Kuwait City — October 9, 2025: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reaffirmed its strong commitment to advancing digital collaboration with the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), underscoring the strategic importance of their partnership in driving innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable economic growth across member states.
Speaking at the Joint Meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Post and Telecommunications and the Ministerial Committee for Digital Government, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi emphasized that the GCC General Secretariat “places great importance on its relationship with the DCO” as part of its mission to foster cooperation with key organizations in the telecommunications and digital transformation sectors.
Albudaiwi noted that this partnership was formally institutionalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2021, establishing a framework for expertise exchange and collaboration in building robust digital economies.
“The cooperation between the GCC and the DCO has yielded tangible achievements — from developing regulatory frameworks to providing technical and legal studies that strengthen the digital ecosystem across our member states,” Albudaiwi said.
The meeting, chaired by Kuwait’s Minister of State for Communications Affairs Omar Saud Al Omar, brought together ministers, digital government leaders, and DCO representatives. Discussions focused on reinforcing regional digital integration, harmonizing policies, and promoting sustainable innovation.
Albudaiwi highlighted several key milestones resulting from GCC–DCO collaboration:
- The 4th Diplomatic Connect event in December 2024, hosted by the GCC Secretariat, convened ministers, ambassadors, and over 120 global digital economy leaders to exchange insights on the future of international digital cooperation.
- Nine Digital Space Accelerator (DSA) roundtables held during 2023–2024 gathered policymakers and experts from GCC countries to tackle challenges and propose solutions for building a prosperous and inclusive digital economy.
- In August 2025, the GCC hosted a joint dialogue session with the DCO to review outcomes from these discussions, attended by over 80 participants from member states and regional bodies.
The Secretary-General also revealed that both organizations have begun implementing an executive cooperation program, aimed at enhancing expertise, knowledge exchange, and the development of digital policy tools and reports to strengthen the digital readiness of GCC economies.
Albudaiwi concluded that the GCC remains committed to fostering “a unified, forward-looking digital vision” that aligns with the bloc’s broader goals of regional integration, innovation, and sustainable growth.
