Digital Cooperation Organization

What Digital Cooperation Organization does

Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, founded in November 2020 as the world's first standalone international organization dedicated exclusively to digital economic cooperation. The Organization currently comprises 16 member states representing approximately $3.5 trillion in combined GDP and 800+ million people, with six additional countries in active membership discussions. Under Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya, DCO operates as a multilateral coordination platform rather than a commercial technology vendor: it convenes General Assemblies, ministerial councils, and bilateral partnerships to advance inclusive digital transformation across member states.

DCO's product surface is organized into three functional layers. First, assessment and analytics products include the Digital Economy Navigator (DEN), a benchmarking tool covering 80 countries representing 94% of global GDP using 145 indicators and a 41,000-respondent survey, and the Digital Economy Trends (DET) reports identifying 18 digital economy trends annually. Second, AI governance tools comprise the AI Ethics Evaluator (a structured NLP-driven risk assessment tool), the AI-REAL Toolkit for practical AI adoption, and the DCO Principles for Ethical AI, supported by policy frameworks such as the Model Digital Economy Agreement and the Kuwait Declaration on Responsible AI. Third, programmatic initiatives span the Global Expert Community, Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Data Flows, STRIDE, IMPACT, Startup Guides, Digital Trade Acceleration Initiative, Online Content Integrity (Ctrl+Alt+Delete campaign), WE-Elevate, and the Observatory for Digital Empowerment, targeting digital entrepreneurs, women, youth, and policymakers.

The Organization is funded through member state contributions and does not charge fees for its tools, reports, or frameworks, distributing them via open digital platforms (den.dco.org, det.dco.org, aie.dco.org) and via international summits including the annual General Assembly. DCO holds observer status with the United Nations General Assembly and engages a broad stakeholder ecosystem spanning government ministries, international organizations, academia, the private sector (including partners such as TikTok, ICC, Kearney, FII Institute), and civil society. As an intergovernmental organization, it does not report commercial revenue and is not equity-financed.

Name

Digital Cooperation Organization

Legal name

Digital Cooperation Organization

Website

https://dco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Digital Cooperation Organization is an intergovernmental organization of 16 member states that produces digital economy benchmarks, AI governance tools, and policy frameworks to accelerate inclusive digital transformation across member economies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Digital Economy Cooperation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), Digital Trade & E-Commerce Development (BPADAMAL), Government Digital Service & eGovernment (Service Delivery, IDs, Portals) (BPAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Digital economy policy
• Intergovernmental cooperation
• AI ethics governance
• Cross-border data flows
• Digital trade frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member State Contributions: As an intergovernmental organization, DCO is funded through contributions and commitments from its 16 member states, enabling the organization to advance digital transformation and promote common interests in the digital economy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Digital Cooperation Organization is a multilateral intergovernmental body that provides digital economy assessment tools, AI ethics governance platforms, policy frameworks, and specialized programs to its 16 member states and the global digital community. Its core offerings include the Digital Economy Navigator (DEN) global maturity assessment, Digital Economy Trends (DET) reports, the AI Ethics Evaluator digital policy tool, the AI-REAL Toolkit, the Global Expert Community platform, and the Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Data Flows, delivered at no cost to member governments, policymakers, developers, and digital entrepreneurs.

Product overview

The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) is the world's first standalone international organization dedicated exclusively to digital economic cooperation. The DCO operates a platform-plus-initiatives model consisting of core assessment and analytics products (Digital Economy Navigator, Digital Economy Trends Reports), AI governance tools (AI Ethics Evaluator, AI-REAL Toolkit, Ethical AI Initiative), and specialized programs (Global Expert Community, Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Data Flows, STRIDE, IMPACT, Startup Guides, Digital Trade Acceleration Initiative, Online Content Integrity, WE-Elevate, Observatory for Digital Empowerment, Digital Prosperity Awards). Together, these offerings enable member states to assess digital maturity, track trends, implement responsible AI, facilitate cross-border data flows, support digital entrepreneurs, promote digital trade, combat misinformation, and empower women and youth in the digital economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Economy Navigator (DEN): A global assessment tool enabling countries to understand their level of digital economy maturity, find opportunities for growth, and benchmark progress over time.
• Digital Economy Trends (DET)
• AI-REAL Toolkit
• Global Expert Community (GEC)
• Ctrl+Alt+Delete Campaign

Products and services

• Digital Economy Navigator (DEN) A global assessment tool enabling countries to understand their level of digital economy maturity, find opportunities for growth, and benchmark progress over time; the 2025 edition covers 80 countries representing 94% of global GDP and 85% of world population using 145 indicators.
• Digital Economy Trends (DET) Reports Reports providing insights into the evolving landscape of the global digital economy, offering deeper understanding of established trends, their growth trajectories, and potential impacts; the 2026 edition identifies 18 digital economy trends across three themes.
• DCO AI Ethics Evaluator A comprehensive digital policy tool designed to systematically assess and address ethical risks associated with artificial intelligence systems, with a particular focus on human rights risks; supports organizations throughout the AI lifecycle and covers multiple AI modalities including Machine Learning, Deep Learning, NLP, Computer Vision, Generative AI, and Hybrid/Multi-modal AI.
• AI-REAL Toolkit A toolkit developed to bridge the gap between AI aspirations and practical implementation, ensuring inclusive and impactful AI adoption for all DCO Member States through capacity-building, guidelines, and frameworks.
• Global Expert Community (GEC) A platform designed to mobilize expertise and advance international collaboration on digital initiatives across DCO Member States, bringing together experts from government, international organizations, academia, private sector, civil society, and independent practitioners.
• Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Data Flows A think tank focused on cross-border data flows, supporting evidence-based policymaking and regulation to accelerate digital economy growth across DCO member countries through research, knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, trainings, and consultations.
• STRIDE An initiative to create a thriving, interconnected ecosystem for digital entrepreneurs, where founders across regions have equal access to the resources needed to scale their businesses across DCO Member States.
• IMPACT A multilateral partnership framework that facilitates the adoption of digital solutions, promotes knowledge sharing, and supports digital transformation across DCO Member States.
• Startup Guides A resource designed to empower foreign entrepreneurs and facilitate the startup establishment process as entrepreneurs expand their companies across DCO Member States.
• Digital Trade Acceleration Initiative (DTAi) A program designed to unlock the potential of digital trade across DCO Member States through research, business surveys, and multilateral dialogue, identifying key policy and private-sector barriers to foster inclusive digital growth; led to the world's first Model Digital Economy Agreement.
• WE-Elevate A high-impact initiative aimed at transforming women and youth-led businesses into digital-first brands that can grow globally through e-commerce, using a dual-track approach combining E-commerce Readiness Program for skills building and Trading Program for market access onto e-commerce platforms.
• Online Content Integrity An initiative to combat online misinformation, empower individuals to critically evaluate it, and foster a robust digital ecosystem where technology and dialogue converge to enhance cultural diversity and uphold societal and cultural values in online content.
• EconomiX Magazine A digital publication covering digital economy topics and DCO activities, with issues released quarterly.
• Ethical AI Initiative A comprehensive initiative including the DCO Principles for Ethical AI, AI Ethics Evaluator tool, capacity-building course, and in-depth reports to support governments, developers, and deployers in ethical AI governance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Digital divides are closing fastest in infrastructure, skills, governance, and finance
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Invest CypruscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026DCO Secretary-General met with Invest Cyprus to review progress on the DFDI Cyprus initiative, strengthening international and local partnerships underlining Cyprus's growing role as an emerging digital hub.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026DCO Secretary-General met with European Commission officials to explore cooperation in areas including digital diplomacy, AI governance, and cross-border data governance.
• Irish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026DCO Secretary-General met with Irish officials to explore cooperation in areas including digital diplomacy, AI governance, and cross-border data governance.
• Global Expert Community (GEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026The Global Expert Community (GEC) is a DCO platform designed to mobilize expertise and advance international collaboration on digital initiatives across DCO Member States. It brings together experts from government entities, international organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, civil society, and independent practitioners to contribute through expert dialogues, capacity-building initiatives, and advisory contributions.
• FII InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026DCO partnered with FII Institute and Kearney to release the 'Financing The Future Impact Report 2026' on public-private partnerships. The report emphasizes people-centered PPPs for closing the USD 15 trillion global infrastructure gap.
• KearneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026DCO partnered with Kearney and FII Institute to release the 'Financing The Future Impact Report 2026' on public-private partnerships.
• Voluntary Carbon Market CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026DCO collaborated with VCM as part of the partnership releasing the 'Financing The Future Impact Report 2026'.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026DCO signed an MoU with ICC during its 5th General Assembly in Kuwait to strengthen partnerships across digital cooperation, education, and technology sectors.
• Edraak (Queen Rania Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026DCO signed an MoU with Edraak to strengthen partnerships across digital cooperation, education, and technology sectors.
• TikTokcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026DCO signed an MoU with TikTok during its 5th General Assembly to strengthen partnerships across digital cooperation, education, and technology sectors.
• Arab NewsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 2026DCO signed a Letter of Engagement with Arab News during its 5th General Assembly.
• United NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCO holds observer status with the United Nations General Assembly and other global bodies. UN Secretary General addressed DCO's 5th General Assembly discussing future of AI accountability and promoting UN initiatives including Global Digital Compact framework.
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCO participated in IsDB Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan featuring discussions on Digital Public Infrastructure, AI readiness gaps, and regional cooperation models including Joint MDB AI Use Case Repository, AI Academy for Country Officials, and Green AI Compute Corridor.
• Hong Kong GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA delegation led by Hong Kong's Financial Secretary visited Riyadh to promote collaboration between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia in sectors like innovation, technology, and green energy, attending FII Summit and signing MoUs with Saudi companies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU): UN specialized agency for ICTs with a similar intergovernmental mandate covering digital policy, standards, and capacity building across member states. ITU is the most direct comparable as both organizations convene governments around digital cooperation frameworks, though ITU has substantially broader membership and treaty-level authority.
• OECD Digital Economy Policy Division: The OECD's division develops evidence-based digital economy policy recommendations, indicators, and the Going Digital Toolkit — directly comparable to DCO's DEN assessment and Model Digital Economy Agreement work, but with a developed-economy member base.
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): UN body producing the Digital Economy Report and eTrade initiatives for developing countries. Directly comparable to DCO's Digital Trade Acceleration Initiative and digital economy maturity assessment work, especially for Global South member states.
• Internet Governance Forum (IGF): UN-convened multi-stakeholder forum on internet governance, digital policy, and emerging tech. Directly comparable to DCO's mandate as a multilateral convening platform, though broader in scope and more established.
• OECD AI Policy Observatory: OECD's hub for AI policy analysis, principles, and country profiles. Closely comparable to DCO's AI Ethics Evaluator, Ethical AI Principles, and Responsible AI Governance reports — both produce frameworks that aim to influence member-state AI regulation.
• Islamic Development Bank (IsDB): Multilateral development bank with 57 member countries that has partnered with DCO on Digital Public Infrastructure and AI readiness. Comparable as a member-state-funded institution advancing digital cooperation across overlapping geographies (MENA, South Asia, Africa).

Broad incumbents

• World Bank Digital Development Global Practice: Funds and advises developing-country governments on digital infrastructure, inclusion, and governance. Comparable to DCO's cross-border data flows and digital divide mandate but operates as a much larger financier with lending instruments.
• European Commission DG CONNECT: EU's digital policy directorate handling AI Act, Digital Services Act, and cross-border data flows. Recently engaged directly with DCO on AI governance — operates as a regulator with binding authority, which DCO lacks.

Emerging players

• World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Multi-stakeholder platform convening governments, private sector, and civil society on AI governance, digital trade, and emerging tech policy. Comparable to DCO's Global Expert Community and AI ethics work, but private-sector-led rather than intergovernmental.

Others

• GSMA: Global mobile industry association representing 1,000+ operators and ecosystem partners. Comparable to DCO's membership-organization model and digital inclusion mandate (especially mobile internet adoption), though industry-focused rather than government-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/dcorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKC3daly92ZkO-yhhd-QUQg
• Facebookfacebook.com/digitalcooperationorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dcorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalcooperationorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Digital Cooperation Organization