TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday afternoon, July 16, 2024, from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, East Jakarta.

The President said he would meet UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) during his visit. The Head of State highlighted that over the last 10 years, economic and investment relations between Indonesia and the UAE have rapidly grown. "The United Arab Emirates is one of Indonesia's main and strategic partners in the Middle East," said President Jokowi in his statement today.

Jokowi also mentioned that the UAE was among the first Middle Eastern countries to have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia. "This partnership is, among other things, focused on clean energy cooperation," he said.

During this visit, Jokowi will focus on potential investment in the Nusantara Capital City or IKN project. The president will meet with representatives of the UAE-based company, Emaar Properties, which is said to have committed to investing in IKN. "The government will witness a business-to-business or B-to-B MoU signing,” said Jokowi.

There has been no foreign investment realization in the new capital project, despite hundreds of Mou and LoI received by the government. Minister of Investment/, Bahlil Lahadalia, revealed on June 11 that there have been only domestic investments in IKN.

During his working visit to the United Arab Emirates, President Jokowi is accompanied by Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, and SOEs Minister Erick Thohir, as well as Minister of Public Works Basuki Hadimuljono who were already in Abu Dhabi. President Jokowi is scheduled to return to Indonesia on July 17, 2024.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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