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DATA FOR A BETTER FUTURE
In partnership with the Ministry of Community Development and National Statistical Centers
Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019 is Announced
- The survey covers more than 20,000 households in the country in the largest socio-economic statistical project
- The fieldwork will take one year and cover all seven Emirates
- 350 field researchers will be supported by advanced statistical tools
20 December 2018 – Dubai, UAE
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority announced the official launch of the 2019 Household Income and Expenditure Survey at a press conference today. The announcement was made by HE Hessa bint Isa Buhamaid, Minister of Community Development and the UAE and was attended by HE Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. Also present at the event was HE Humaid Rashid Humaid Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi , Director of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, HE Ahmad Abdulla Al Suwaidi, Director General, Statistics Center – Abu Dhabi, HE Arif Obaid Al Muhairi, Executive Director, Dubai Statistics Center, HE Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Director of Fujairah Statistics Center, Dr Ibrahim Akoum, Executive Director, Ras Al Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies and Mrs Hessa Zayed, Fieldwork Manager, Ajman Statistics and Competitiveness Center.
During the press conference, HE Hessa bint Isa Buhamaid announced the launch of the survey’s fieldwork that will be targeting more than 20,000 Emirati and non-Emirati families distributed across the seven emirates. Her Excellency said that the UAE family has been and will remain the focus of the Ministry of Community Development and all government agencies for decades and until this very moment. This focus, she added, will grow further in the future in accordance with the directives of the UAE leadership. Her Excellence also noted “The happiness of the UAE community and ensuring prosperity and sustainable development is the focus of our attention, which is why we work with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and all national statistical centers on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey Project.”
“We recognize the importance of this survey because it provides data and statistics that are an accurate reflection of the income and expenditure levels at a household level in the country. Thus, decision makers will be able to utilize the data produced by the survey to design, launch and implement various impactful social and economic programs aimed at improving all aspects of life for individuals and families such as housing, education and health; reiterating the UAE’s status as a destination for happiness and prosperity,” Added HE Buhmaid.
Her Excellency also stressed the importance of the families’ response and cooperation, “Cooperating with with the field researchers is imperative for the success of this important national project.”
HE Abdulla Nasser Lootah, expressed his excitement in launching the Household survey. “We are proud to launch the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019. This national project, which is being implemented over a period of one year, reflects the strong cooperation, collaboration and teamwork spirit between the Ministry of Community Development and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and all national statistical centers in the UAE,” he added. “This survey is regarded as one of the most importance statistical projects because of the type of data it produces. Data that is crucial for any decision makers who is seeking to develop strategic plans and initiatives that can positivity impact the lives of families in the UAE”
Approximately 350 field operators, consisting of observers, supervisors, researchers and experts spread across all emirates, will be working on the project. This number does not include the office staff providing support at the FCSA and national statistics office.
All field teams attended intensive training and are equipped with latest advanced field tools and methodologies such as geo-spatial positioning systems, mobile applications on handheld devices, and other advanced techniques and modern statistical methods to ensure accuracy and quality of results.
| Emirate | Sample Familes per Emirates | Percentage |
| Abu Dhabi | 8784 | 42% |
| Dubai | 3816 | 18% |
| Sharjah | 2304 | 11% |
| Ajman | 1632 | 8% |
| Umm Al Quwain | 1248 | 6% |
| Ras Al Khaima | 1632 | 8% |
| Fujairah | 1296 | 6% |
| Total | 20712 | 100% |
Table (1) Sample breakdown per Emirate
The survey will help extract more than 65 indicators such as the basket of goods and services, consumer price indices, cost of living index, and price indices to help assess the level, direction and structure of the economic well-being of families.
The survey also provides accurate information on the demographic, social and economic characteristics on the components of society, including gender, age, nationality, educational level, marital status, labor force, occupation, economic activity, employment status and others.
The survey helps to update the base years of statistical indicators, such as inflation rates, as the periodicity of survey implementation extends to five years, providing seasonal coverage of household income and expenditure rates.
Session taking place on sidelines of World Data Forum will discuss how traditional statistics gathering is making way for digital forms
Dubai, October 24, 2018
The impact of the data revolution on statistics gathering and fieldwork will be an issue under the spotlight at a side session of the forthcoming United Nations World Data Forum, which is being organised by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) and takes place October 22-24 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
Titled Bye ‘Bye-Bye Statistics,’ the activity being presented by Saber bin Saeed Al Harbi, Director General of GCC-Stat, will examine how advances in technology are creating breakthroughs in data collection and negating the labour intensive, traditional methods for harvesting and promulgating statistics.
“We are facing a sea-change in the way data is collected, stored, analysed and disseminated, with rapid leaps forward in technology creating a fundamental shift in the way that information is gathered. The ‘Bye-Bye Statistics’ session on the side-lines of the UN World Data Forum aims to show attendees how it is now possible to do away with time-consuming fieldwork and the compiling of static tables. It will reveal the latest developments in virtual statistics and how to best utilise data acquired from sensors, satellite imagery data and GPS integrated data,” Saber bin Saeed Al Harbi
Bye-Bye Statistics will discuss the future demographic of the statistics world, which the session coordinators say will feature fewer compilers and more analytics, with those involved in the field also being younger. It will highlight how statistics will be defined by networks instead of buildings, with the work increasingly involving smart skills and machine learning. It will also examine the process of initiating change and the policies that managers responsible for data collection can adopt to ensure that their teams become enthusiastic early adopters of the new models.
“The Bye-Bye Statistics session will examine the best ways for managers to introduce these changes to bring their teams along with them. We will be examining the various stages involved in creating successful change, such as establishing a sense of urgency, creating a guiding coalition, developing a strategy, generating short-term wins and consolidating gains,” added Saber Al Harbi
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the UN World Data Forum 2018 brings together more than 1,500 data experts, high-ranking government officials and prominent policy makers from around the world. Now in its second edition, the globally-recognised event contributes to the establishment of a scientific incubator environment to enhance the role of data and statistics in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030; namely food security, health and learning.
Memorandum of Understanding will see bodies work together to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Dubai, October 24, 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), the UAE government body tasked with developing the UAE’s performance in data collection and in improving the country’s ranking across global indices, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
Under the terms of the agreement, the FCSA will partner with SDSN – a body that operates under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General to mobilise global scientific and technological expertise for sustainable development – to share knowledge and resources. The specifics of the MoU relate to SDSN’s research network on data and statistics ‘TReNDS’ and the organisations’ mutual objective of providing better-quality data to monitor sustainable development.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the UN World Data Forum 2018, which was hosted by the FCSA at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai from October 22-24. The second edition of the global summit aimed at exploring ways of improving the collection and analysis of statistics to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under Agenda 2030. The signatories to the agreement were H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Director General of the FCSA and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the UN World Data Forum 2018, and Jessica Espey, Senior Adviser at SDSN.
“Our new partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network will see the UAE run SDG pilot initiatives when needed to support the network’s research, while the network will reciprocate by supporting the FCSA with capacity building when possible, participating in SDG-related events where feasible, and contributing to the UAE’s annual report on SDGs. We see our relationship, which will last until at least 2020, as an important step in helping the UAE meet its obligations towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” said H.E. Lootah.
Organised by the FCSA and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the UN World Data Forum 2018 attracted more than 1,500 data experts, government officials and policy makers from around the world. Following the inaugural event in Cape Town, South Africa in 2017, the successful second edition of the Forum has established the event as the preeminent global activity to discuss the role of data and statistics in achieving the UN SDGs in the areas of food security, health and learning.
- Program Celebrated its 50th anniversary at FCSA headquarters in Dubai
Dubai, October 25, 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has hosted the third Governing Board Meeting of the International Comparison Program (ICP) at its headquarters in Dubai Festival City, marking the first time the meeting takes place in the Middle East.
Held in collaboration with the World Bank, the meeting was chaired by Statistics Austria, the country’s federal statistical office, and follows the three-day UN World Data Forum 2018, organised by the FCSA in Madinat Jumeirah on October 22-24, bringing together more than 2,500 data experts, policy-makers, and representatives from academia, private companies and civil society organisations (CSOs) from around the world.
FCSA Director General His Excellency Abdulla Nasser Lootah welcomed the Board members to the Authority’s headquarters, congratulating them on the International Comparison Program’s Golden Jubilee. “The initiative has come a long way since 1968 and has evolved into the largest statistical partnership in the world with participation from more than 200 countries, 20 institutions and many renowned experts,” H.E. said.
“The United Arab Emirates joined the programme in 2011 and is fully committed since then to all its requirements,” H.E. Lootah added, noting that the UAE was one of the first countries to implement sub-national Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in 2015. “We believe that the ICP outcomes are very important for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), national statistics requirements, the UAE National Agenda, and competitiveness reports,” he concluded.
"Producing regular high quality data on Purchasing Power Parities is of utmost importance for reliable international economic comparisons of countries and lies at the heart of the International Comparison Programme. Strong commitment at the highest level as we have seen it from members and observers of the ICP Governing Board in its meeting in Dubai make me confident that the currently running ICP exercise will be a big success.", says Konrad Pesendorfer, Co-Chair of the ICP Governing Board and Director General of Statistics Austria.
The attending Board members discussed the overall progress made in the implementation of the ICP’s 2017 cycle and interim activities, examined regional progress reports, and evaluated outstanding risks and mitigation measures, before concluding the meeting with preparing for the ICP 2020 cycle.
The ICP is a worldwide statistical initiative led by the World Bank under the auspices of the United Nations Statistical Commission, with the main objective of providing comparable price and volume measures of gross domestic product (GDP) and its expenditure aggregates among countries within and across regions. Through a partnership with international, regional, sub-regional and national agencies, the ICP collects and compares price data and GDP expenditures to estimate and publish purchasing power parities (PPPs) of the world’s economies.
The Governing Board (GB), meanwhile, is a strategic and policy-making body, which sets the policies that govern the production of regional and global PPPs; approves the methodology and any methodological improvements; conducts outreach to policy-makers to ensure the inclusion of the ICP in the national permanent statistical work; and helps with fund-raising at country level to increase national funding for the ICP.
Austria currently co-chairs the ICP Governing Board with India; the Board includes members from Belarus, Brazil, China, Fiji, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Suriname, and the United States, as well as from organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the United Nations Statistics Division, and the World Bank. The Statistical Office of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN_ESCWA) also serve on the Board as observers.
Dubai, October 19, 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) hosted the meetings of the UN Global Working Group (GWG) on Big Data across an entire day. The meetings explored the five key pillars of utilising Big Data to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.
H.E. Abdullah Lootah, FCSA Director General and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the UN World Data Forum 2018, opened the meetings, which discussed ways to improve the quality of statistics, strategies for addressing challenges in the Big Data sector, and mechanisms to consolidate partnerships with leading statistics entities from around the world, as well as data developers and experts on Big Data.
Ms. Heather Savory, Co-Chair of the UN Big Data Group and Director-General of Data Capacity at the National Statistical Office of the United Kingdom, said: “I would like to begin by thanking the UAE for hosting these meetings, which provide an international platform and ideal environment that enhances cooperation and partnership among all sorts of institutions and organisations. We are waiting to catalyse research and development efforts to provide secure services and applications, which, in turn, can be used to implement various projects in collaboration with leading tech companies and academic institutions. We look forward to exploring the best practices that enable the international statistics community to embrace modern technologies, improve the collection of data and utilise them to drive development and achieve SDGs locally and internationally.”
Meanwhile, Niels Ploug, Co-Chair of the UN Big Data Group and Director of the Department of Social Statistics of the Statistics Office of Denmark, said: “Independent official statistics serve both governments and the private sector, providing data about economic, social and environmental sectors. With that in mind, technology and data can help outline a clear image of the challenges that lie ahead for our society. Meeting here in Dubai is ideal to address our ability to utilise these resources and we look forward to partnering with the private sector to access its data and develop wider-reaching services.”
Mohamed Hassan Ahli, Executive Director of the National Statistics and Data Sector at the FCSA, said: “The UAE is hosting GWG’s Open Day meetings, in line with the directives of our wise leadership in supporting and encouraging innovation, benefiting from the data revolution and harnessing advanced technology to achieve strategic objectives and sustainable development plans locally, regionally and internationally.”
“Big Data is the cornerstone of optimising the use of artificial intelligence to employ cutting-edge technology in forecasting the future,” Ahli added. “Such forecasts are a key pillar of data-driven strategic planning, which is used across all UAE Government entities. These meetings will undoubtedly offer an opportunity to introduce international best practices in data and statistics across economic, social, environmental, health and educational spheres.”
The GWG meeting agenda included over five sessions showcasing the most prominent experiences and expertise in harnessing Big Data to achieve SDGs.
Session 1 highlighted the developments of the GWG’s Global Platform for Big Data and its contributions to producing official statistics. It also underlined new platforms for reliable methodologies and algorithms and monitoring of Earth’s data, e.g. Earth Observation Data, to collect and analyse data and integrate AI and machine learning applications.
Exploring agriculture and crop statistics, Session 2 shed light on the experiences of Canada, Colombia and the World Food Programme through satellite imagery data. Session 3, meanwhile, focused on assessing the movement of individuals and groups through analysing data collected from mobile electronic devices and methods of utilising such data to derive statistics on tourism, migration, daily commute and refugee movements.
Session 4 dealt with price fluctuations and their impact on the future forecast of commodity prices and spending behaviours through collecting data from bar codes, as well as from store and market reports. This while Session 5 addressed the challenges of Big Data and privacy, showcasing best practices in protecting personal data and making relevant decisions.
Around the end of the sessions, members of the GWG proposed key learnings and takeaways, which included: The need for statistics offices to modernise in order to benefit from the Big Data revolution; the necessity of optimising the insights that can be gathered from satellite imagery; tapping into machine learning and artificial intelligence; benefitting from the insight provided by data sources and technologies to improve the quality and relevance of official statistics and enable better decision-making for policymakers in the UAE and abroad.
The session underlined the importance of collaboration among the global community to achieve sustainable development in this new digital economy. This includes organising major events, such as the GWG ensure that knowledge is shared among statistics offices across the globe. The main objective from this type of event is to ensure that this is done in an open, transparent and collaborative manner. In addition to enhancing official statistics, Big Data also has great potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and hunger, ensure quality education, better healthcare and more equality, all the while addressing climate change and ensuring a better future for everyone.
The UN Global World Group for Big Data comprises 22 member countries, including the UAE, represented by the FCSA, which strives to develop national competencies and seek out the latest international technologies and experiences in government Big Data programmes and initiatives. Furthermore, the GWG aims to identify international best practices and innovation-driven initiatives in terms of official statistics, particularly the applications of Big Data.
The GWG also includes nine members of international entities, including Eurostat, the GCC Statistical Center, the International Telecommunication Union, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations Statistics Division, and the World Bank.
Dubai, October 8, 2018
The Ministry of Interior has signed a partnership agreement with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) to enhance bilateral collaboration and coordination in the lead-up to the second edition of the UN World Data Forum, set to be held in Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah on October 22-24, 2018.
The Forum brings together high-ranking officials, prominent decision makers, and more than 1,500 experts and specialists in data and statistics from all around the world. The partnership agreement allows the Ministry of Interior to showcase the latest successes achieved in the police and security sector through a data-centred approach.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry’s headquarters by His Excellency Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Shafar, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, and H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, FCSA Director General and Chairman of the Forum’s Organising Committee, in the presence of Brigadier General Mohammed Humaid bin Dalmuj Al Dhaheri, Acting Secretary-General of the Office of the Minister of Interior, and a number of FCSA officials.
The agreement is in line with both entities’ efforts to promote cooperation among institutions across the UAE to better serve the community and establish the UAE as an example to be emulated around the region and the world, all the while highlighting the country’s credentials as a prime destination for major international conferences and events.
H.E. Lt. General Al Shafar noted that signing this partnership agreement with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority reiterates the Ministry’s commitment to supporting events and initiatives revolving around statistics in general, and the activities of the UN World Data Forum 2018, in particular, which is a notable event for the international statistics sector.
The Lt. General went on to note that the Ministry, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Interior, is committed to building excellent relationships with entities across the UAE and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise among them. This, in turn, catalyses sustainable development, ensures safety and security, and helps provide advanced services.
For his part, H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah said: “We are happy to be collaborating with the Ministry of Interior to harmonise all efforts and ensure the UN World Data Forum 2018, held in the UAE, is a resounding success. This partnership also echoes our dedication to strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders across the UAE to ensure sustainable development, secure the country’s spot at the top of international competitiveness indexes, and highlight its role in fostering collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
“This partnership is an important step forward; it supports all the efforts to create a massive, centralised database for the UAE – the first of its kind in the world – firmly establishing the country as a global leader in embracing data as a key ingredient in sustainable development,” H.E. Lootah added. “It allows us to benefit from expertise, explore best practices, build national capacities, and utilise advanced technologies to mine accurate data and use it as a foundation upon which to build a better future for coming generations.”
The agreement stipulates that the two parties are to cooperate and provide all resources necessary to support the world-leading Forum that examines the role of data in accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The two entities will also benefit from the Forum’s discussions and takeaways to empower national talents and hone their statistical skills. Held under the aegis of the United Nations, the World Data Forum brings together prominent data producers and consumers to launch initiatives that improve available data on health, education, income, the environment, and climate, among other areas of interest for sustainable development.
Dubai, October 3, 2018
The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) organised a panel discussion titled “Data and Artificial Intelligence: An Active Role in Building the World’s Future” as part of the “Data for a Better Future for Humanity” series in the lead-up to the second UN World Data Forum, set to be held in Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah on October 22-24, 2018.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the Forum brings together high-ranking officials, prominent decision makers, and more than 1,500 experts and specialists in data and statistics from all around the world.
Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, attended the session, along with H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, FCSA Director General and Chairman of the Forum’s Organising Committee; while H.E. Ohood Ali Abdullah Al Shuhail, Director-General of Ajman Digital Government; and Eng. Bashar Kilani, Region Executive, IBM Middle East, participated in an interactive discussion with officials from statistics centres, universities and youth councils around the UAE, debating how data affects the use of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly with regards to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) locally and internationally.
H.E. Sarah Al Amiri asserted that the UAE, guided by the forward-thinking vision of its wise leadership, has espoused a proactive approach, tailored to the requirements of the Government of the Future and rooted in data as a fundamental component in decision making. This is in line with the UAE’s quest to establish its lead in various sectors and find solutions for all challenges, particularly those with direct impact on the lives of individuals and society.
“Data is the cornerstone of knowledge; and knowledge is the driving force behind positive change,” H.E. added. “With that in mind, the optimal utilisation of data and scientific research will play a key role in establishing a developed ecosystem that embraces advanced science and technology to upgrade key services and provide a better life and brighter future for all members of the community.”
“We, at the Office of the Minister of State for Advanced Science, prioritise data, research and statistics, which, we believe, play an immense role in ensuring the optimal use of advanced science and research, as per the objectives of the National Advanced Sciences Agenda 2031,” H.E. Al Amiri noted. “The Agenda seeks to establish a conducive environment to help achieve the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan, by placing science and technology at the disposal of sectors and establishing a comprehensive database to help identify the most important challenges and create solutions to address them.”
The Minister of State for Advanced Science concluded by asserting the importance of promoting scientific research, guiding the youth, and empowering them to remain aware of advanced sciences in order to ultimately build a generation of distinguished Emirati scientists and achieve further success to reflect the best possible image of UAE youth.
For her part, H.E. Ohood Ali Abdullah Al Shuhail said: “The Ajman Government is working to build a robust database in collaboration with all Government entities and according to the Ajman 2021 vision, which, in turn, aims to achieve the UAE leadership’s vision to build a better future for our societies and coming generations.”
“Processing data through advanced technologies is fundamental for adopting artificial intelligence,” H.E. Al Shuhail continued. “With that in mind, we consider the community to be a key partner in supporting Government entities by providing the necessary data to upgrade Government operations, while the private sector’s cooperation is paramount to build a comprehensive data ecosystem that facilitates forecasting future challenges and formulating adequate solutions for them.”
“Having realised the importance of these advanced technologies early on, the UAE appointed a Minister of State for Advanced Science to the Federal Government and proceeded to work on a National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence that echoes the 2021 Advanced Science Strategy and intersects with four of its main themes in nine key sectors,” H.E. explained.
Al Shuhail noted that the Ajman Digital Government emphasises developing technological skills among young generations and to that end, it has launched a series of initiatives, collaborating with Sandooq Al Watan and other entities to launch “Emirati Coder” to train 260 students in programming and robotics. The Ajman Digital Government also collaborated with Dark Matter Group’s educational arm, Ajyal Talent Management, to introduce four new courses to the curriculum at Ajman Academy as a prelude to implementing them in schools across the emirate.
Meanwhile, Eng. Bashar Kilani began by identifying artificial intelligence as a concept, which consists of using machines to simulate human intellect, noting that the first recorded implementations of this advanced technology emerged in the 1950s and 1960s in the form of devices that analyse voices and images. With the data revolution, these technologies made their way to other areas, such as analysis, machine learning and reading.
“The successful implementation of these future technologies relies on accurate data to support decision making,” Kilani said. “Data plays a pivotal role in improving performance and customer satisfaction, increasing companies’ bottom lines, and helping employees hone their professional skills by automating repetitive tasks and allowing them to shift their focus on more important duties.”
Kilani noted that the emergence of these advanced technologies will create new jobs on the market, where two-thirds of jobs in the future are expected to be completely new, while automation and robots will take over 80% of human tasks. The IBM Region Executive cited examples where this is already happening, such as in bank transactions, self-driving vehicles and drones.
“Data is the oil of the future, and we are on the cusp of great growth in the sector and the proliferation of related professions, such as data scientist. There will be increasing demand for data scientists in engineering, data scientists in medicine, etc.” Kilani concluded. “The UAE will lead the way in utilising this data to improve performance across key sectors and maintain the UAE’s steady rise on international competitiveness indexes.”
The UN World Data Forum 2018 is the most important international gathering of data and statistics in the world. It contributes to the establishment of a scientific incubator environment to enhance the role of data and statistics in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, namely food security, health and learning.
Taking place over the course of three days, the UN World Data Forum receives support from major strategic partners, namely: The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFA); the Ministry of Interior (MOI); GCC Statistical Center (GCC-STAT); the Smart Dubai Office (SDO); Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA); Dubai Statistics Center (DSC); DP World; Abu Dhabi Ports; Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi; Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD); Fujairah Statistics Centre; and the General Secretariat of the Executive Council in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed: The UAE has Demonstrated its Commitment to Adopting Innovation and Technology to Achieve Sustainable Development.
H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah: The UN Provides One of the Best Platforms in the World to Share Knowledge, Experiences, and Best Practices on Data and Statistics.
New York, Dubai, 16 March 2019:
As part of the UAE participation in the meetings of the fiftieth session of the International Statistical Committee at United Nations Headquarters in New York, H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah, the Director-General of the Federal Authority for Competitiveness and Statistics (FCSA) and the Head of the UAE Delegation held a meeting with HE Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations to discuss the UN SDGs and the opportunities for enhancing cooperation efforts to achieve them.
During the meeting, the officials tackled many related topics, while focusing on the latest technology trends, strategic partnerships, the centrality of the role of youth and the importance of supporting the implementation of data-based sustainable development initiatives around the world.
H.E. Lootah showcased the UAE’s experience and experiments in this field and shed a spotlight on the State’s efforts at the local and international levels to achieve the SDGs, including hosting the second session of the United Nations Global Data Forum in October 2018. The international event was considered as an additional opportunity to meet with stakeholders and focus on how to harness the power of data to serve humanity.
On this occasion, HE Amina Mohammed said: “I am delighted to meet again with the UAE delegation and members of the FCSA. The UAE has always been a committed member of supporting global efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, and the presence of a large team of officials at the meeting of the Fiftieth Session of the International Statistical Committee highlights the deep faith of UAE leadership in the vital role that data can do to achieve a prosperous future.”
On his side, Lootah pointed out: “The United Nations World Data Forum has established a strong and long-term relationship between statistics and data workers in the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations, specifically the International Statistical Committee. Communication and active participation among experts, private sector bodies, private sector companies, and social organizations around the world are the only way through which we can share experiences and innovations that support countries in their quest to achieve or exceed the goals of sustainable development.”
He added: “Today, we are here in New York to promote the commitment that everyone in this world, regardless where they live, can live a life free of poverty, hunger, and disease.”
It is worth mentioning that the International Committee of Statistics (ICS) comprises leading statistical experts from UN member states, and it is the highest decision-making body on international statistical activities.
General Secretariat of the National Committee on SDGs Launches First Report on Private Sector Sustainability Initiatives in UAE
Dubai, UAE- 18 August 2019
The Secretariat of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals launched the first report on private sector initiatives for sustainability in UAE titled "Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE: Private Sector Contributions." Global Strategy Consulting firm, Oliver Wyman developed the report in partnership with the Private Sector Advisory Council on SDGs (PSAC) founded by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA).
The report sheds a spotlight on the efforts exerted by the National Committee on SDGs to serve as a platform for coordination and partnerships through PSAC. It also focuses on the role of private companies in achieving SDGs by means of sharing ideas and practices on the key opportunities and challenges that companies face in their efforts to implement the UAE Agenda 2030.
The initiatives cover various sectors, including renewable energy, real estate, retail, aviation and land, and sea transport services. These initiatives have contributed to the UAE’s efforts to promote sustainability within the private sector and make progress towards achieving the 2030 global agenda of sustainability.
H.E. Abdullah Lootah, Director General of FCSA and Vice-Chair of the National Committee on SDGs and Chair of the PSAC on SDGs, stated: "At a time of multiple drastic and relentless economic, social and technological changes experienced by the world, the public and private sectors partnerships and the achievement of sustainable progress and prosperity for the society of UAE become essential. Based on the initiatives and experiences presented by the report, the UAE has turned out to be a global role model in the governance of SDGs and harnessing the innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors to achieve them."
The report also reviews notable initiatives adopted by the National Committee on SDGs in UAE. The committee is the government team in charge of implementing the 17 SDGs in the UAE and was formed in January 2017 and chaired by Her Excellency Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation. The committee’s members include 17 federal level government authorities who agreed on a road map for the year 2030. The road map focuses on four key stages, including raising awareness, establishing the foundations, developing policies, reporting the progress achieved, and monitoring the performance.
Greg Rung, Partner at Oliver Wyman, stated: "The ongoing cooperation between the UAE government and the private sector is crucial in boosting the country’s efforts to implement the United Nation’s 17 SDGs successfully."
"Oliver Wyman is proud to collaborate with PSAC for producing this report and partner with the entity to support the UAE government in its commitment to successfully achieving a prosperous and sustainable future for all," added Rung.
Members of PSAC have also drafted a consultative framework used as a formal mechanism to engage the private sector in UAE and move forward in achieving UAE Agenda 2030. Additionally, PSAC developed a strategy to engage the youth, to ensure that development is not only for the youth but also for and through them to further promote and increase their positive contributions as agents of change.
H.E. Abdullah Lootah concluded his statement by stating: "Recognizing that the implementation of SDGs could only get ahead by involving all relevant stakeholders from different government and private sectors, we have pooled resources with the Oliver Wyman team to prepare this important report with sights set to shed light on the efforts of the private sector as a strategic partner of the UAE government. I am proud of the commitment of the members of PSAC and their contributions to supporting the sustainability process in UAE, and the dissemination of such UAE experiences to the global community."
The report showcases the most important sustainability initiatives developed by 12 national and international companies operating in UAE, namely: Dubai Holding Company, Careem, Majid Al Futtaim Group, DP World, EMAAR Group, Al Serkal Group, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates Airline, Multinational Companies Business Group, Dubai Free Zones Council and MASDAR Group.
UAE to welcome over 1,500 data experts from around the world in October
Dubai, June 9, 2018
Dubai, July 2nd, 2019
Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) has recently announced the launch of the UAE Administrative Census 2020 Project.
The UAE Administrative Census 2020 Project is a vital comprehensive project that will continue until the end of December 2020. Its implementation is in cooperation with all local statistics centers and many other government entities in the UAE
While emphasizing on the importance of this Census and the importance of the data it will provide to UAE decision-makers, Abdullah Nasser Lootah, FCSA Director-General, said "Launching the Unified Census 2020 Project is consistent with the directives of our wise leadership. It also aligns with the UAE government’s interest in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and formulating policies supported by data and statistics. All of these efforts are meant to achieve the prosperity and well-being of the entire United Arab Emirates.
He added, "The Administrative Census relies on a transition using administrative records and modern technology, which enables us to implement this project with high accuracy while reducing the financial investments and human efforts. This is being achieved by utilizing the recorded data available at various government entities. The recorded data form the basis, which feed the Administrative Census 2020 Project databases. The project was launched in the beginning of the second quarter of 2019 and will continue until the end of December 2020."
The census project is dedicated for counting and surveying both population and housing units. It is based on the administrative recorded data updated by government entities for achieving the pre-set development goals. This step provides an alternative to the classical Census based on households’ visits and interviews for data collection in every emirate.
For the completion of this wide-ranging project, task forces from all over the UAE will cooperate at both federal and local levels. The task forces specializations are varied and include specialized technical, administrative, media, and IT individuals to have an e-integrity of the systems and protect the confidentiality of collected data and to save it in databases ultimately.
Mohamed Hassan Ahli, Executive Director of Statistics and National Data Sector at FCSA and the General Manager of the Administrative Census 2020 Project pointed out: "The execution plan of the project is developed to implement the best and most prominent international practices, methodologies and recommendations in the digital statistical transformation process related to the data collection process in the Administrative Census 2020 project. Thus, from the very beginning, we are committed to benefit from the best international experiences in this area. A delegation, headed by FCSA and attended by a number of federal government bodies and local statistics centers, visited the statistics centers in Belgium and Austria to review the latest techniques and methods used in such kind of censuses to apply them to the Administrative Census 2020, along with the data validation mechanisms and integration of different types of data and applications that support the optimal implementation of this project.
The Census is significant because it is one of the essential sources of accurate and comprehensive population data. Its results will contribute to the provision of modern and informative databases that contribute to informed decision making, especially in light of the economic, social, and environmental developments that necessitate the implementation of a population census. Therefore, completing the current census project is in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and meets the international recommendations of the United Nations that every country should conduct a census by 2020.
This Census is essential for many important indicators and contributes to the provision of characteristics on living conditions and housing units. The project has more than 70 indicators that are based on the population and their characteristics. These indicators fall within the goals of the National Agenda, Global Competitiveness indicators, and SDGs 2030. Therefore, the sustainability of the periodic flow of population data is imperative for achieving comprehensive and sustainable development and for making informed decisions.
Quotes from the speeches of senior government officials in the federal and local government authorities on the launch of Unified Census 2020 activities:
H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Director of Department of Statistics and Community Development in Sharjah stated: "The Census is a leading national project, part of the UAE’s major development plans. This government initiative aims at accelerating the development of community- households and individuals, to reach sustainable development based on accurate and timely data obtained from administrative records. It is crucial to increase investment and efforts in the preparation and development of government records and databases to provide an essential source of data to be utilized in studies and reports."
H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Al Kaabi, Assistant Undersecretary for Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Energy and Industry stated, “The Administrative Census 2020 Project is of great importance and is one of the most important tools for acquiring knowledge about UAE and its geographical unity. Such an issue is necessary to facilitate implementing urban development projects and social and economic planning. This will help the UAE in developing plans for different areas such as workforce, education, health, housing, and social services to achieve prosperity and to optimize the quality of life for its citizen and residents."
H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) said: "MOHAP is participating in the Administrative Census 2020 Project, in cooperation with FCSA recognizing its significance in providing the data necessary for calculating the UAE basic health indicators. These indicators are integral for MOHAP to develop health and prevention strategic plans to further boost the quality of health care services levels by measuring health indicators and developing appropriate health policies set to achieve the goals of the UAE Vision 2021 which aims to implement a global health system and enforcing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030
H.E. Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy underscored "The Census is an embodiment of the government’s efforts to establish a dynamic database for economic and social variables through the use of technology. This project will form the main pillar for building a central database for the indicators of the Sustainable development goals. The project methodology relies on the administrative records of government entities to automatically, systematically, and accurately obtain information, thus enhancing the confidence and credibility of the country’s data."
Eng. Aisha Al Midfa, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, stressed that the Administrative Census 2020 is channeled to achieve all national strategies designed to support and promote the indicators of Emiratis owning a house and infrastructure, besides the time of being granted the housing unit. “The project of development in UAE which would contribute to accomplishing the UAE general policies and strategies and taking decisions based on highly accurate data," she said. She indicated that the Census would serve the policy and strategy development process, determine the status and baseline of the national agenda associated with infrastructure and housing, and facilitate appropriate decision-making. The availability of timely, accurate and valuable data on individuals and their social status, housing statistics and manpower, as well as the characteristics of buildings, homes, Emirati households and the health levels of Emirati families will help making informed decisions.” he said.
H.E. Aisha Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Human Resources Policies at the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR), commented: "FAHR supports this vital national project by providing FCSA and all concerned authorities with all necessary statistics and data on human resources in the federal government and local governments. This is done via the human resources e-system managed by FAHR called the Federal Government’s Human Resources Information System (Bayanati). Bayanati is a unified federal and local government database that is an important reference point for official human resource statistics in UAE, in planning the future of UAE’s human resources flawlessly and effectively."
H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Hosani, Director General of the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), emphasized on the importance of the Unified Census 2020 for the UAE in terms of establishing an updated national database.
He added: “The near real-time, updated information and reports provided by the UAE’s unified electronic record will direct the national, federal, and local efforts as well as resources to further enhance the level of preparedness and capacities of all government entities This will aid in successfully and effectively managing emergencies, crises, and disasters. The success of this project depends on cooperation between institutions and individuals, which will result in monitoring the well-being of individuals and society and contribute towards positioning the UAE as par with developed countries in the field of statistical data and records.”
H.E. Abdullah Ahmed Al Yousuf Al Suwaidi, Acting Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Statistics Center (ADSC), stated: “In light of the Abu Dhabi Government’s interest in development and its role in improving the level of well-being of the society, its commitment to extract statistical indicators that monitor the population and social changes, and its efforts exerted to analyze these indicators and make them available to the decision-makers who will use them to develop programs and policies developed to serve the best interests of the society. ADSC will be using the administrative records to identify Abu Dhabi’s population and their social and economic characteristics. The decision-makers are using these records as an alternative to the classical method of conducting censuses, i.e., to collect data from the field. Conducting this Administrative census will save time, effort and money, and contribute to conducting population census projects regular without any further delays usually experienced when conducting the traditional Census, given the rapid population changes taking place in Abu Dhabi.”
Tariq Al Janahi, Deputy Executive Director of Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) and member of the Census Higher Committee, said that this Census is a qualitative leap in the integration of government systems. "It provides a real opportunity to achieve immense added value to policies, strategies, systems, and advanced technology that the government sought to implement over the past years. It will also be a critical source of information to assist policymakers, planners, and decision-makers by providing them with up-to-date demographic data of the highest quality obtained through the least financial investment and human effort. By uniting government efforts, the UAE can become a global role model in the field of Census. .
Dr. Abdulrahman Alshayeb Alnaqbi, Chairman of the Ras Al-Khaimah Center for Statistics and Studies, stated: "The Census is of great importance to the UAE as it is foundation for all efforts exerted to measure the emirates capabilities. The data and statistics collected through this Census will assist us in taking future decisions regarding the economic and social development plans. They will assist in identifying the needs of the emirates in all sectors and determine its competitive advantage. It will also assist us in identifying ways of directing budgets and channeling resources to cater for the population’s needs by providing them with basic services, including schools, hospitals, food, and factories.”
Dr. Hagar Saeed Al Hubeishi, Executive Director of the Ajman Statistics and Competitiveness Center (ASCC), availed the opportunity to emphasis that the Unified Census 2020 project is one of the top priority statistical projects that ASCC seeks to implement in 2020. She went on to say "The goal of conducting this project is to support and provide high-quality coordinated statistics. This will be achieved by taking advantage of the administrative record databases of the government entities. ASCC management has expressed its keenness and readiness to implement this project. To ensure the success of the project, ASCC has formed a higher committee, a technical committee, and other specialized census teams."
Dr. Ibrahim Saad Mohamed, Director of the Fujairah Statistics Center, said: "Many countries, including the developed ones, tend to use administrative records for counting their population and their characteristics rather than the field surveys. Indeed, conducting censuses this way is time-saving and cost-effective."
Dr. Ibrahim drew attention to the fact that based on the UAE’s (and particularly Fujairah’s) interest in the development and its role in boosting the levels of well-being of the society, policies should have solid foundations supported by statistical figures and indicators. He added: "By taking advantage of these figures and indicators, we will be smoothly able to monitor and analyze population characteristic and social changes. They will be of great importance to the decision-makers who will use them to cater to the actual needs of the society."
Dubai, UAE – 27, May 2019
UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum directed all government entities in the UAE to achieve the top ten in 1000 global competitiveness indicators over the coming ten years.
His Highness’ direction came during his visit to a meeting held at the Bab Al Shams Resort in Dubai today on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the beginning of competitiveness in the UAE. FCSA Board of Directors met today in the same hall from which the first government team was created to manage UAE competitiveness ten years ago.
I congratulate my brother Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of our competitiveness path. We have taken the UAE to top positions in education, health, economy, innovation, security and safety. We started with a small team and an ambitious idea. Today, competitiveness is an integral part of the UAE government ecosystem"
"We are looking forward to a decade of innovative competitiveness … building upon what we have achieved in the past ten years. Today, the UAE is in the top positions in more than 300 indicators… In the next ten years, UAE will be in the top ten in more than 1,000 indicators. We have faith in our youth to achieve what our people aspire the UAE to be, the best in the world."
The FCSA team presented a summary report on list of key achievements of UAE global competitiveness over the past 10 years. The team also briefed His Highness a number of upcoming strategic initiatives in competitiveness, statistics and sustainable development goals.
His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, instructed the FCSA team to work in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. He instructed FCSA to launch an initiative to accelerate achieving advanced competitiveness positions in partnership with the executive teams of the competitiveness indicators, in order to preserve the accomplishments the UAE achieved so far.
The FCSA Board of Directors also stressed the importance of focusing on capacity building and empowering young national talent in understanding competitiveness reports and indicators. Formal training, secondments conferences, events and specialized workshops are to be utilized for enhanced capacity building in competitiveness.
The FCSA board also praised the FCSA management team’s efforts in developing and modernizing the statistical the infrastructure in the UAE, underlining the importance integrating statistical and competitiveness strategy.
FCSA board also directed the FCSA management to identify global experiences in the field of statistics and data to mark a quantum leap based on the latest technologies on the global arena, such as analytical tools for large data, the Internet of things (IOT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
"Cooperation between federal, local and private sector entities and the community is an important factor that enabled the UAE to achieve such major achievements in global competitiveness reports and indicators, and enabled UAE be in the Top Ten ranks in 311 competitive indicators," said HE Al Gergawi.
Al Gergawi stressed that the UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, have become a model of excellence and leadership. Not only in the Arab world, but also globally, the UAE today leads in how government performance can be enhanced and modernized, making the UAE a destination for other governments around the world looking to enhance their own competitiveness journey"
HE Abdullah Lootah, director general of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority said, "The celebration of the 10th anniversary to launch of the global competitiveness journey is a major milestone for the country’s ongoing march towards global leadership. The cooperation we are witnessing from our government and private sector stakeholders contributed significantly in the impressive results UAE achieved today. Through these innovative partnerships, we will continuous our enhancement in legislations and procedures," added Lootah.
Journey of competitiveness achievements
he UAE’s competitiveness journey began in 2009 with a small team of seven working under the leadership of His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future. After less than 18 months of founding work, the competitiveness Team expanded in size and function. An independent governmental body representing members of its administration representing the seven emirates. After the establishment of the Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC), HE Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation became chair of the board for nearly eight years.
Under her leadership, UAE competitiveness witnessed several important milestones such as hosting international experts and global events in competitiveness, the 3rd the Global Federation Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) forum held in Dubai in 2012.
The ECC Council also worked to strengthen bilateral relations prominent publishers of global competitiveness reports and indicators such as the World Economic Forum, Institute of Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland and The World Bank, the publisher of the Ease of Doing Business report.
In 2015, ECC and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) merged to form the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), the federal agency charged with three mandates: enhancing UAE’s global competitiveness, modernizing the country’s statistical ecosystem and fulfilling UAE’s sustainable development goals.
The current board of directors includes 20 members representing a group of ministries and the local statistical center in the country.
The UAE competitiveness journey also marked a number of important achievements since the establishment of the FCSA, such as achieving the UAE’s top positions globally in 75 international competitive indices. The United Arab Emirates is among the top ten in 311 competitive indicators in 17 competitive reports monitored by the Authority. Another accomplishment that supported UAE competitiveness was the formation of the Executive Teams on Competitiveness Indicators as one of the outcomes of the competitive sessions in the UAE Annual Government Meetings, as well as the Number One Indicator Challenge project.
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