Amman, Jordan and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  – Continuing its mission to enable digital prosperity for all, the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) today announced that it has welcomed seed investor and accelerator Oasis500 into its growing ecosystem of observer organizations. The Jordanian investor will help entrepreneurs based in DC member states with access to the digital economy.

The first investment organization to join the DCO, Oasis500 is dedicated to developing a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since its establishment in 2010, Oasis500 has funded and supported more than 180 startups across Jordan, generating nearly 1200 direct and 4,400 indirect jobs.

The DCO, which focuses on digital economy initiatives supporting youth, startup entrepreneurs and women, has nine member states with a combined GDP of over USD2 trillion and population of well over a half billion. With 70 percent of future economic growth set to be digital, DCO member states provide a valuable market opportunity to investors and entrepreneurs alike.

Welcoming Oasis500, DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya commented:

“Providing support – both financially and through mentorship schemes – is something that is both personally important to me, and underpins much of what we do at the DCO. That’s what makes this partnership with Oasis500 such a natural collaboration. On my visits to Jordan, I have seen first-hand the impact that Oasis500’s investments have had on Jordanian entrepreneurs, and I look forward to working with the Oasis500 team to share its expertise with DCO members and the startups they support.”

Commenting on the collaborative nature of this partnership, Oasis500 CEO Luma Fawaz said:

“We are delighted to join the Digital Cooperation Organization. We have played a leading role in catalyzing Jordan’s startup ecosystem for more than a decade, resulting in high-value jobs and digitally transformed industries. This partnership will strengthen our relationship, allowing us to exchange learnings, knowledge, insights and market access with other DCO members. The digital economy is borderless, and only together can we drive its growth.”

Oasis500 is the third Jordanian entity to join the DCO. Collaborations were announced earlier this year with the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), a membership-based ICT and IT Enabled Services (ITES) industry advocacy, support and networking association; and Hussein Technical University, which provides a world-leading education for young Jordanians in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through a hands-on curriculum informed by industrial needs and local and global challenges.

As part of its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs, the DCO recently announced the Startup Passport initiative to remove red tape for startups wishing to scale across member state markets, as well as the Elevate50 partnership with e-commerce platform MakanE to enable 50,000 startups to migrate their businesses successfully online.

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Media enquiries: Please contact media@dco.org 

About DCO

The DCO is a global multilateral organization founded on November 27, 2020 that aims to enable digital prosperity for all by accelerating the inclusive growth of the digital economy. The DCO brings together the Ministries of Communications and IT of eight nations – Bahrain, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Jordan, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia – that collectively represent more than USD2 trillion in GDP and a market of well more than a half a billion people, more than 70 percent of whom are under the age of 35.

The DCO 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. Through cooperation, dialogue and the creation of mutually advantageous cross-border legislation, it 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.

In pursuit of its members’ common interests, such as digital skills training, data protection, intellectual copyright, regulation, taxation and entrepreneurship, DCO works collaboratively with governments, the private sector, international organizations, NGOs and civil society to enable more inclusive digital transformation and the growth of digital industries. 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, youth and other underrepresented populations.

More information about the DCO can be found at www.dco.org, https://twitter.com/dcorg and https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcorg/