Bahrain was represented at the 12th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Statistical Committee, which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia on October 3-4.

A delegation from the IGA was led by Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Duaa Alharban, General Manager,

A deputy chief executive of the Statistics and Population Registry.

In addition to several OIC countries, the UN Population Fund, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics participated. In addition to the OIC member countries, some national statistical offices participated in the event.

It was decided that Cameroon would chair the next session, while Saudi Arabia and Malaysia would serve as Deputy Chairs. In addition to reviewing the agenda items, they discussed establishing a shared platform to exchange best practices and experiences among member countries, as well as gathering high-quality statistical data in support of development plans. In order to promote principles of solidarity and enhance statistical capabilities at the organizational level, effective programs must be developed.

Review of the 11th session's resolutions, an assessment of 2021-2025 Action Program implementation, and monitoring of its progress were conducted by the committee.

Geospatial technologies were used to support census activities, as well as spatial analysis to understand patterns and relationships on the ground. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 8 indicators (Decent Work and Economic Growth) were discussed, as well as how to measure progress toward comprehensive economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for everyone. A session on capacity development focused on improving e-learning programs related to official statistics by enhancing statistical skills.

In conjunction with Bahrain's participation, Al Qaed met with the Director General of the Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk. They discussed how technology can be used in statistical work, including the Bahrain Open Data Platform, which was recently launched by the Kingdom.