Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia// — The Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) announced that the Syrian Arab Republic has signed the DCO Charter and become a Signatory Member, marking an important step in its process toward becoming a full Member State, following the DCO Council’s recent approval of Syria’s candidature alongside seven other countries.
H.E. Eng. Abdulsalam Haykal, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the Syrian Arab Republic, formally handed over the signed Charter to Ms Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, at DCO headquarters in Riyadh, reflecting progress in Syria’s accession process and expanding opportunities for cooperation across priority areas of the digital economy.
This step comes as Syria’s digital landscape continues to evolve, supported by a growing base of more than 200 active technology startups, approximately 19.5 million mobile subscribers, and around 9.01 million internet users, creating further opportunities to expand participation in the digital economy and strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, said: “Syria’s participation in the path of multilateral digital cooperation adds a new voice and perspective to collective efforts to build a more connected and inclusive digital economy.
At DCO, we believe the value of membership is measured by its ability to translate cooperation between countries into measurable outcomes. We look forward to involving Syria in DCO initiatives and partnerships which will expand knowledge exchange, connect national priorities with international expertise and solutions, and strengthen its contribution to shaping the future of the digital economy regionally and globally.”
As Syria advances through the membership process, it will be able to deepen cooperation with DCO Member States, participate in joint initiatives and programs, and benefit from the Organization’s network of governments, the private sector, international organizations, academia, and civil society, supporting digital capability development, innovation, and more inclusive and sustainable digital growth.
This step follows the Organization’s announcement that the DCO Council has approved the candidature of eight new countries to join the Organization as Member States, which would potentially expand DCO membership from 16 to 24 countries upon completion of the accession procedures, representing approximately 980 million people.
