Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi last week in a visit aimed at strengthening the extensive ties between Indonesia and the UAE. The visit allowed both sides to not only improve their diplomatic bonds but also to contribute to efforts to address global issues posed by violent extremism, radicalism, terrorism and energy security.
During the visit, the Indonesian president met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the two sides inked an agreement that will see the UAE invest nearly $23 billion in infrastructure projects in Indonesia.
The investment, directly through a sovereign wealth fund set up President Widodo, will go for mega infrastructure and energy projects, including for building Indonesia’s new capital and to develop properties in Aceh province, as well as in energy and telecommunication sectors.
The UAE joins SoftBank Group and the US International Development Finance Corporation as investors keen to participate in the sovereign fund that will fund toll roads, ports and petrochemical projects in Indonesia.
President Widodo, who is into his second and final term, has pledged to double down on an ambitious infrastructure building program that will require more than $400 billion in the next five years to modernise the archipelago which is home to more than 260 million people. During the visit, the two sides also signed 16 agreements, including 11 business deals in the areas of oil and gas, petrochemicals, ports and telecommunications.
The UAE and Indonesia, which share a vision of moderation and sustainable energy, took their bilateral relations to new heights during the official visit, with the Indonesian president delivering a keynote speech at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) conference.
During the ADSW keynote speech, President Jokowi reiterated the need to find the middle way to build bridges between development and the solutions to climate change. President Jokowi said he was also convinced that there will be no green growth without sustainable development and there will be no sustainable development without sustainable energy as there will be no sustainable energy without sustainable cooperation.
It is in this spirit that both leaders agreed to the two countries’ sustainable cooperation over new and renewable energy. In a concrete example of this cooperation, the UAE renewable energy company Masdar and PT Pembangkit Jawa-Bali signed a contract to construct the world’s largest floating solar photovoltaic power plant — generating clean energy and reducing the carbon footprint of the region.
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