Digital Investment Milestone: Pakistan Becomes First to Host DCO's DFDI Forum

  • The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) and the Government ofPakistansuccessfully conclude inaugural Digital Foreign Direct Investment Forum 2025, convening 700 global leaders.
  • Pakistanlaunches the first national implementation of the DCO Digital FDI Initiative, with$700Min digital investment to date. 
  • Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya affirm multistakeholder leadership in driving digital transformation, withPakistanPrime Minister personally recognizing DCO Secretary-General for advancingPakistan'sDigital FDI ecosystem.

ISLAMABAD,May 8, 2025/PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), in partnership with the Government ofPakistan, today celebrated the successful conclusion of the inaugural Digital Foreign Direct Investment Forum 2025 (DFDI) held inIslamabad. The two-day Forum, hosted29-30 April 2025, served as a strategic platform, convening 700 delegates spanning Heads of State, ministers, global investors, policy makers and tech leaders from DCO Member States and beyond, as they explored ways to redefine digital investment frameworks and unlock new investment opportunities.

 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awards H.E. Deemah AlYahya, DCO Secretary-General, for advancing Pakistan’s digital FDI ecosystem.

 

A centerpiece of the Forum was the launch of the Digital FDI Pakistan Insight Report, which outlined the pioneering blueprint pursued byPakistanin its digital development. Building on the Digital FDI Initiative, the report recognizesPakistanas the first nation to implement the initiative across its four pillars and identified six strategic priority actions to attract sustained digital investment.

Commenting on the conclusion of DFDI, Prime Minister of PakistanShahbaz Sharifsaid,"Pakistanis proud to lead the way in digital transformation, and the success of DFDI is a testament to our commitment to fostering a thriving, investment-friendly digitally enabled economy through a multistakeholder approach. With the support of DCO, fellow DCO Member States and partners, we are creating a blueprint for sustainable development that will benefit not onlyPakistanand our digital ecosystem, but all nations undergoing a digital transformation".

At DFDI, Prime Minister Sharif also recognized the leadership of Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya and the DCO for their role in advancingPakistan'sdigital foreign investment ecosystem, which has already attracted over$700 millionin digital economy inflows. The event saw participation from more than 45 countries, with over 40 international companies and startups showcasing their products. Around 35 ministers and official delegations from various countries attended, along with over 30 global speakers and more than 50 CEOs from leading IT firms.

"On behalf of the Digital Cooperation Organization, I wish to express our deep appreciation to the Government ofPakistanand Prime MinisterShehbaz Shariffor their stellar efforts in enabling the success of the first DFDI,"said Deemah AlYahya.

"This forum has demonstrated the transformative power of investment in bridging digital divides and accelerating sustainable growth,"she added, The DCO remains committed to building a global investment environment where all nations can harness digital innovation to drive inclusive and sustainable growth.

Pakistanis one of five founding members of the DCO, which was established inNovember 2020on the sidelines of the G20 inRiyadh. With its 2026 presidency on the horizon, the country is strategically positioning itself as a leader in the digital economy, poised to drive global conversations, partnerships, and innovations that will shape the future of digital investment.

About the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO)

The Digital Cooperation Organization is the world's first standalone international intergovernmental organization focusing on the acceleration of the growth of an inclusive and sustainable digital economy. It is a global multilateral organization founded inNovember 2020that aims to enable digital prosperity for all.

The DCO brings together the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology of its Member States, and is focused on empowering youth, women, and entrepreneurs, leveraging the accelerative power of the digital economy, and leapfrogging with innovation to drive economic growth and increase social prosperity.

The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) brings together ministries of communications and information technology in 16 countries: the Kingdom ofBahrain, the People's Republic ofBangladesh, the Republic ofCyprus, the Republic ofDjibouti, the Republic of TheGambia, the Republic ofGhana, the Hellenic Republic (Greece), the Hashemite Kingdom ofJordan, theState of Kuwait, the Kingdom ofMorocco, the Federal Republic ofNigeria, the Sultanate ofOman, the Islamic Republic ofPakistan, theState of Qatar, the Republic ofRwanda, and theKingdom of Saudi Arabia- collectively representing nearly$3.5 trillionin GDP and a market of nearly 800 million people, more than 70% of whom are under the age of 35.

Through cooperation and strategic dialogue, we drive the facilitation of mutually advantageous cross-border legislation. The DCO seeks to establish within its Member States the optimal infrastructure and policies for the rapid creation of inclusive and equitable digital economies within which all people, businesses, and societies can innovate and thrive. The DCO's vision is to work towards a world in which every nation, business, and person has a fair opportunity to prosper in the digital economy.

In pursuit of the Member States'common interests, the DCO works collaboratively with governments, the private sector, international organizations, NGOs, and civil society to enable more inclusive digital transformation and the growth of the digital economy.

The DCO's key initiatives include programs to enhance cross-border data flows, promote market expansion for SMEs, empower digital entrepreneurs, and advance digital inclusion among women, and the youth, and other underrepresented populations.

More information about the DCO can be found at

For media enquiries, please contactmedia@DCO.org

 

 

SOURCE Digital Cooperation Organization DCO