JAKARTA, MCE – The Merdeka Palace became a vital witness to the strengthening of Indonesia's international diplomacy in the Middle East. On Monday (06/01/2026), the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, officially received a courtesy call from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani.
This high-level meeting took place in a warm yet strategically committed atmosphere. One of the main agendas of this visit was the delivery of a special message from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, brought directly by Sheikh Saoud for President Prabowo.
President Prabowo Subianto warmly welcomed the message and the deep attention shown by the Emir of Qatar. On this occasion, the Head of State reaffirmed the Indonesian Government's strong commitment to continuously maintaining, nurturing, and strengthening the harmonious bilateral relations that have been established between the two countries.
Follow-up on the Indonesia-Qatar Strategic Dialogue
In addition to exchanging messages between the two heads of state, this meeting served as an important forum for both leaders to discuss concrete follow-ups across various cooperative sectors. This partnership has already been deeply rooted, particularly following a milestone moment in April 2025. At that time, President Prabowo, alongside the Emir of Qatar, personally witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled "Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Dialogue between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the State of Qatar."
Sheikh Saoud's current visit serves as a crucial momentum to explore the implementation of that strategic dialogue. There are at least several priority sectors re-emphasized during the meeting at Merdeka Palace, including:
• Politics and International/Regional Issues: Aligning both countries' perspectives on global geopolitical stability.
• Defense and Security: Given Sheikh Saoud's background as the Minister for Defense Affairs, strengthening security and counter-terrorism measures were discussed intensively.
• Economy, Trade, and Investment: Unlocking new opportunities to accelerate Qatari investment in Indonesia and expanding trade markets.
• Socio-Cultural: Enhancing people-to-people contact and fostering more massive cultural exchanges.
This moment of warmth and diplomatic decisiveness was also captured visually. In the official photo, President Prabowo, wearing his signature safari attire, warmly welcomed a firm handshake from Sheikh Saoud in the Palace office, reflecting both personal closeness and professionalism between the state leaders.
This meeting is expected to elevate the diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Qatar to a higher level, deliver real economic impacts for the public, and strengthen Indonesia's bargaining position on the global political stage. (bp).
Source: BPMI Setpres (Press, Media, and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat)
