The Mo Show podcast

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

12.3.2026
0:00
58:24
15 Sekunden vorwärts
15 Sekunden vorwärts

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

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