Indonesians place high hopes on Salman’s visit

By Fatima Muhammad JEDDAH — Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah Muhammad Saripudin said the government and people of his country are holding high expectations on Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s landmark visit to the south Asian nation. King Salman’s trip is the first visit by Saudi monarch to Jakarta in 47 years after King Faisal visited the country in 1970. The King and his accompanying delegation on Wednesday began the visit, which will last until March 9. The Saudi entourage includes as many as 1,500 delegates. The visit is expected to increase political relations and commercial exchange between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Regarding the cooperation in the counter-terrorism field, Saripudin said Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are among the UN member states that are adhering to the counterterrorism strategy. In this regard, he said combating terrorism could only be achieved through four pillars: combating the root of terrorism, law enforcement, capacity building and respect for human rights. He said Saudi Arabia and Indonesia exchange information and officials of the two countries are exchanging visits to learn more about practical measures and legal steps followed in each country. He said the different sectors that are open to Saudi investors in Indonesia are mining and gas, infrastructure, tourism, housing and trading. In the mining sector the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for investment worth $6 billion. Up till now the Saudi investment in Indonesia is estimated at $34.5 million, which are mainly in mining and tourism. Two Indonesian companies are already subcontracting in the construction sector while other companies invest in automobile and food sector in Saudi Arabia and the consul general expects more to join the Saudi market as foreign investors are now allowed to invest directly without a need for a Saudi partner. The main obstacle that faces Indonesian investors is lack of information about Saudi Arabia, which they see only as the center of pilgrimage while Saudis are also unaware of the potential opportunities available in Indonesia. The number of Saudi tourists to Indonesa in 2015 was 165,000 and in 2016 this number reached 185,000. Saudis visiting Indonesia focus mainly on honeymoon trips and family tourism. Saripudin said, “Indonesia offers different halal tourism opportunities that Saudis can explore. The two countries can collaborate in the tourism sector to achieve the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 by helping in hotels and hospitality sector and identifying tourism destinations.” Asked about the pilgrims, Saripudin said last year 168,000 Indonesians performed Haj. As Saudi Arabia restored the pilgrimage quota to its previous levels, 221,000 people will come for the upcoming Haj. Due to the difficulty of obtaining Haj permits, which might requires up to 30 years on the waiting list, many Indonesians come to perform Umrah.