Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi invited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar to expand cooperation and increase their investment in Indonesia, especially in the sea and air transportation sector.
Sumadi, in a written statement received in Jakarta, Tuesday (Dec 20), said that he had met with the CEO of Dubai Port (DP) World Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem to discuss increasing connectivity, boosting logistical competitiveness, opening up several jobs, as well as growing new economic points and increasing public welfare.
“A number of projects that we offer use non-state budget (APBN) creative funding schemes through cooperation between the government and business entities or KBPU,” the minister stated.
He noted that DP World is a multinational logistics company based in Dubai, the UAE, that is engaged in cargo logistics operations, port terminal operations, maritime services, and free trade zones.
Currently, DP World and the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) are exploring participation in the development and operation of Belawan Port with Pelindo, and the construction of an international container and logistics industrial area in Gresik, East Java, in collaboration with the national private sector (PT Maspion).
Sumadi said, with the experience that DP World has in the port sector, it will have a positive impact on increasing the competitiveness of ports in Indonesia.
“Indonesia is trying to increase logistics competitiveness through port development. If DP World can work together, I believe we will have a smart, environmentally friendly, more efficient, and competitive port,” he remarked.
After the meeting, the transportation minister visited the Dubai Marina City, an urban area with multi-story buildings and a yacht harbor and Jebel Ali Port that is one of the busiest ports in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, in Doha, Qatar, the transportation minister met with Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker and Qatar Investment Authority CEO Mansoor Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud.
The transportation minister offered Qatar Airways several forms of collaboration in the aviation sector, in which bilateral cooperation between both nations had been established since 2017 and was ratified by a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) in September 2020.
Among several things offered, the transportation minister proposed increasing the frequency of Qatar Airways flights to Indonesia and adding flight destinations to Indonesia.
Based on the air relations agreement between the two countries, Indonesia opened several airports to serve flights from Qatar to Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Medan, Batam, and Manado.
However, currently, Qatar Airways is operating only two flight routes to Jakarta and Bali. Qatar Airways plans to add seven flights per week next year.
During the winter 2022 flight period, Qatar Airways serves round-trip flights from Doha to Jakarta, with a flight frequency of 21 times per week and round-trip flights from Doha to Bali, with a frequency of 14 times per week.
Before the pandemic, the frequency of flights from Doha to Jakarta was still the same, reaching 21 times per week, and from Doha to Bali, up to 21 times per week.
Furthermore, with the Qatar Investment Authority, the largest investment institution in the world, the transportation minister pushed for increased cooperation in the transportation sector.
Several transportation infrastructure projects are offered for cooperation through the government-to-business cooperation (KPBU) scheme: the development of transportation infrastructure that supports the tourism sector, especially in super priority destinations.
