Eighth Indonesian-Middle East Annual Gathering kicks off

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia - 22 October: The 2018 Indonesia-Middle East Annual Gathering on Economy (IMAGE) kicked off on Monday, Oct. 22 in the city of Yogyakarta, Central Java.

The three-day gathering, which is held at Yogyakarta Industry and Trade Directorate, was attended by several business delegations from Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

“The conference aims to further inform the Arab neighbors about the field of trade and investments in Indonesia and ways to easily remove obstacles they may face, especially the administrative ones,” said representative of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Nurul Aulia.


The 2018 Indonesia-Middle East Annual Gathering on Economy (IMAGE) off on Monday in the city of Yogyakarta- Samar Samir/Egypt Today

Aulia added that the government is working on certain decisions to facilitate and enhance investment opportunities.

In light of the cooperation between Indonesia and the Middle East countries, Indonesian business delegations will visit Kuwait, Algeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt in the near future to discuss investments opportunities, Aulia told a group of Egyptian reporters at the conference.

The ambassador said that it is expected that the Indonesian President Joko Widodo will pay an official visit to Egypt after the upcoming general election due on April 17, 2019. It is worth mentioning that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi visited Indonesia in September 2015.

Concerning the investment environment in Egypt, Aulia said that the Indonesian investors found no big obstacles in Egypt.

On the sidelines of the eighth IMAGE gathering, a three-day exhibition was held. It displayed various Indonesian products, most notably crafts and furniture.


Hand-made accessory at the exhibition of the IMAGE in Indonesia-Egypt Today-Samar Samir.jpg


Hand-made nicklaces at the exhibition of the IMAGE in Indonesia-Egypt Today-Samar Samir.jpg

A fashion show was held on the sidelines of the conference as well, and a showroom on Indonesian traditional industry of Batik was organized for this year's participants.

At the beginning of the ceremonial event, Head of Yogyakarta Industry and Trade Directorate Trisaktiyana welcomed the participants, giving a historic brief on the city.

The city's population stands at 3.7 million people while the number of tourists bound for Indonesia reached 4.7 million in 2017, he added during his speech. Yogyakarta exports a total of 78 products such as coffee, furniture, tea, palm oil to 122 countries. The number of exporting companies reached 314 with $269 million in investments, he continued.

Yogyakarta is a pioneering city in the fields of silver, furniture, cooking oil, clay crafts, stone crafts, bikes, and agricultural tools, he continued, saying “we are witnessing a trade war between the U.S. and China, Amid Trump’s aspiration to annul several agreements. The Indonesian president says that winter is coming and we have to cooperate in that field.”

A presentation was also given on the most famous touristic places including Parampan temple and Candi Prambanan, and traditional food and drinks such as the menorah and Merapi coffee and Wedang Uwah, the monks’ favorite healthy drink.

He voiced his hope to enhance cooperation with Middle East countries during the current event.

On the second day of the conference, six prominent Egyptian businessmen will be granted the Primaduta Award, which is an Indonesian program that aims to increase the growth of Indonesian exports worldwide.

In 2017, the annual gathering was hosted by the Indonesian city of Bandung, West Java, where more than 50 Middle Eastern businessmen participated.


Ministry of Foreign Affair of Indonesia representative Ambassador Nurul Aulia




Hand-made statue from wood at the exhibition of the IMAGE in Indonesia-Egypt Today-Samar Samir.jpg