Saudi Arabia will begin housing and population census on 9 May 2022, according to Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim.
Albrahim, who is also the chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), is the census that is conducted every 10 years is a “vital pillar” for the planning and policymaking required for “achieving our Vision 2030 goals”.
He praised the support the census operations have received from government agencies, as well as the cooperation from citizens and residents during last year’s pilot census.
He said the support has contributed significantly in enhancing GASTAT’s readiness to conduct the proper census process this year, according to Saudi media reports.
He also encourages all residents to participate in the census as part of their national duty and social responsibility and to cooperate with field workers in providing their data as accurately as possible.
The census results will directly impact policymakers’ abilities to make evidence-based decisions that contribute to better public services and urban planning, as well as enable the private sector and investors to play their part effectively in the Kingdom’s economic development, he said.
Alibrahim emphasized GASTAT’s commitment to the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality when it comes to the collected census data. The Authority’s bylaws strictly prohibit any disclosure of citizens’ and residents’ data and private information (such as ID numbers, names or residency information).
He also highlighted this census’s most prominent enhancements, including developing work procedures based on international best practices used in G20 countries and member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
This will be the first census to make use of satellite imagery to ensure more comprehensive coverage of the country’s regions and provinces that underwent incredible development since the last census in 2010.
Another new procedure aided by modern technology is the fact that citizens and residents have the option to fill out the census on their own via GASTAT’s website. Nevertheless, data collection and enumeration will still be available through field employers to ensure the widest coverage of all segments of society, the reports said.