The regent of Raja Ampat, Orideko I. Burdam, together with the Deputy Governor of West Papua Province, received the visit of the UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, Abdullah Salem Al‑Daheri, on 2 November 2025 at Waisai harbour. The ambassador expressed UAE interest in investing in Raja Ampat’s tourism accommodation and transport sectors, including plans to upgrade the harbour so that it can accommodate large cruise ships, giving the region greater access to international tourist markets—especially from the Middle East.
In the meeting, the regent highlighted the region’s development strategy focused on sustainable tourism and synergy between international investment and local wisdom to balance economic growth with environmental protection. They agreed on a roadmap of concrete actions: by February 2026 a technical team will complete investment feasibility studies, a port audit will be conducted, and by April 2026 a regional waste-management master plan will be ready. This collaboration comes as the Indonesia-UAE bilateral trade and investment value currently stands at USD 1.2 billion, with ambitions to reach USD 2 billion by 2026, and Raja Ampat is viewed as a key contributor to that growth.
