The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Abu Dhabi, in\ncollaboration with the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming\/BKPM,\nthe Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, and\nthe Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR),\nsuccessfully organised the Indonesia\u2013UAE Economic Dialogue 2scale026 at\nthe InterContinental Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday\n(29\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n
Under the theme \u201cFrom CEPA to Resilience: Strengthening Indonesia\u2013UAE\nEconomic Partnership Amid Global Uncertainty\u201d, this strategic forum\nbrought together government officials, policy experts, sovereign wealth\nfunds, and leaders of prominent corporations from both nations to\nformulate concrete steps for deepening bilateral investment and trade\npartnerships.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, Judha Nugraha, stated in an\nofficial briefing on Wednesday (30\/09\/2026) the critical importance of\nmaintaining the momentum of bilateral economic relations following the\nentry into force of the Indonesia\u2013UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership\nAgreement (IUAE-CEPA).<\/p>\n
Ambassador Judha emphasised the necessity of building economic\nresilience and long-term partnerships amidst complex geopolitical\ndynamics and increasing global market uncertainty. \u201cThis cooperation\ndoes not merely expand market access, but serves as a pillar of mutual\neconomic resilience in facing global economic shocks,\u201d said Ambassador\nJudha.<\/p>\n
A similar view was expressed by the Assistant Undersecretary for\nForeign Trade Proactiveness & Readiness Sector of the UAE Ministry\nof Foreign Trade, H.E. Ayoub Abdulmalik Ahli. In his keynote speech, he\naffirmed the vital role of IUAE-CEPA in strengthening trade\nconnectivity, facilitating cross-border investment, and driving\ncollaboration between the private sectors of both countries.<\/p>\n
Driving Downstreaming and Accelerating Strategic\nInvestment<\/strong><\/p>\n Cahyo Purnomo, Director of Regional Promotion for East Asia, South\nAsia, Middle East, and Africa at the Ministry of Investment and\nDownstreaming\/BKPM, outlined the Indonesian government\u2019s focus on\nattracting high-quality investment. Indonesia is prioritising the\nacceleration of industrial downstreaming and the strengthening of global\nsupply chain networks.<\/p>\n According to him, the IUAE-CEPA framework serves as the primary\nfoundation for expanding the scale of investment while reinforcing the\nnational economic foundation.<\/p>\n During the first session, titled \u201cMobilising Strategic Investment:\nBuilding a Future-Oriented Indonesia\u2013UAE Economic Partnership\u201d,\ndiscussions highlighted the exploration of new investment opportunities,\ndigital transformation, future infrastructure development, and the\neffectiveness of sovereign investment institutions. The session featured\nkey speakers including the Executive Director of CSIS Indonesia, Dr Yose\nRizal Damuri; Senior Research Fellow at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic\nAcademy, Dr Damyana Bakardzhieva; Chairman & CEO of the Indonesia\nInvestment Authority (INA), Oki Ramadhana; and Vice President of\nProcurement at Damac Digital, Philip Smallman.<\/p>\n Optimising IUAE-CEPA and Supply Chain Resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n In the second session, themed \u201cStrategic Trade Partnership under\nIUAE-CEPA: Navigating Global Uncertainty and Unlocking New\nOpportunities\u201d, panellists analysed the use of IUAE-CEPA to mitigate\nglobal risks. The discussion, moderated by CSIS researcher Farhan\nJulianto, featured Dr Riandy Laksono (CSIS Indonesia), Rawia Alblooshi\n(ECSSR), Khalfan AlMuhairi (Borouge), and Rizky HW Bahanadewa (Samudera\nShipping Line Ltd).<\/p>\n Experts agreed that stakeholders from both nations must move swiftly\nfrom merely utilising market access agreements to concrete execution and\nimplementation. This includes simplifying investment facilitation,\nharmonising regulations, aligning inter-agency cooperation, and active\nprivate sector involvement to realise tangible benefits for businesses\nin both Indonesia and the UAE.<\/p>\n Nova Herlangga Masrie, Director of the Indonesia Investment Promotion\nCentre (IIPC) in Abu Dhabi, concluded the dialogue by reaffirming the\nIndonesian government\u2019s ongoing commitment to overseeing every policy\nrecommendation to ensure they transform into real investment projects\nand trade transactions.<\/p>\n Bilateral relations between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates\nhave experienced significant acceleration since the signing of the\nIUAE-CEPA agreement in mid-2022, which was officially implemented in\n2023. The UAE remains one of Indonesia\u2019s key investment partners from\nthe Middle East, with strategic investment coverage expanding into\nrenewable energy, port infrastructure, data centre networks, and food\nsecurity.<\/p>\n Amidst the escalation of regional geopolitical conflicts and global\ntrade fragmentation in 2026, the Indonesia\u2013UAE Economic Dialogue 2026\nserves as a crucial forum to ensure that the established commercial\ncooperation framework can adapt flexibly, strengthen supply chain\ncompetitiveness, and guarantee sustainable economic growth for both\nnations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-uae-economic-dialogue-2026-held-amid-global-uncertainty-1790790704",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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