DCO Secretary-General Receives Technology Diplomacy Award at The Montgomery

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – 12 March 2026 – The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) announced today that its Secretary-General, Ms. Deemah AlYahya, has received the Technology Diplomacy Award at The Montgomery Summit, which recognizes global leaders advancing international cooperation in technology and digital innovation.

The award was accepted virtually during the Summit’s ceremony, which convenes leading entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and technology executives from around the world to discuss emerging trends shaping the global digital economy.

The recognition highlights both the leadership of the Secretary-General and the significant progress achieved by the Digital Cooperation Organization since its establishment. Founded in 2020, the DCO is the world’s first standalone intergovernmental organization dedicated to enabling inclusive, sustainable, and trusted digital economies through international cooperation.

Commenting on the recognition, Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, said: “Five years ago, the DCO was an idea saved on a flash memory — one small office, three colleagues, and a mission we believed in. Today, thanks to the vision and commitment of our Member States, the dedication of our General Secretariat team, and the trust of our partners across the private sector, academia, and civil society, we are 16 nations, 800 million people, and a growing community that has proven digital cooperation is not rhetoric — it is results. I am grateful to the Tech Diplomacy Network for this honour, and I accept it not as a finish line but as fuel. The best of tech diplomacy is still ahead, and more countries are choosing this path every day to realize its peoples aspirations for inclusive digital prosperity.”

“At a time when technology is reshaping geopolitics and economic power, Her Excellency has demonstrated that multilateral cooperation on digital issues isn’t just possible, it’s essential,” said Jamie Montgomery, Founder of The Montgomery Summit and Co-Founder & Managing Partner at March Capital. “She has built a new model for how nations can work together on technology policy, and her results speak for themselves: 16 countries, 800 million people, and real progress on closing digital divides. We’re honored to recognize her at the Summit.”

“Her Excellency Deemah AlYahya embodies what multilateral tech diplomacy looks like when employed in the right way,” said Martin Rauchbauer, Founder of the Tech Diplomacy Network. “She has not only built a new multilateral institution from the ground up, but has done so with a clear focus on inclusion, trust, and real-world impact. Under her leadership, the Digital Cooperation Organization has become a credible global platform that brings governments and industry together to close digital divides, expand digital skills, and ensure that technological progress serves people rather than leaving them behind. Her Excellency’s work demonstrates that effective global tech cooperation is possible—and urgently needed—and it is precisely this combination of vision, execution, and diplomacy that the Tech Diplomacy Award was created to honor.”

The award honors the Secretary-General’s leadership in expanding digital access and digital skills across the organization’s Member States. Today, the DCO brings together 16 countries representing more than $3.5 trillion in combined GDP and over 800 million people, working collaboratively to unlock opportunities in the digital economy and ensure that its benefits are widely shared.

Under her stewardship, the organization has experienced remarkable growth and global recognition. Since its establishment by five founding Member States, the DCO has tripled its membership, grown its Observers and Partners category to more than 60, and has also earned formal recognition within the United Nations system, reinforcing its role as a global platform for advancing digital cooperation.

Through its initiatives and partnerships, the DCO works to accelerate digital transformation, strengthen digital entrepreneurship ecosystems, promote trusted cross-border digital trade, and advance responsible approaches to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Since its inception, the DCO has convened ministers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and international organizations to strengthen global dialogue and cooperation on the digital economy. As the organization enters its next phase of growth, it remains committed to advancing its mission of enabling digital prosperity for all through stronger international collaboration.

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