Arsjad Rasjid is chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Kadin, and president director of Indika Energy, a public-listed investment company
October 24, 2022
Since establishing official ties in 1976, the UAE has become much more than a friend to Indonesia.
The UAE is the leading Gulf investor in South-East Asia, accounting for 74 per cent of Gulf states’ investments in the Association of South-East Asian Nations bloc between 2016 and 2021. Between January and July this year alone, total trade between our two countries reached $2.8 billion, an increase of almost 30 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2021. To add to the optimism, the newly signed Indonesia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is set to eliminate about 94 per cent of existing tariffs. These facts and figures signal the rapidly growing business ties between the two countries.
However, our relationship is also one of respect and brotherhood, reflected in the naming of Indonesia’s longest elevated toll road after President Sheikh Mohamed, as well as the existence of a President Joko Widodo Street in Abu Dhabi’s diplomatic enclave. A similar exchange could be observed in plans to build mosques in the name of Mr Widodo in Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mohamed in the Indonesian president’s hometown of Surakarta.
While some might view these symbolic acts as mere gestures, I am convinced that in the UAE, we have a friend who cares. Proudly, I can say that we reciprocate this feeling with utmost respect. When Sheikh Khalifa passed away, Mr Widodo had just returned from a visit to the UAE. This did not deter him from making a trip back to pay his respects. Such is the nature of our relationship.
This is why I want to share with Emiratis and Arabs the opportunities emerging in Indonesia as the country embraces great changes. Internationally we are gaining prominence as chair of the G20 Summit this year and the Asean Summit in 2023. Domestically we will start making Indonesia Vision 2045 a reality. By our 100th year of independence, we want to be one of the world’s five largest economies. I have faith we will get there – but we will need foreign investment to overcome three key challenges.
The first challenge is infrastructure. We are a country of more than 270 million people, the fourth largest in the world by population, across 17,508 islands. Our geography means logistics costs make up almost a quarter of our gross domestic product. To overcome this challenge and accelerate our journey towards economic prosperity, we must undertake significant infrastructure improvements in collaboration with foreign partners.
President Sheikh Mohamed attended Friday prayers with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
The jumaa prayers were also attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
The sermon was delivered by Taleb Mohammed Al Shehhi under the theme, 'Good Deeds on the Last 10 Days of the Month of Dhu Al Hijjah'.
Mr Al Shehhi emphasised that parents should raise awareness in children about the values of Islam, saying that they are the future of the country.
Mr Widodo attends Friday prayers alongside President Sheikh Mohamed.
The two leaders performed the prayer at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Worshippers were encouraged to increase their charitable giving and instil good ethics in their children.
The sermon was delivered by Taleb Mohammed Al Shehhi at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
President Sheikh Mohamed attends Friday prayers alongside other worshippers.
Also present were Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Many of us have experienced and overcome hardship. We have faced crises, but we have never been defeated
As chairman of Indonesia’s National Capital City Project Steering Committee and a key backer of the Indonesian Investment Authority, Sheikh Mohamed and the UAE are no strangers to the commercial viability of infrastructure projects in Indonesia. Since 2014, I am proud to state that at least 6,140 kilometres of roads, 15 airports, 124 ports and 65 dams have been built. Yet, Indonesia needs more, and companies such as DP World, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company will play a key role in making things happen.
Second, we need to play a larger role in the global supply chain. In 2021, Indonesia's trade-to-GDP ratio stood at 40.2 per cent. Developed economies typically having a trade-to-GDP ratio of 50 to 55 per cent. Indonesia must reach similar levels by offering products that are critical for the global supply chain.
Our final economic challenge is that the manufacturing industry contributes a mere 17.5 per cent to the national GDP. Without high-value manufacturing, Indonesia risks falling into the middle-income trap and becoming isolated from the global supply chain. Attracting high-value manufacturing from developed economies is a necessity to unleash Indonesia’s true economic potential.
Despite these challenges there are three reasons that I believe Indonesia will thrive.
First, Indonesian companies and the public are rushing to involve themselves in the industries of the future. Currently about a quarter of our population are Gen Z and a quarter are millennials, and this youthful energy can be felt everywhere.
In the digital sphere, Indonesia is a leading force in Asean. Only Singapore has more unicorns. The beneficiaries are not just a few big companies. Many of our MSMEs, which make up 61 per cent of our GDP, are online selling goods across the country or abroad at the click of a button. As chairman of Kadin, the only national business organisation mandated by the constitution, I will be speaking on their behalf and working to support them with advice and technical support.
In green energy as well, Indonesians are seizing the day. While the government has committed that Indonesia will have net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, many businesses have earlier deadlines. For example, Indika Energy has committed itself to a 2050 deadline. We started as a coal company. Now we are budgeting more than $500 million over five years, beginning 2021, to transition into climate-friendly business sectors including renewable energy, sustainable forestry and electric vehicles. A quick Google search will tell you that several other Indonesian conglomerates are doing the same.
Computer-generated imagery shows a design illustration of Indonesia's future presidential palace in East Kalimantan, as part of the country's relocation of its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara. AFP
The only limit is funding. I once told a high-level US official considering investing in Indonesia's transition: “Invest in us and I will personally round up every coal miner and put them to work installing solar panels.”
I know this funding will come, and this is my second reason for confidence – the world is waking up to Indonesia’s potential. In the past, trying to sell Indonesia was sometimes frustrating. People often knew only of Bali and were barely aware of the rest of the country. Sometimes we Indonesians were also too modest for our own good. At trade fairs, for instance, one could find Indians and Chinese at the front, with Indonesians sitting humbly in a corner. Now, this is changing.
As chairman of the advisory board at B20, the official G20 dialogue with the global business community, I have travelled the world telling the story of Indonesia Incorporated. From Japan and South Korea to the US and Australia, the people I spoke to quickly grew interested. Whatever people wanted – commodities, green energy, digital markets, supply chain diversification – Indonesia could offer it to them. In the second financial quarter of 2022, our FDI jumped 40 per cent year on year. Top global companies such as Hyundai, LG, Foxconn, Tesla and Volkswagen are all knocking on our door.
At Kadin, we stand ready to assist all businesses, whether foreign or national. All we ask is that they register in Indonesia, pay their taxes, and have a positive community impact via initiatives involving local talent.
The final reason is simply my faith in ordinary Indonesians’ spirit. Many of us have experienced and overcome hardship. We have faced crises, but we have never been defeated. It is always those who have faced difficulties but who can see success on the horizon who are most hardworking, most determined, and most enterprising. Indonesians are all those things. That is why I am determined to make the world take notice of our country and the rapid change that is looming with Indonesia Inc.
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister. "We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know. “All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.” It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins. Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement. The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
All matches in Bulawayo Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
