The Vice President Invites Dubai Holding to Invest in several Sectors, from Tourism to IKN Development Infrastructure

Dubai, wapresri.go.id – Vice President K.H. Ma’ruf Amin met with Dubai Holding Leaders Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum at the Dubai Holding Lt. Office. 9, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thursday (03/11/2022).

On this occasion, the Vice President invited Dubai Holding to invest in several sectors in Indonesia, from tourism, Islamic economics, and finance, strengthening the capacity of MSMEs to building infrastructure for the Indonesian Capital City (IKN).

“First, I appreciate the presence of Dubai Holding through its subsidiary “Jumeirah Group” in the form of investing in the establishment of the “Jumeirah Bali” hotel in Uluwatu, Bali,” said the Vice President starting the conversation.

Furthermore, the Vice President explained that Indonesia’s tourism is enormous, not just in Bali. Indonesia is included in the top 10 in the tourism ranking in the Asia Pacific Region, according to the United Nations World Trade Organization (UN-WTO).

“Indonesia has many locations we can develop into tourist attractions besides Bali. The Government of Indonesia offers 47 “sustainable investment” projects, several of which are in the tourism sector, namely, Toba Resort and Natural Park, Mandalika Convention Hotel and Resort, Labuan Bajo, and Borobudur,” he explained.

In addition, continued the Vice President, as a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has the vision to become the center of the world’s halal industry, including halal tourism.

“I hope Dubai Holding can take advantage of this potential to increase its investment in the Indonesian tourism sector,” he asked.

Furthermore, the Vice President explained that currently, Indonesia is actively developing an Islamic economy and finance.

“The two countries have ratified the Bilateral Investment Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Indonesia-UAE CEPA) with a special chapter discussing Islamic economics and finance,” he said.

According to the Vice President, the Indonesia-UAE CEPA will encourage increased sharia economic and financial cooperation between the two countries.

“For this reason, I invite Dubai Holding to be able to invest in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for the halal industry sector,” he offered.

Dubai Holding, said the Vice President, can become a developer, manager, or SEZ’s primary tenant.

Then, the Vice President continued that regarding Islamic finance, Indonesia’s largest Islamic bank, Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), has now opened a representative in Dubai. He also hopes that with the support of Dubai Holding, the Indonesia-PEA sharia financial cooperation will continue to develop.

“Currently, Indonesia is encouraging the spin-off of sharia business units to become sharia commercial banks. There are opportunities to invest in these various sharia banks,” he said.

Furthermore, the Vice President explained that currently, the Government of Indonesia is seriously making its effort to increase the capacity of MSMEs in Indonesia, which have contributed significantly to national GDP and employment.

“I hope that Dubai Holding, which has experience in increasing the capacity of MSMEs in Dubai, can support the strengthening of MSMEs in Indonesia, especially in the digital transformation of MSMEs,” he hoped.

Finally, the Vice President also invited the Leaders of Dubai Holding to visit Indonesia in person to see first-hand the potential for business or investment cooperation with Indonesia. Including the potential for economic development in the new State Capital, the Archipelago Capital (IKN).

“IKN will be a showcase for the transformation of civilization in Indonesia. The city development concept is green, smart, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable,” he concluded.

Response to the Vice President’s offer, according to Vice Presidential Spokesperson Masduki Baidlowi, Head of Dubai Holding Syekh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum welcomed and will explore various investment possibilities in Indonesia.

“He was very open and would visit Indonesia to study what they could follow up for more concrete cooperation,” he said.

Furthermore, said the spokesperson, Dubai Holding will also partner with BSI as a local partner to establish various collaborations.

“So I think this is a good relationship for some kind of investment from Dubai Holding to Indonesia,” he concluded.

For information, Dubai Holding is a global company that operates in 13 countries and employs more than 20,000 employees. The company also plays an essential role in Dubai’s economy.

Collectively, Dubai Holding represents a multi-sector involvement that continues to drive sustainable innovation-based economic support and growth in line with the vision of the UAE government.

The companies under Dubai Holding are Dubai Asset Management, Dubai Holding Real Estate, Dubai Holding Hospitality, and Dubai Holding Entertainment.

Accompanying the Vice President at this meeting was the Indonesian Ambassador to PEA Husin Bagis, Head of Vice President Secretariat Ahmad Erani Yustika, Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abdul Kadir Jailani, Special Staff for the Vice President for Communication and Information Masduki Baidlowi, Team of Experts for the Vice President Iggi Haruman Achsien and Farhat Brachma, and Main Director of Bank Syariah Indonesia Hery Gunardi. (SM/LHS-BPMI Setwapres)