President Prabowo Receives UAE Delegation, Discusses Strategic Cooperation

Ambassador of the UAE to Indonesia Abdulla Salem Al-Dhaheri delivers a press statement at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/21). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto received a courtesy visit from the UAE delegation at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/21), to discuss the strategic partnership between Indonesia and the UAE in energy, infrastructure, and education sectors.

In his statement, the Ambassador of the UAE to Indonesia Abdulla Salem Al-Dhaheri said that the meeting with the President discussed the rapid development of strategic cooperation in the last few years. “We’ve discussed many areas of cooperation regarding housing, infrastructure and other sectors,” Abdulla Salem Al-Dhaheri said to the press after the meeting.

The Ambassador added that the bilateral relations between the two countries used to focus on three main areas, namely oil and gas, ports, and education. However, since the visit of the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Indonesia in 2019, the cooperation has flourished into new sectors.

“We’ve ventured into renewable energy, education, and agriculture. One of our projects is the Cirata renewable energy project in West Java province. Today, we’re expanding it as well. I believe the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia is on a positive track,” he said.

Regarding energy, the Ambassador mentioned the significant potential for collaboration in the exploration and production of natural gas in Indonesia. He underscored that the collaboration should not only focus on production but also on creating added value for Indonesia through job creation and technology transfer in clean energy.

“Indeed, we have several forms of cooperation in energy, including natural gas production in the Andaman Sea, Aceh province,” he said, adding that the discovery is a major milestone as it is the largest finding in the last two decades in Indonesian history.

The Ambassador also stated that other UAE delegation will visit to discuss expanding cooperation in the education sector.

During the visit, the UAE delegation was led by the Advisor to the President of the UAE for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology and Chairman of the EDGE Group Faisal Al Bannai. Also present during the meeting were the President of the Trading & Mission Support of the EDGE Group Omar Al Zaabi and the SVP Chairman of the EDGE Group Ahmed Al Shamsi. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (FI/MMB)