The State of Palestine has officially joined the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) during LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. This partnership includes the launch of a Digital Prosperity Plan aimed at training 10,000 people and supporting over 250 startups by 2028, strengthening Palestine’s digital infrastructure and economic resilience.
On the sidelines of LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, H.E. Dr. Abdel-Razzak Natsheh, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy of the State of Palestine, officially handed over the signed DCO Charter to Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization.
H.E. Dr. Abdel-Razzak Natsheh, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy of the State of Palestine, explained: “Joining the Digital Cooperation Organization represents an important opportunity for Palestine to deepen international digital cooperation and accelerate our digital transformation. Through DCO, guided by the Digital Prosperity Plan revealed today, we look forward to exchanging knowledge and best practices, strengthening digital resilience and connectivity, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and expanding opportunities for our people to participate in and benefit from the digital economy.”
Commenting on the signing of the Charter, Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, said: “Welcoming the State of Palestine into the Digital Cooperation Organization is more than an institutional milestone. It is a shared commitment to action. Palestinian talent, innovation and entrepreneurship are already reaching global markets; through DCO membership, that momentum now connects to a multilateral platform built to accelerate it. Across digital policy, infrastructure, AI, skills and entrepreneurship, we will work together to translate the opportunities outlined in the Digital Prosperity Plan into tangible and impactful outcomes, and to advance an inclusive, resilient and sustainable digital economy for all.”
The State of Palestine ICT sector includes around 400 active establishments, employs more than 13,500 professionals, generates over USD 500 million in annual value added, contributes approximately 5 percent to GDP, and produces around 3000 ICT graduates annually, reflecting the sector’s growing role in economic development and digital innovation.
Ongoing efforts to advance the sector are now supported by a Digital Prosperity Plan (DPP) a medium-to-long-term, partner-backed operational plan for the country’s digital economy, co-developed by the DCO and the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy (MTDE) on behalf of the Government of Palestine. The Plan seeks to strengthen digital infrastructure, data governance and advanced technology capabilities, accelerate GovTech and digital public services, support innovation, startups, and access to investment and regional markets, and develop future-ready talent. By 2028, it aims to train more than 10,000 people and support over 250 startups and 100 women-led enterprises.,
Through the Digital Prosperity Plan, the DCO and the State of Palestine aim to demonstrate how digital cooperation can be translated into tangible national outcomes and how the digital economy can serve as a powerful engine for inclusive growth, reconstruction, institutional reform and stronger integration into the global economy.
The State of Palestine’s membership in the Digital Cooperation Organization will provide a broader platform to exchange expertise, strengthen cooperation with DCO Member States, contribute to international digital policy discussions, and advance practical solutions that support digital resilience and 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.
