Transportation Minister accompanied by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transportation, and the Director-General of Air Transportation, met with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia to discussed enhancing connectivity and tourism, including flights for Umrah and Hajj. The long-standing good relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have led to intensive meetings between our nations. The opportunity to enhance flight services for Umrah and Hajj has expanded significantly post the COVID-19 pandemic. This momentum should be utilized effectively to revitalize the national aviation industry. Recently, The Ministry made efforts to enable Kertajati Airport to serve flights for Umrah and Hajj, which has been realized. Next, The Ministry will strive for Dhoho Kediri Airport which will be able to serve Umrah flights next year. In addition to discussing Umrah and Hajj flights, the meeting with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador also covered efforts to increase tourism visits between the two countries. Indonesia expressed its intention to open flights to Thaif, Saudi Arabia. Thaif was chosen because it is relatively less crowded compared to Mecca.
The Ministry also welcome Saudi Arabia if they wish to open flights to Indonesia, including to Kertajati, Bali, and other destinations. Meanwhile, the Secretary General also offered Saudi Arabia to invest in transportation infrastructure development projects in Indonesia. The scheme proposed is through Government and Business Entity Cooperation (KPBU). Additionally, the meeting addressed efforts to increase visits between the two countries. One of the measures discussed is facilitating visa processing for each other. Previously, The Minister had held intensive meetings with the Saudi Arabian government both domestically and during visits abroad.
