JAKARTA: The Indonesian government is seeking Saudi participation at major trade events scheduled to take place in Jakarta later this year, as the Southeast Asian nation moves to expand its trade footprint in the global market.
Saudi-Indonesia trade ties have been on the rise in recent years, with non-oil trade worth more than $3.9 billion in 2025, showing a 12 percent increase from 2021.
In recent talks with the Riyadh Chamber, Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade invited Saudi businesses to attend the 2026 editions of Halal Indonesia International Industry Expo and Trade Expo Indonesia, both of which are scheduled to be held later this year in Jakarta.
“We invite all members of the Riyadh Chamber to participate and link up with Indonesian businesses. Halal Indo 2026 and TEI 2026 are strategic platforms to strengthen and expand the business networks between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia,” Zulvri Yenni, trade attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh, said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia has been among Indonesia’s target countries amid efforts to expand many of its industries, including modest fashion exports, as officials expect more opportunities from the growth of various sectors in the Kingdom.
Last month, the Indonesian trade ministry urged local businesses to seize opportunities emerging under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and expand the presence of their products, especially consumer goods, in the Saudi market.
Indonesia is also on a list of countries targeted for Saudi business missions alongside Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, said Mansour Al-Ajmi, Riyadh Chamber’s director of international cooperation.
“We are ready to support and promote Indonesia’s (trade events) so that potential buyers can attend and make their purchases at the exhibitions,” he said in a statement.
In 2025, Trade Expo Indonesia recorded deals worth nearly $23 billion and was attended by over 34,000 visitors, including more than 8,000 buyers from 131 countries.
A 2025 survey conducted by Jakarta-based Center of Economic and Law Studies found over 58 percent of respondents saying Indonesia should strengthen economic relations with countries in the Middle East.
Among countries in the region, Saudi Arabia was considered to have the most economic potential, with 22.7 percent of survey respondents choosing the Kingdom as Indonesia’s most promising trade and investment partner.