Upcoming Jokowi - MBZ Meeting Likely to Discuss New Capital City Project

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Husin Bagis in a zoom interview with Tempo on at the end of the third week of October said Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will consistently assist in the development of Indonesia’s new capital city in East Kalimantan.

He noted a future meeting between the Prince and President Jokowi slated for November 3 but did not confirm about the numbers in the investment. “Abu Dhabi’s funding is limitless here,” he added.

The President will visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai on November 3-4. He is scheduled to attend a number of agendas, one of which is to meet the Crown Prince. 

Moreover, Husin said the close relationship between the two should be optimized by state officials and businesses. “Hopefully anyone who leads Indonesia in the future will also maintain this relation. But for now, we must optimize the closeness with investments and partnerships between the two countries,” he added.

He did note that an investment deal valued between US$7 million - US$12 million will be signed on November 3 but remained tight-lipped regarding its details. 

In previous reports, Jokowi plans to hold meetings with the crown prince and his brothers along with UAE business owners in hopes to produce business deals in Indonesia. There will also be B to B and among government agreements and exchanges.

Tempo’s observation during the Dubai Expo 2020 saw the Indonesia paviliun feature the upcoming capital city project with a 50-second promotional material highlighting its location that will be in the middle of a forest but maintain “world-class standards,” 75 percent green, feature a “smart environment,” and will have 100 percent renewable energy. 

Read: European Union Shows Interest to Invest in New Capital City Project

MARTHA WARTA SILABAN (DUBAI) | FAIRUZ AMANDA PUTRI