Saudi Arabia Wants to Make ‘Mega Investment’ in Indonesia

President Jokowi, accompanied by Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister, meets with PrinceMohammed bin Salman at Dahua Boutique Hotel, Hangzhou, Sunday (4/9). (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Dindha)

The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expressed its intention to make a ‘mega investment’ in Indonesia.

The intention was delivered by Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, who is the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense, during a meeting with President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit at Dahua Boutique Hotel in Hangzhou, China, Sunday (4/9).

After the meeting, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said that in general, both sides discussed two issues, namely economic cooperation and Hajj pilgrimage.

Regarding economic cooperation, Retno said Saudi Arabia intends to make investment in a big scale, or what Prince Mohammed calls ‘mega investment’.

According to Retno, the mega investment encompasses a number of sectors that involve cooperation between the two countries, namely oil refinery, development of low-cost housing, and investment in tourism sector.

Therefore, there should be follow-up meetings related to the cooperation plan, Retno said.

“So after this meeting, there will be several follow-up meetings between the two countries, especially because King of Saudi Arabia is scheduledto visit Indonesia in October,” Retno said, adding that good preparation is needed so that the visitcan be a historic visit that brings concrete results for the two countries.

In the meantime, as for hajj quota, Retno said that Indonesia understands the limitations in providing hajj quota; yet the Government askedaboutthe possibility of using hajj quotas that are not used by countries.

“Before we talk with other countries withunused hajj quotas, we have to talk about it first with the Saudi Arabian Government,” Retno said, adding that the Indonesian Government also discussed possibility of adding hajj quota for Indonesian hajj pilgrims.

In response to the hajj issues, Prince Mohammed said that for details, he has instructed Saudi Arabian Foreign AffairsMinister to discuss the issue with the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister.

“Today,during a meeting of Foreign Affairs Minister in G20 countries, I will talk about Hajj issues in more details with Saudi Arabian Foreign Affairs Minister,” Retno said, adding that the Prince also proposed intensive coordination between Saudi Arabian Foreign Affairs Minister and Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister in the efforts to boost bilateral relations between the two countries, including in the economic sector.

“President Jokowi has approved to the plan (more intensive communication),” Retno said, adding that she would intensify communication with her Saudi Arabian counterpart and with Saudi Arabian Special Envoy about economic cooperation. (DID/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)