TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Middle East investors are planning to invest on Indonesia's sharia tourism sector, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said.
MUI chairman Ma'ruf Amin made the statement after a meeting with President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, Bisnis Indonesia Reported.
"We received two offers from Saudi [Arabia] in West Sumatra and from the United Arabs Emirates in West Nusa Tenggara to establish representative sharia tours that attract more tourists," said Ma'ruf.
In the meeting, Ma'Ruf said, President Jokowi expressed his full support for the halal tourism and sharia tourism industry. The government's support can be seen from the fact that Indonesia had outperformed Malaysia and topped the halal tourism category list.
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who also attended the meeting, said the President wants the presence of Middle Eastern investors to help develop Indonesia's sharia tourism business.
The concept of sharia tourism is a recreational activity that carries with Islamic values. Sharia tourism development gained widespread support both from the government and the business world.
BISNIS | RR
