ZAWYA : Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) announced that the Lebanese Republic has signed the DCO Charter to become a Signatory Member, marking an important step toward completing its accession as a Member State and opening a new phase of cooperation to support Lebanon’s digital economy priorities.

H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehadi, Minister of Displaced and Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence of the Lebanese Republic, signed the DCO Charter and formally handed it over to Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, during a ceremony held at DCO headquarters.

Alongside the Charter signing, the Lebanese Republic and the Digital Cooperation Organization announced the launch of the Lebanon Digital Prosperity Plan (DPP), which aims to translate national digital priorities into practical initiatives and measurable outcomes, while strengthening cooperation with DCO Member States and partners across digital policy, infrastructure and connectivity, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment.

H.E. Dr. Kamal Shehadi, Minister of Displaced and Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence of the Lebanese Republic, said: “Signing the DCO Charter represents a strategic step in Lebanon’s journey toward building a more competitive digital economy that is increasingly connected to regional and global opportunities. Through our cooperation with DCO and the Digital Prosperity Plan, we aim to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, develop national capabilities, support startups and entrepreneurs, and attract strategic investment that can empower Lebanese talent to drive growth, innovation and new opportunities for the economy and society.”

Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, said: “I am glad to welcome the Lebanese Republic as a signatory to the DCO Charter. Accession runs in both directions. Every country that enters the Organization changes it as much as it is changed by it. Lebanon arrives with a technology sector that never stopped working through the hardest conditions, universities still producing researchers, and Lebanese diaspora present in major global markets. Membership sets those capabilities in a wider frame: a bloc approaching twenty-four Member States, with the markets, policy frameworks and investors that come with it.

But the signature is the easy part. The Digital Prosperity Plan is the test. It says precisely what we will do together on artificial intelligence, digital policy, skills and investment, and it was written so that its results can be measured, not announced. With every country that joins, the point becomes clearer: digital prosperity is work that nations share and through which they write their own future.”

The Digital Prosperity Plan (DPP) provides a partnership framework for advancing Lebanon’s digital transformation priorities. Developed jointly by the Lebanese Republic and the Digital Cooperation Organization, the Plan translates national priorities into coordinated action across digital policy, infrastructure and connectivity, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment. It also aligns Lebanon’s digital transformation priorities with DCO expertise and international partnerships to support measurable outcomes.

Lebanon’s digital economy provides a strong foundation for this cooperation, supported by a highly connected population and an established technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Internet penetration stood at approximately 91% in 2024, while Lebanon is home to around 550 ICT companies, alongside a strong base of technical, entrepreneurial and creative talent.

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.