Coordinating Minister Airlangga Targets KEK Kura Kura Bali to Become Indonesia's 'Dubai', Special Financial Centre...
Denpasar – The Kura Kura Bali Special Economic Zone (SEZ) received a strategic visit from Coordinating Minister for the Economy and National SEZ Council Chairman Airlangga Hartarto, along with Investment Minister/Head of BKPM and BPI Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani, as well as BPI Danantara COO Dony Oskaria, on Friday (1/5/2026).
The visit took place at Sira Village - Grand Outlet Bali, one of the flagship projects of the Kura Kura Bali SEZ, resulting from a collaboration between PT Bali Turtle Island Development (BTID) and Mitsubishi Estate.
Built as Bali’s first open-air luxury outlet, Sira Village is scheduled to open its doors for a soft opening in the middle of this year.
The presence of world-class investors like Mitsubishi Estate reflects the international global market’s confidence in the long-term potential of the Kura Kura Bali SEZ as a premier investment destination in Indonesia.
The ministers’ inspection is a follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s directives regarding the establishment of a Special Financial Centre in Bali, modelled on the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), aimed at attracting investment flows to Indonesia.
Amid shifting global geopolitical landscapes, Bali is increasingly relevant as a destination for international capital seeking stability and legal certainty.
During the visit, Coordinating Minister Airlangga directly inspected the readiness of the Kura Kura Bali SEZ as one of the potential locations for the special financial centre.
“So what can the Kura Kura Bali (SEZ) offer as a location for the IFC? It should be discussed directly with Danantara,” stated Coordinating Minister Airlangga.
He emphasised that the government is refining regulations as the foundation for establishing a Financial Sector SEZ, designed to accommodate various needs for setting up the financial centre, from management schemes to facilities that can attract global investors.
In response to the visit, BTID, as the Business Entity for Management and Development of the Kura Kura Bali SEZ, presented the advantages of the Knowledge District ecosystem as an ideal location for the Financial Sector SEZ.
The Knowledge District is designed to support an integrated innovation ecosystem by converting knowledge capital, education, and human resources into a new engine of economic growth in Bali.
The Kura Kura Bali SEZ provides a supporting ecosystem for the operations of an international financial centre through the presence of a Business Hub designed as a meeting point for the Global Blended Finance Alliance (GBFA) programme, business schools, and leading investment pathways in Indonesia.
The Knowledge District will also be enriched with a Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, serving as a hub for quality education such as the intercultural school ACS Bali, as well as coastal environmental research development at the International Mangrove Research Centre (IMRC).
BTID President Director Tuti Hadiputranto stated that this visit confirms the alignment between what BTID has built and the government’s grand vision.
“We have prepared the physical infrastructure, institutions, and global partnerships needed to make Kura Kura Bali the home of Indonesia’s Financial Sector SEZ,” she asserted.
She added that the Kura Kura Bali SEZ is not merely an investment zone, but a living ecosystem that is already operational.
Through this strategic visit, the Kura Kura Bali SEZ affirms its readiness as a strategic partner to the government in realising President Prabowo’s vision: positioning Indonesia, and Bali in particular, as a new gravitational centre for global capital, talent, and innovation.