KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) discussed Thursday with a high-level delegation from the GCC Statistical Center (GCC-Stat) enhancing cooperation between the two entities and the development of statistical work in the Gulf countries. The visit comes as the two sides hope to join efforts and unify visions on the development of the Gulf statistical system in a way that contributes to supporting the decision-making process and raising the efficiency of statistical agencies in the GCC countries.
In statements to KUNA, the two sides stressed the importance of unifying statistical standards among the GCC countries to ensure accurate and reliable data comparison and analysis and facilitate evidence-based decision-making. The two sides also agreed on the importance of exchanging experiences and knowledge between the Gulf statistical agencies and benefiting from the best international practices in the field of data collection and analysis.
Acting Director General of the Central Statistical Bureau, Wafa Al-Yahya, stressed the bureau’s keenness to strengthen cooperation and strategic partnership with GCC-Stat, noting that this cooperation contributes to upgrading and raising the efficiency of statistical work in the State of Kuwait and the Arab Gulf region.
Director General of GCC-Stat Intisar bint Abdullah Al-Wahaibia, praised the efforts made by CSB in developing statistical work, stressing the commitment of GCC-Stat to provide the bureau with any necessary support. The two sides discussed a wide range of issues of common interest, including ways to develop the statistical infrastructure in the GCC countries, including data collection, analysis and dissemination systems, with the aim of providing high-quality statistical data in a timely manner.
GCC-Stat and CSB representatives stressed the importance of investing in capacity building and developing statistical human cadres through continuous training and qualification and the provision of specialized expertise. The two sides also discussed the efforts of CSB in working to implement the ministerial recommendations for providing data on the GCC common market project. Such data published by other GCC countries include indicators of the performance of the common Gulf market, such as statistics on the extent to which citizens of the GCC countries benefit from the decisions related to Gulf economic citizenship and the common market.
She pointed out that the discussion dealt with the proposed activities to participate in the celebration of the Gulf Statistics Day, expecting that this visit will yield positive results that contribute to strengthening Gulf statistical cooperation and developing an integrated statistical system capable of meeting the needs of sustainable development in the GCC countries.
It is noteworthy that the Statistical Center for the GCC is the official body approved for data, information and statistics related to the GCC countries and was established to be the official source of statistics and to enhance the statistical and information work of national statistical centers and planning bodies in the GCC countries. — KUNA