Digital plans in GCC shift from talk to action in new pact

Dubai: For years, discussions about the digital economy have been full of promises: cooperation, alignment, innovation. Too often, they end in reports and recommendations that gather dust rather than being put into action. What makes the recent agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) different is that it moves decisively from dialogue to delivery.

On August 28, 2025, in Riyadh, the two organizations signed an Executive Program that locks in joint action on data governance, artificial intelligence, digital government, and regional engagement through 2026. This milestone builds directly on the outcomes of the Digital Space Accelerators (DSAs) held across 2023 and 2024, translating two years of discussion into an actionable roadmap.

The DSAs, developed by the DCO, served as a platform to bring together policymakers, private sector leaders, and experts to tackle pressing digital challenges. Over the past two years, focused panels addressed women’s participation in ICT, e-waste management, misinformation, and startup policy. These discussions are now evolving into concrete initiatives, including national campaigns and mentorship platforms to increase women’s participation, a regional rollout of Saudi Arabia’s Recycle Your Device initiative, a Kuwait-led working group on online misinformation, and adoption of the DCO Model Startup Act to foster aligned, open ecosystems.

The Riyadh dialogue demonstrated the value of joint planning: it created a space for national flexibility while ensuring progress on shared priorities. The DSA process has proven that regional cooperation is possible without sacrificing individual national ambitions, and that collective alignment can accelerate the implementation of digital policies. The DCO has shifted the focus from analysis to execution, testing ideas through policy, adapting them where needed, and ensuring results align with national goals.

The Executive Program establishes mechanisms to monitor progress, coordinate legislation, and ensure implementation. It sets a clear roadmap for shared efforts in AI ethics, cross-border data policy, and digital government. It also positions the GCC and DCO as conveners in a fragmented global landscape, extending collaboration with ASEAN, Central Asia, and the European Union on capacity building, technology governance, digital skills, startup support, and AI ethics.

The DSAs have already demonstrated their effectiveness as a policy accelerator. For example, Pakistan’s Digital FDI Enabling Project outlined concrete steps to attract investment by strengthening digital skills and fostering collaboration between universities and industry, showing how practical lessons can be adapted across regions. When knowledge flows freely instead of being siloed, progress multiplies.

The real test will come in October, when GCC ministers meet to discuss the digital economy. Thanks to the DSAs and the Executive Program, ministers will not debate abstract aspirations but evaluate concrete proposals grounded in data, expert input, and tested models. Cooperation is not about slogans; it is about operationalizing ideas and moving forward together despite differing national circumstances.

The collaboration between the GCC and DCO demonstrates that the digital future will be won not by individual ambition, but by collective action. It is a future shaped by alignment, decisive implementation, and shared vision. Countries that coordinate policy, build trust, and drive joint initiatives will not only capture economic growth but also define the standards of the global digital economy.

The Digital Space Accelerators prove that cooperation is not an abstract ideal; it can be practical, measurable, and transformative. The foundations are in place, momentum is building, and the time to act is now.

- The writer is Director General, Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO)