Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), the intergovernmental organization established to enable digital prosperity for all, today announced Omantel as the first official observer organization from the Sultanate of Oman.

Omantel, the leading telecommunications provider in Oman, will bring its unique insight and experience in innovation, startups and telecoms technology to the DCO, in support of DCO’s mission to create digital prosperity for all.

Announcing the collaboration, Talal bin Said bin Marhoon Al Mamari, CEO of Omantel, said: “At Omantel, we recognize how important it is for all members of the society to be able to flourish in the digital economy. We are delighted to join DCO and work with the global ecosystem to close the digital divide, innovate, and enable cross-border collaboration on society’s biggest opportunity for inclusive economic growth and prosperity.”

Omantel is deeply committed to CSR across four pillars of education, entrepreneurship, community wellbeing and environment, and supports a number of programs that align DCO’s own aims, such as improving access to technology education and skills, and supporting entrepreneurship and startups. The Omantel Innovation Labs project supports Omani startups in areas including 5G, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, customer experience technology, and big data.

The DCO, which focuses on digital economy initiatives supporting youth, startup entrepreneurs and women, has 11 member states with a combined GDP of over USD2 trillion and population of nearly 600 million. With 70 percent of future economic growth set to be digital, DCO member states provide a valuable market opportunity to investors and entrepreneurs alike.

 The DCO is quickly expanding its ecosystem of international collaborators to include leading private sector companies, academic institutions, think tanks, civil society organizations, international organizations and other partners across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

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About DCO

The DCO is a global multilateral organization founded in November 2020 that aims to enable digital prosperity for all by accelerating the inclusive growth of the digital economy. The DCO brings together the Ministries of Communications and IT of 11 nations – Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Jordan, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia – that collectively represent nearly $2 trillion in GDP and a market of nearly 600 million people, more than 70% of whom are under the age of 35.

The DCO is focused on empowering youth, women and entrepreneurs, leveraging the accelerative power of the digital economy and leapfrogging with innovation to drive economic growth and increase social prosperity. Through cooperation, dialogue and the creation of mutually advantageous cross-border legislation, we seek to establish within our member nations the optimal infrastructure and policies for the rapid creation of inclusive and equitable digital economies within which all people, businesses and societies can innovate and thrive.

In pursuit of our members’ common interests - for example, in the areas of digital skills training, data protection, intellectual copyright, regulation, taxation and entrepreneurship - DCO works collaboratively with governments, the private sector, international organizations, NGOs and civil society to enable more inclusive digital transformation and the growth of digital industries.

The DCO’s key initiatives include programs to enhance cross-border data flows, promote market expansion for SMEs, empower digital entrepreneurs and advance digital inclusion among women and youth and other underrepresented populations.

More information about DCO can be found at https://www.dco.org, https://twitter.com/dcorg and https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcorg/