The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia unveiled a first look at its unique data tool for measuring its performance trajectory in relation to other nations on January 23 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The International Performance Hub (IPH) - an interactive platform designed to track over 500 Key Performance Indicators under 12 main pillars that enable comparison for over 200 countries, compiles metrics from prominent international bodies, including the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
"Saudi Arabia is undertaking a major multi-year transformation. The ambitious Vision 2030 program touches upon nearly every aspect of the country's performance and looks to make significant progress on the entire socio-economic frontier," said Mr. Husameddin AlMadani, Director General of the National Center for Performance Measurement. "As the nation pursues a long list of objectives in its transformation, comparing the country's performance progression against the backdrop of international best practices is crucial."
Saudi Vision 2030 is a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. Goals include reinforcing economic and investment activities, increasing non-oil industry trade between countries through goods and consumer products, and increasing government spending on the military, manufacturing equipment and ammunition. The first details were announced in April 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Developed by The National Center for Performance Measurement (Adaa) the International Performance Hub (IPH) is a landmark effort led by Saudi Arabia to encourage countries to use technology and performance data to track their progress as they work to achieve development goals. IPH aims to promote integrity, accountability and transparency in the public sector and beyond.
As Saudi Arabia approaches its 2030 goals, IPH also seeks to provide a credible and 'outside-in' perspective on the Kingdom's evolution along key quantifiable indicators across the socio-economic spectrum - comparing progress at every stage to other countries and peer-groups around the world.
Economist Jacques Attali, President of Positive Planet and the Positive Economy Forum, a data and knowledge partner of the IPH, described the significance of the tool saying, "The International Performance Hub announces a much-needed tool to foster transparent and positive governance through shared knowledge about the impact of public policies. Its launch in Davos is a very promising beginning, and an opportunity to make it a truly global and collaborative ambition."
