Saudi Arabia and several countries have launched a new organization to accelerate the growth of the digital economy, a statement from the Saudi Communications Ministry said on Thursday.
Other than Saudi Arabia, the group, to be known as the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), includes Pakistan, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, the statement said.
The organization aims at strengthening cooperation across all innovation driven areas and accelerating growth of the digital economy, it added.
“We are joining hands towards a commitment to drive consensus on digital cooperation … with the ambition to grow our combined digital economy to one trillion dollars in the next 3-5 years,” said Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha.
“Our future prosperity will depend on the digital economy. But it can only reach its full potential if we are able to make governments work together collectively with businesses, and entrepreneurs so they can survive and thrive, expand their depth into current markets and open doors for everyone into new ones,” he added.
‘’This is a critical step towards ensuring that our digital economies are innovative and future-proof,’’ Ahmad Hanandeh, Jordan’s Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, said. “This is a collective and global collaboration. This is where our digital journeys intersect and we can learn from and support one another, which in turn will open doors for our youth and sectors to benefit from these efforts.’’
Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed said Manama was “pleased to be part of such a dynamic initiative.”
Bahrain “believes that fostering regional and international collaboration is a valuable extension to our national efforts,” he added.
Chairman and CEO of Kuwait’s Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority Salim Al-Ozainah said the DCO will offer Kuwait a great opportunity to further develop its national digital agenda.
Pakistani Foreign Minister was also quoted as saying that Islamabad would work closely with DCO’s members “to guide and lead a global digital agenda.”
