"This Is How Saudi Arabia Went Fully Digital" -H.E. Deemah AlYahya

Her Excellency is a Saudi tech-diplomat shaping the future of the global digital economy. As the founding Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), she leads international efforts to bring governments, innovators, and institutions together to ensure technology becomes a force for inclusive and sustainable growth. In doing so, she also made history as the first Saudi woman to lead the secretariat of an international organization. On this episode, we discuss what it took to build the DCO from the ground up during the uncertainty of COVID, often with limited resources but a clear global vision. The conversation explores Saudi Arabia’s rapid digital transformation and how it has become a real-world case study for modern government services, digital payments, and improving quality of life. We unpacked the idea of “tech diplomacy”, why digital governance, standards, and cross-border cooperation are now critical as technology reshapes economies, politics, and the global flow of information.

0:00 Intro 

4:43 What Is the Digital Cooperation Organization 

7:49 Building DCO from Scratch

9:02 DCO’s Global Momentum 

11:34 Why Technology? 

12:31 Empowering Women Through E-Commerce 

14:16 The Origin of Women Spark 

17:24 Training, Incubators, and Angel Networks for Women in Tech 

19:57 Working at Microsoft 

23:09 What Is a Tech Diplomat 

27:59 Social Platforms Influence 

29:22 Why Self-Reliance in Tech Matters 

34:14 Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Transformation 

36:12 Why Connectivity Alone Is Not Enough 

38:59 Saudi Digital Systems and Global Readiness Gaps 

42:46 Advice to Young People in the Digital Economy 

46:31 Career Advice: Focus on the Step in Front of You 

50:01 Why Digital Prosperity for All Is Achievable 

51:21 The Next Big Challenge: AI and a New Digital Divide 

55:34 Closing Reflections