Introduction

Statistical legislations issued by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) indicate. that the main objective of official statistics systems is to provide statistics, data, statistical services and analyses to the public users, supported by metadata, visualization and spatial data. It is essential that such statistics and data should be of high quality and published in a timely manner in order to be of use in making decisions related to economic, social and environmental policies and the national development.

The "Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics" adopted by the United Nations, along with other international organizations producing and using official statistics and data, emphasized that official statistics are a "public good" that access to them must be provided simultaneously to all users. Means of access to statistical data must take into account the convenience of users and their needs. Moreover, it would be useful if such statistics are sufficiently comprehensive, so that they are made available to the public in an easy and smart way without them having specialized statistical knowledge.

Recently, we have seen a data revolution that resulted in advanced technology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. This revolution was not only about large amounts of data produced, but also about the increasing demand for it. This has led to increased pressure on national statistical organizations. This necessitates improving users’ access to what they need; including the standard data and indicators used to measure progress in achieving SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Furthermore, Covid-19 pandemic has brought about changes in the lifestyle of the populations, their interaction with the surrounding environment, and the growing use of social media. This led to the use of huge amounts of data that can be used and employed in policymaking and decision-making, especially in preparing the Third National Development Strategy of the State of Qatar.