500 participants from 40 countries conclude IAOS 2016 conference in Abu Dhabi

More than 500 participants from 40 countries took part in the 15th conference of the International Association for Official Statistics, IAOS, which concluded on Thursday.

The three-day conference was hosted by the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi, or SCAD, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Based on the main theme, "The Spirit of Official Statistics: Partnership and Continuous Innovation," the IAOS 2016 conference sought to provide a platform for the statistical community to share knowledge and boost key official statistics, develop capacity building, discuss the official statistics challenges and raise statistics awareness in the UAE and across the region.

Participants in the conference included representatives from national statistical institutions, international agencies, government institutions, universities, and educational and research institutions.

On the last day of the conference, the results of the IAOS 2016 Young Statistician Competition were announced. Rolando Gonzales Martinez from Bolivia was the winner of the competition while the second prize went to Thomas Zimmerman of Germany and the third prize was awarded to Antoine Rebecq and Thomas Merly-Alpa of France.

Aisha Ali Al Shmasi from Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority won the UAE Young Statistician Prize while Sharjah’s Department of Statistics and Community Development and the United Arab Emirates University won the second and the third prize, respectively.

Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazroui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Butti Ahmed Mohamed Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the SCAD honoured the winners.

Al Mazrouei stressed that SCAD was looking forward to build upon their creative efforts.

The IAOS was founded in 1985 as a specialised section of the International Statistical Institute, ISI, to promote understanding between, and advancement of official statistics, as well as foster the development of effective and efficient official statistical services on a global basis.