Overview

It is an intergovernmental and non-profit organization for training and research in statistics. The members of AITRS are the National Statistical Organizations (NSOs) from all Arab countries.  

The Board of Trustees: The Institute policy and its annual programs are approved by the Board of Trustees who governs the Institute as the top authority.

The Board of trustees consists of presidents and Heads of Statistical Organizations or Bureaus in the member Arab Countries and the director General and the chief experts of the Institute, they meet at least once a year (usually in November) to approve the plan and the budget of the coming fiscal year.

The financing of the Institute is done through the subscription rates paid by the member countries and any other donations or income due to charged tasks.

The main aims of the institute is to raise competencies and skills of the Arab statistical organization and support them through executing certain activities such as: conducting training courses and workshops, in order to upgrade and qualify the performance of workers, in the area of using and analysis of information, and using information technology to derive knowledge and decision making, and measurement of development indicators as well as conducting researches and studies to upgrade the field of statistics and information. The institute also offers statistical consultation to the Arab countries, arranging visits among experts of different statistical organizations in the Arab world and from International and regional Organizations, it also prepares and implements applicable and specialized researches and studies in different economy, agricultural, industrial and educational fields and many others.

AITRS mission is to raise competencies and skills of the Arab Statistical Organization and support them through executing the following activities :
 

1. Conducting short courses to train and to update Arab Statisticians on up to date knowledge and practices of statistics.
2. Train the trainers on statistical schemes to upgrade them and qualify them in different areas of statistical training.
3. Holding seminars, conferences and workshops concerning various statistical fields and issues.
4. Offering Statistical consultation to the Arab countries, especially in the fields of surveys and censuses.
5. Arranging visits among experts of different statistical organizations in the Arab world and from International and Regional Organizations.
6. Exchanging up to date recent statistical techniques, methods and guidelines to be followed in the Statistical Organizations in the Arab Region.
7. Preparing and implementing appropriate Statistical High Diploma programs to develop the skills (Theoretical & Practical) of statistician holding Bachelors in statistics.

Statistics
- Official Statistics- (Economic Statistics, Social Statistics and General Issues) 
- Data collection and Survey Methodology
- Applied Statistical Analysis
- Publication and Dissemination of Statistics
- Management in Statistical Institute
- Statistical Information Systems
- Demography and censuses

Originally, in 1972, an Institute was established in Baghdad-Iraq as the Regional Institute for Training and Research in Statistics for the Near East which consisted of all Arab countries and some Regional countries (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Cyprus) under the authority of UN & UNDP at that time. In April 1977, the Board of Director decided to change the title of the Institute from "Regional Institute for Training and Research for the Near East" to the "Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics". Now all Arab Statistical Organizations and Bureaus are members of the Institute representing the Arab countries in the institute and the heads of all the NSO are member of the Board of AITRS.

Flagship Publications

Books: many books in applied statistics and statistical methodology.
Translations: some of the UN publishing was translated by AITRS.
Researches: The AITRS issued, prepared and published researches and studies in various statistical topics, in addition researches prepared by high diploma students in population and applied statistics.
Manuals: The AITRS started since 2003, as part of developing and modernizing the AITRS curriculum, to issue many manuals. These manuals are considered the guide for the Arabic statistician to recognize many specialized statistical software.
- Statistical Bulletin (every quarter)
- Statistical Science Journal (Biannual)

Received July 2010