Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

GASTAT prohibits sharing personal data; no tracking down of residency violators

GASTAT prohibits sharing personal data; no tracking down of residency violators

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reaffirmed that the Saudi Census 2022, which kicked off on May 10, does not aim either to track down violators of residency laws or monitor legal violations. The authority regulations also prohibit sharing of personal data with any third party.

GASTAT has clarified that the average time an individual can take to fill up the census form is 30 minutes. The form contains 50 questions, including the actual location of housing, health and educational status, languages spoken by family members, features of housing and the services available there.

The actual period for headcount is 36 days, during which every individual who is alive within the Kingdom’s borders is counted at a specific time and date.

According to the authority, the census targets all heads of families and individuals who are permanently residing in the Kingdom, including violators of residency regulations, to take part in the census.

It aims to cover all residents of the Kingdom regardless of the status of their identification papers. However, visitors for the purpose of Hajj, Umrah or tourism will not be covered in the census.

Enumerators will also collect information about housing units, both inhabited and uninhabited, which may not be covered by the national postal address.

5 salient features


The GASTAT unveiled that there are five salient features for the census of 2022. They include the use of modern technologies in the application of census work; satellite images to ensure more comprehensive coverage of various Saudi regions; identification of unregistered housing units in the national addresses; and the development of a data collection mechanism to include self-enumeration, which is a new means of data collection.

This mechanism is available through the authority’s portal to all individuals. Finally, updating the census form would serve the decision-makers in accordance with the best international practices.

The authority stated that implementation of the census is important because its outputs are integrated with the data in Absher, Tawakkalna and other portals as the census links population data with their actual places of residence, and adds other data to it, such as the type of housing and health status of each individual, and other data that have not been updated since the 2010 census.

The GASTAT had carried out a trial-run enumeration in September 2021, covering seven cities across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, AlUla, Asir, and the Eastern Province. It included numbering of buildings and its components of housing units and families.

The trial-run enumeration has also included counting the population in labor camps and public housing to identify their demographic, social and economic characteristics.

The authority prepared the executive plan, after a comprehensive study of the requirements of government agencies benefiting from the results of the census. It is also based on the best international population census models and standards that are in force in the G20 countries as well as in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

As per the time bound census plan, the study and analysis of the census data will be carried out in July and August after finishing the actual headcount in May and June. Dissemination of census reports to all members of the community will be made in September and October.

The census data collection channels include the phases of enumerators’ visit to the residences; self-enumeration by filling out the census form electronically; and self-enumeration through Saudi Census 2022 kiosks in major areas around the Kingdom.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
×