A specialist economic team has started work on setting up an economic databank in Riyadh, the Saudi newspaper Arab News reported. It said the project aimed to overcome a shortage of economic data in Saudi Arabia and to unify sources of information on the industrial, agricultural and real estate sectors. The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary-general Hussein Al Athel, quoted by the report, said a permanent committee would be set up to supervise the database. The project, involving 21 databases, would also help in boosting investments and meeting conditions for joining the World Trade Organisation, the newspaper said. The sectors of industries, trade, agriculture and real estate will be covered in the first stage.