Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Nabit

What have been PSA’s main area of focus and milestones during the last year?
Concerning the strategic planning and strategic management area, PSA has been heavily involved in the last year in measuring the progress of the implementation of projects and objectives of the Second National Development Strategy (NDS-2) 2018-2022. PSA continues to unfold different levels of national strategic alignment amongst various national stakeholders by unifying the methods used in NDS-2 and providing the necessary autonomy of ownership of national priorities and projects.

What are some of the most revealing statistics that have been obtained this year?
Aside from demographic, social, economic and environmental stats, PSA recently published Qatar’s Second Report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As per the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the report is intended to assess the progress made in achieving the 17 SDG in the state of Qatar, as well as identifying the challenges facing the state in this path. Achieving the 2030 SDGs is a responsibility of solidarity and partnership between the government, private sector, and civil society. The report reveals that the state of Qatar is progressing well toward achieving most of its sustainable development targets, especially those related to eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring good health and education, providing affordable water, clean energy, decent working opportunities, reducing inequality, achieving justice and peace, and building sustainable, inclusive, and crime-free cities and societies. Furthermore, the report points out that Qatar is making progress in reducing the impact of climate change, reducing unsustainable production and consumption patterns, protecting ecosystems, and revitalizing global development partnerships.

PSA has announced the start of the first phase of the general census. What are its main objectives?
The main aim of the census is to create a high-quality central registry of population, housing, and business data. Some of the many uses of this will be better decision-making at all levels of government; attracting new businesses; forecasting future transportation needs for every segment of the population; planning for hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and the location of other health services; forecasting future housing needs; monitoring the implementation of the National Development Strategy; designing public safety strategies; designing facilities for people with disabilities, the elderly, and children; planning health and educational facilities for people with disabilities; planning educational facilities, including adult education, at the municipality level; planning budgets for every level of government; understanding the labor supply; locating the sites for business centers; and designed household surveys during the intercensal period.

What are PSA’s efforts to transition toward greater digital operations?
Qatar has made use of the latest technologies effectively in 2010 and 2015 Census of Population, Housing, and Establishments, and more enhanced use of modern techniques in the 2020 census. A multi-modal approach to data collection that involves face-to-face interviewing and making greater use of internet, telephone, and administrative data sources was used for the 2020 census. PSA has developed an Android-based application that integrates administrative records preloaded in the device with the census data collected from the field through geographic information. The survey will be conducted using handheld devices. Based on the 2020 census, a comprehensive database for buildings, housing units, and establishments in the country will be developed and regularly updated in collaboration with the concerned government departments and ministries.