Jakarta – To increase exports to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia has joined the 2022 Makkah Expo for Hotels & Restaurants, which will be held at the Makkah Exhibition Center in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, from March 7–9, 2022.
“The significant market share of expats and pilgrims of Umrah and Hajj is a wonderful potential for Indonesian products,” Didi Sumedi, Director General of National Export Development at the Trade Ministry, said here on Tuesday.
Through the event, Indonesia hopes to capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s particular market while also addressing the Middle East and Africa, he added.
According to him, Indonesia’s participation at Makkah Expo is the result of collaboration between the Trade Ministry, the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, and the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in Jeddah.
Furthermore, the show, according to Sumedi, provides a platform for meeting and networking with worldwide enterprises from diverse nations.
“Makkah Expo 2022 also provides up prospects to explore economic development cooperation in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and African area countries, considering Mecca’s role as one of the primary destination centers for Muslims from all over the world,” Sumedi explained.
According to him, the Indonesia Pavilion at the expo spans 45 square meters, with six companies presenting items ranging from food, drinks, crackers, and toiletries.
The participation of Indonesia in the expo is also a follow-up to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on January 13, 2021, by the Trade Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry, Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for increasing the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in meeting the needs of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, according to Sumedi.
Indonesian Consul General Eko Hartono officially opened the Indonesia Pavilion.
According to Hartono, Indonesia’s participation in the show is one of the efforts of Indonesian representatives in Saudi Arabia to promote Indonesian products, particularly those catering to the needs of hotels and restaurants.
ITPC Jeddah CEO Muhammad Rivai Abbas stated that at the event, exhibitors from Indonesia will participate in business discussions with Saudi Arabian enterprises and importers.
He stated that total commerce between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was $5.55 billion in 2021.
“In 2021, the value of Indonesian exports to Saudi Arabia was the greatest in the previous five years (2017–2021). It also demonstrated that Indonesian items are becoming more popular in the Saudi market, ” Abbas emphasized.
Source: Antara
