According to Qatar Open Data Portal, the United Nations Statistical Commission emphasized at its fifty-fourth session in March 2023 that open data provides a foundation for ensuring access to data for all, facilitating its use and reuse. Open data is not just a technical term. It is a process that connects social, economic, and environmental data and requires clear and open methods to measure how data is understood and used. Open data is a powerful tool for informing policymaking, improving transparency, and measuring progress. Nevertheless, success in providing open data depends on political commitment, technical expertise, and strong partnerships. Globally, there has been significant improvement in this respect, but there is still more work to be done to ensure that data is accessible and usable by all.  

The Qatar Open Data Portal (data.gov.qa) was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) as a national platform for open data and information, built in line with the relevant international standards. The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) took over the operation and management of the Qatar Open Data Portal in early 2023. The PSA is working with relevant Qatari ministries and government agencies to create a user-friendly open data platform that provides data on specific topics in various easily accessible formats that meet users’ needs and align with the nature of the materials published. 

Open data platforms typically cover a wide array of topics, drawing upon the mandates of partners across multiple sectors, such as population, price indices, commerce, environment, energy, economy, and various other subjects that have garnered recognition as part of the relevant global best practices. The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) has started posting the Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin on this platform. It will continue to update it with more data, graphs, and other statistical information. Regarding the remaining components of the Open Data Portal, the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) will collaborate with ministry partners and establish mutual agreements on providing data about their respective activities. This process will adhere to a predetermined schedule, with the PSA subsequently uploading the data to the shared national platform