JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense on Wednesday announced that it had reached out to Saudi Arabia to develop its defense industry. The Southeast Asian nation aims to forge strategic security ties with Saudi Arabia through this defense collaboration.
Formal security ties between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia were established in 2014 when both nations signed a defense cooperation agreement. The relationship received a further boost on Tuesday with the visit of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman to Jakarta for discussions with his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto.
Subianto’s spokesman, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, expressed Indonesia’s desire to strengthen strategic defense relations with Saudi Arabia and emphasized mutual support in promoting global peace, particularly in the region. He highlighted the potential for Saudi Arabia to contribute to developing Indonesia’s defense industry through a strategic partnership.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister’s Visit to Indonesia
Prince Khalid’s visit to Jakarta is taken as a reciprocal gesture following Prabowo Subianto’s trip to Riyadh in March last year. The Ministry of Defense described the Saudi Defense Minister’s visit as a “historic moment,” and Subianto expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would realize its Vision 2030, expressing hope that Indonesia’s defense industry could be part of that vision.
During the visit, several Indonesian companies, including state-owned arms maker Pindad and aerospace firm Dirgantara, presented their portfolios to the Saudi delegation accompanying Prince Khalid. This move aimed to explore potential collaboration opportunities.
Furthermore, the defense chiefs of both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in defense education through increased student exchanges between their military schools, further solidifying their defense partnership.
