Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) have agreed to strengthen the economic ties and strategic cooperation between the two nations. In a written statement received in Jakarta on Saturday, during their meeting at Qasr Al Watn in Abu Dhabi, MBZ expressed appreciation for President Prabowo's visit and delegation to the UAE. MBZ emphasized the importance of the rapidly growing bilateral relations, particularly in trade, investment, and development cooperation. He highlighted the 12% growth in non-oil trade last year, valued at around 4.6 billion USD, and expressed optimism that the trade target of 10 billion USD could be achieved through a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement and the use of local currencies in bilateral transactions. Additionally, both countries have collaborated in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, climate action, artificial intelligence, education, and food security.
In his remarks, President Prabowo thanked the UAE government and people for their warm hospitality, reaffirming Indonesia's commitment to continue fostering this strong relationship under his leadership. He outlined key priorities for his government, including ensuring food and energy security, as well as pursuing the downstream processing of raw materials to add value. He also invited the UAE to actively participate in Indonesia's economy. President Prabowo appreciated UAE's support for the establishment of Indonesia's Sovereign Wealth Fund (INA) and expressed his desire to increase INA’s role in supporting national development. Furthermore, he thanked UAE for involving Indonesia in humanitarian missions in Gaza. The meeting concluded with an agreement to enhance coordination at the technical and implementation levels to expedite the cooperation's progress. Both leaders agreed that the strong bilateral ties between Indonesia and the UAE would serve as a foundation for promoting peace, stability, and shared progress on the global stage. "This demonstrates that our relationship is strong, and I look forward to continued cooperation and consultation with Your Highness," President Prabowo said.
