President Jokowi greeted with a state ceremony by the Kingdom of the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday (13/9)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) invites the investors from the Middle East, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to engage in national investment projects. President Jokowi delivered this invitation during a business meeting with UAE entrepreneurs in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Sunday (13/9).

When delivering his speech, President Jokowi said that his administration understands the infrastructure in Indonesia is still lagging. Therefore, the government decided to start building the infrastructure immediately, and also develop the existing ones, and give effect to the medium and long-term development.

“There are a number of national infrastructure projects that can be done by entrepreneurs from various countries,” President Jokowi said, while mentioning the limitations of the state budget to finance the construction of all infrastructure projects.

President Jokowi conveyed that Indonesia at this time concentrating on infrastructure development, either in the form of 24 seaports, 15 new airports, 1.000 KM toll roads, the road between the provinces of 2,600 KM, there are 49 dams and power plants amounted to 35,000 MW, and we develop mass transport in 23 major cities.

“With the construction of a number of projects, then Indonesia will become the industrial country based manufacturing,” President Jokowi said.

Attending the meeting with UAE entrepreneurs, among others Coordinating Minister of Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of Trade Thomas Lembong, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Minister of National Development Planning Sofyan Djalil, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Agung, and the President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Alwi Shihab.. (SM/KMR/ES)