By : Ahmad Dzul Ilmi Muis )*
President Prabowo Subianto began a state visit to the Middle East on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The agenda is not merely a ceremonial diplomatic activity, but also shows Indonesia’s strategic direction in expanding its international economic network.
banner 336×280
By prioritizing concrete bilateral relations, the 8th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, showed that Indonesia is ready to strengthen its role as a major economic partner amidst geopolitical tensions and global crises.
President Prabowo’s initial steps were marked by a closed meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, at the Qasr Al Shatie Palace, Abu Dhabi. The meeting was not only a symbol of diplomatic honor, but also a strategic space to explore the dynamics of world geopolitics and geoeconomics.
Amid the global protectionism, the two heads of state identified various potential strategic cooperation areas that could be further developed, ranging from the energy, infrastructure, to technology sectors.
The Indonesian government did not only present symbolic diplomacy during the visit. Through an intense negotiation process, delegations from both countries succeeded in agreeing and signing a number of memorandums of understanding (MoU) and letters of interest (LoI). This confirms that the cooperation that was established did not stop at the discourse level, but was directly translated into concrete actions that benefited both parties.
Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media of the Presidential Secretariat, Yusuf Permana, said that the preparation and signing of the documents were the direct result of in-depth discussions between the two heads of state.
The signing is an important step in building long-term economic cooperation that is adaptive to global challenges. Yusuf emphasized that the forms of cooperation created will be directly monitored by related ministries and institutions to ensure implementation runs according to plan.
Next, President Prabowo met directly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the meeting, the two leaders discussed strengthening cooperation in the fields of industry, trade, education, and culture.
Indonesia-Turkey bilateral relations have been going on for a long time and reflect historical closeness and complementary strategic values. In the context of increasingly unstable global trade, the existence of such bilateral relations is able to further expand economic cooperation with non-traditional partners such as Türkiye, becoming a tactical step that deserves appreciation.
The visit comes amid rising global trade tensions triggered by US President Donald Trump’s high tariff policies. The world is facing serious challenges in maintaining global economic stability.
As protectionism grows stronger and economic rivalry between major powers intensifies, Indonesia responds to the situation by expanding its network of cooperation and opening alternative paths in international relations. Rather than getting caught up in escalating trade conflicts, Indonesia chooses to move proactively through a constructive economic diplomacy approach.
Lecturer of International Relations at Padjadjaran University, Teuku Rezasyah, assessed that the Middle East has a strategic position in Indonesia’s current foreign policy. He highlighted the possibility of countries in the region to relocate investments to new partner countries if discomfort with the United States continues to increase.
In that perspective, Indonesia has a great opportunity to emerge as a reliable alternative economic partner. By offering political stability, domestic market potential, and abundant human resources, Indonesia is able to attract the interest of oil-rich countries to establish mutually beneficial cooperation.
Teuku Rezasyah also emphasized that Indonesia was actually able to maintain consistency in economic diplomacy and ensure that all bilateral agreements resulting from the visit were followed up with real actions. According to him, the effectiveness of the state visit that President Prabowo made was then able to produce management and implementation of the results of the agreement at the technical level.
President Prabowo has sent a strong signal that his government is not simply waiting for a change in global policy direction, but is taking the initiative to form a new ecosystem of cooperation.
The move reflects the transition of Indonesia’s foreign strategy from passive diplomacy to active diplomacy based on national interests. When major countries compete with each other in military and economic power, Indonesia chooses to position itself as a bridge of cooperation based on stability, mutual respect, and mutual benefit.
Strategic partnerships with Middle Eastern countries also contribute to the great mission of the Indonesian government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka in strengthening national economic resilience.
The potential for cooperation in the fields of energy, technology, education, and infrastructure is an important capital in supporting the long-term development agenda. In addition, cooperation in education and culture which was also discussed during the visit broadens the horizon of diplomatic relations to be more sustainable and multidimensional.
President Prabowo’s visit to the Middle East represents a new direction for Indonesian diplomacy that is bolder, more proactive, and based on national economic interests. In the face of increasingly complex external pressures, strengthening bilateral relations with strategic regions such as the Middle East is a realistic step to maintain sustainable development.
Economic diplomacy is no longer merely a complement to foreign policy, but has become a primary instrument in securing Indonesia’s national interests on the global stage. (*)
)* The author is an alumni of FISIP Unair
