Arabia hosting the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum in 2026, with preparations and arrangements for the event underway. The GCC affirmed its support for Saudi Arabia in organizing this significant statistical event.
The committee also examined developments related to preparing the Strategic Plan for Joint Statistical Work (2026-2030). Furthermore, it looked into the project to develop the GCC Framework for Statistical Standards and Methodologies (2026-2030), which aims to harmonize statistical concepts among GCC statistical agencies. A memorandum on guidelines for making microdata available to international organizations was also reviewed.