On June 3, 2025, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, officially marked the first export shipment of 8,872 pairs of footwear by CV Rumah Jeddiah to Kuwait, valued at approximately USD 38,000 (IDR 618 million). Held in Surabaya, the event highlights a growing momentum for Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enter global markets. Minister Budi emphasized that this successful export to Kuwait demonstrates the international competitiveness of local products and called for more SMEs to follow suit and expand beyond domestic boundaries.
Previously, in December 2024, the same SME had exported 5,000 pairs of shoes worth nearly USD 22,000 to Libya. Through partnerships and empowerment-focused strategies, the company has managed to grow its international presence. On a broader scale, Indonesia's footwear exports reached USD 1.89 billion globally in Q1 2025, placing the country sixth worldwide with a total footwear export value of USD 7.08 billion in 2024. In the Middle East, exports hit USD 9.71 billion last year, with Kuwait ranking as Indonesia’s seventh-largest footwear trade partner in the region. Total trade between Indonesia and Kuwait reached USD 207 million in early 2025, showing robust bilateral economic ties with strong annual export growth of 15.5% over the past five years.
