Riau Governor Syamsuar offered the Government of Saudi Arabia to buy catfish from the area because Riau's catfish production is large enough to reach 20 tons per day. "Riau catfish production is the largest catfish producer in Indonesia, even Saudi Arabia will get various benefits if it takes catfish directly to Riau instead of importing through Vietnam," Syamsuar told media in Pekanbaru, Riau, Sunday. The offer for trade cooperation was conveyed by Syamsuar during a visit to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta. Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Indonesia Essam bin Abed Al-Thaqafi is scheduled to follow up on the plan by visiting Riau. Syamsuar said Riau as a province rich in natural resources and has a Muslim majority population, there are very many opportunities to cooperate with Saudi Arabia. Various businesses operate in Riau, ranging from oil and gas, palm oil, rubber, coconut and sago, the largest in Indonesia. "We hope that the government of Saudi Arabia is also willing to invest in Riau. And, we guarantee that if Saudi Arabia intends to invest in Riau, it will be granted various facilities for investors," he said.

Syamsuar previously mentioned that the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, visited the Koto Mesjid Tourism Village, which is located in XIII Koto Kampar District, Kampar Regency, Riau Province. Koto Mosque Tourism Village is better known as Kampung Patin. This is because the village has a well-known catfish culture, so this village has the motto 'no house without a pond'. Almost every house in Kampung Patin has at least one catfish pond. In a month local people can harvest 390 to 400 tons of catfish. Not only as a side dish, the catfish is then processed by the villagers into various kinds of culinary products with distinctive and unique flavors. Such as catfish skin crackers, catfish floss, catfish meatballs, catfish dumplings, catfish nuggets, catfish brains, cilok catfish, salted catfish, batagor catfish, to catfish dawet ice, as well as banana stem chips and coconut jelly (dekla). Creative economy products in Patin Village are also very attractive, for example handicraft products made from processed bamboo, such as palm sticks, rattan, and pandanus. Even the disabled (deaf) also participate in the creative home recycle program, in which this craft production utilizes paralon waste into pots, tissue holders, glass trays, wall hangings, and rattan stick plates.

Source: https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2742661/gubernur-riau-tawarkan-ikan-patin-ke-arab-saudi