Who’s Who: Deemah Al-Yahya, secretary-general of the Digital Cooperation Organization

Deemah Al-Yahya

Deemah Al-Yahya was recently appointed as the first secretary-general of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO).
The international body, founded by Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, aims to achieve prosperity, social stability, and growth of the digital economy by unifying efforts to advance digital transformation.
Al-Yahya is the founder and chief executive officer of ALMTD Consulting, a specialized company offering advisory services on digital innovation strategies, corporate venture building, and large-scale conceptualization.
She is also CEO and founder of Women Spark, the first Saudi women’s angel investment network, which has trained more than 26,000 women in the technology industry since its inception in 2013.
Al-Yahya has worked in the private and public sectors, advising, designing, and orchestrating key strategic programs and initiatives, including as head of Misk Innovation, CEO of the National Digital Transformation Unit, chief innovation evangelist of Microsoft, and director of e-services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She has served on a number of boards, including the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council for digital economy and society, the Global Entrepreneurship Network, among others.
Al-Yahya completed two executive education programs on innovation culture and strategy at Harvard Business School, along with two executive education programs on digital transformation, business development, and financial acumen at INSEAD. She gained a bachelor’s degree in computer science and information systems from King Saud University.