JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will attend the inaugural session of the Indonesia-Saudi Supreme Coordination Council this week, his first official trip to Saudi Arabia since taking office, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
The leader of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, who became president last October, left Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon for a three-day trip to the Kingdom. He is accompanied by Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar.
Prabowo is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Wednesday, the Indonesian foreign ministry said in a statement.
“This state visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, particularly in strategic sectors, such as cooperation in economy and investment, energy security, and cooperation to serve Indonesia’s Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The meeting will also be used as an avenue to discuss current regional and global issues, especially developments in the Middle East.”
The coordination council was established in October 2023 by the crown prince and former Indonesian President Joko Widodo to align the strategic priorities of the two countries.
From its first meeting, Indonesia is expecting “a number of deliverables in the form of MoU (memorandum of understanding), including between governments and businesses,” the foreign affairs ministry said.
Jakarta has in recent years sought to enhance trade ties with Riyadh and gain a greater presence in the Middle East.
Bilateral ties have traditionally focused on Hajj and Umrah as Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, sends the largest Hajj contingent of pilgrims every year.
Indonesian and Saudi officials have been in talks to explore untapped potential in commerce, as trade and investment ties have been on the rise. Non-oil trade was worth about $3.3 billion in 2024, showing a 14.5 percent increase compared to 2020.
As part of the Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef’s visit to Jakarta in April, the Saudi Export-Import Bank and its Indonesian counterpart signed an agreement aimed at strengthening economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Al-Khorayef also signed a memorandum of understanding with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to boost cooperation in the mining and minerals sector.
Indonesia holds the world’s largest nickel reserves and has rich deposits of other minerals, including copper and bauxite. In 2023, its mining sector accounted for about 11.9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
