ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information Technology and Telecom, Syed Amin ul-Haque, met with Deemah al-Yahya, secretary general of the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Tuesday.
DCO is an international body — founded by Pakistan and a group of Middle Eastern countries in November 2020, to accelerate the growth of the digital economy — which aims to achieve prosperity and social stability by unifying efforts to advance digital transformation.
Al-Yahya, a tech pioneer from Saudi Arabia, became its first secretary-general in April of the following year.
During the meeting, the minister expressed Pakistan’s desire to form a strategic partnership with DCO to fully leverage the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) for socio-economic growth in the region, in line with the DCO Foundation Charter.
It’s a great pleasure meeting HE @SyedAminulHaque and catch up on our active initiatives unleashing the digital potential of Pakistani talents to increase SW exports, and discuss new priority areas to work on together to strengthen #DigitalCooperation among @dcorg member states pic.twitter.com/wRE3MWJJrM
— Deemah AlYahya (@Dalyahya) February 28, 2023
The MWC in Barcelona, organised by GSMA, an organisation representing the interests of mobile network operators worldwide, is the largest and most influential event for the connectivity ecosystem, which started on February 27 and will end on March 2.
Delegations from various governments and representatives of cellular and technology companies from around the world are participating in the event.
The minister emphasised the importance of Pakistan being able to reap concrete benefits from its membership in DCO, including attracting business and investment in the digital/ICT/telecom sector, training and capacity building in emerging technologies, and suitable employment opportunities with DCO.