Hartarto conveyed his aspiration during a meeting with Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia, Faisal F. Alibrahim, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday (February 11).
In his office's statement cited here on Wednesday, Hartarto remarked that Indonesia plans to make the most of its free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council to further shoot up its export volume to Saudi Arabia, which rose by 11 percent in 2024.
During the meeting, the Saudi Arabian government expressed its keenness to expand its tourism cooperation with Indonesia, specifically by tapping into the tourism potential of Sumatra Island.
In response, the Indonesian minister welcomed this initiative while highlighting Saudi Arabia's significant value to Indonesia.
"Indonesia views Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner in realizing the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. Thus, we greatly value the opportunities to broaden the scope of our bilateral cooperation," he stated.
He also noted that Minister Alibrhahim had congratulated Indonesia on the establishment of its new government, led by President Prabowo Subianto.
Tuesday's Dubai meeting between the two ministers was a continuation of the discussions held in Jakarta in December last year.
In the Indonesian capital, Hartarto met with Saudi Arabian Prince Turki Al-Faisal and Ambassador Faisal Abdullah H. Amodi.
On that occasion, the minister proposed an increase in the quota for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims and reiterated President Prabowo's keenness to establish an Indonesian village for pilgrims in Mecca.
Translator: Bayu S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
