In February, we announced that KAUST had been asked to participate in the Saudi Census 2022. We successfully completed the first stage of the census in March, in which we provided some basic information about KAUST residents to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). GASTAT has now announced the final stage of the census, which requires involvement from every residence in the country (Saudi and Non-Saudi), including residents in the KAUST community.
This final stage involves a digital collection of information, incorporating multi-factor authentication, on a secure government portal. The information requested relates to demographics, residency, educational attainment, employment, salary range, health status, and housing.
Each head of household should use this link to fill out the questionnaire. Some of you may already have received this same link via an SMS from “GaStat”. Please note that the form is available in 7 different languages: Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Tagalog. The questionnaire takes between 5 and 15 minutes to complete, depending on the number of family members and domestic helpers.
Heads of households can conveniently fill out the census questionnaire on their own using the above link without the need for a census interviewer’s visit.
Please consider the following tips when filling out the census questionnaire:
- House location: the location of your house will be detected automatically, if it doesn’t work, choose your house location Manually. Choosing your house location from the interactive map will reset all fields.
- Education and Job Title: You may not find your university degree (major / course of study) or job title in the dropdown menu. Choose the closest option available.
For KAUST employees:
- Employment sector: Select “Non-Profit” for KAUST, not “Public nor Private” .
- Employer: Select “Higher Education”
For contractor workforce, independent consultants and research park tenants, please select your employment sector and employer as appropriate.
If, after May 25, residents have not completed the census questionnaire online, census takers will be required to visit KAUST households to collect the information. Failure to participate in the census is subject to a fine.
GASTAT is committed to maintaining the privacy of personal data for all residents of the Kingdom and to upholding the highest levels of confidentiality and non-disclosure. The personal data collected will be used only for statistical purposes, to produce official statistics.
This census data will provide the Saudi government with information on the Kingdom’s population, its demographic distribution, living standards and educational attainment. The official statistics generated by the census will be used by planners and policy makers in the development of public services, including hospitals and schools, and various development programs.
For any questions about the implementation of the census, please contact GA@kaust.edu.sa or visit the General Authority for Statistics’ website. If you have any questions about your own personal data and this process, please consult the GASTAT’s Privacy Notice and/or contact the KAUST Data Privacy Officer at DPO@kaust.edu.sa.
Regards,
Sulaiman Al-Thunayan
Vice President of Government Affairs
