UAE Expresses Readiness to Strengthen Economic Cooperation with Indonesia

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed its commitment to cooperating with Indonesia across various sectors, including green energy, housing infrastructure, and defense.
The statement followed his meeting with UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al-Mazroui on Friday, where key areas of collaboration were discussed.
“We discussed several points, such as the UAE’s US$50 million donation for forest reforestation in Indonesia, which will be realized during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s (MBZ’s) visit to Indonesia,” Pandjaitan stated in an official release on Saturday.
In the green energy sector, the UAE has pledged investments in geothermal, hydropower, wind power, and solar panel projects to support Indonesia’s transition towards sustainable economic growth.
Additionally, the UAE has committed to financing the construction of three million houses in Indonesia.
“This will be followed by the development of ports in Tanjung Priok and Makassar, which will be upgraded to meet international standards. This is in line with cooperation in the electricity sector, with a potential capacity of up to 62 GW,” Pandjaitan elaborated.
Regarding defense, he noted that the UAE had shown interest in partnering in the production of light weapons and assault rifles.
The discussions also covered the development of several strategic projects, including the Emirates-Indonesia Cardiology Hospital in Surakarta, the North Bali Airport, which is still in the study phase, and an alumina processing initiative aligned with Indonesia’s downstream industrial policies.
Furthermore, the UAE’s investments will extend to the construction of a National Data Center, the development of a Financial Center in the new capital Nusantara (IKN), and the establishment of the International Mangrove Research Center in Bali.
Pandjaitan also revealed that the discussions included UAE’s interest in managing ports and airports in Jakarta and Bali, as well as potential investments in state-owned enterprises’ (SOEs) hotel sector through a joint venture scheme.
“All these initiatives reflect a strong commitment to building a more advanced and sustainable future. I am optimistic this cooperation will continue to grow and benefit both countries,” he affirmed.