Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and the Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organization Deemah Al-Yahya signed an agreement to establish the organization’s official headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday.

They also discussed aspects of cooperation between the Kingdom and the DCO in various fields during a meeting.

The organization was established by a group of founding countries that share an interest in collaborating to realize their collective digital potential. Member states include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Jordan, and Rwanda.

It aims to drive greater collaboration and cooperation across entrepreneurship, innovation, business growth, and employment in a shared digital economy.

Prince Faisal welcomed the establishment of the organization’s headquarters in Riyadh and stressed the importance of strengthening joint work with DCO member states to contribute to the development of countries through the optimal use of digital technologies to achieve growth and prosperity.

The foreign minister added that the Kingdom is keen to support all DCO initiatives, especially those that contribute to supporting innovation, youth, women, and entrepreneurs, and encourage investment in the digital economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The DCO said it was proud to establish its headquarters in Riyadh and looked forward to supporting “a digital economy to enable digital prosperity for all.”

“The decision to establish the headquarters of the DCO in Riyadh is an affirmation of the Kingdom’s regional and international position as a hub connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe, and its status as one of the fastest growing G-20 economies and a leading regional center in technology,” Al-Yahya said.

The secretary general praised digital acceleration in the Kingdom and the fact that technology is driving many aspects of Saudi Arabia’s economic and social expansion.