Megawati receives Qatari ambassador and exchanges cultural gifts
According to a written statement ANTARA received, Megawati was accompanied by several senior party figures, including her son M. Prananda Prabowo, whom she introduced to the ambassador as the dialogue began.
The two held a cordial discussion lasting around two hours, concluding with an exchange of souvenirs.
Megawati presented AlDosari with miniatures of Borobudur Temple and a pinisi—an Indonesian timber sailing vessel widely associated with the Bugis and Makassar people of South Sulawesi, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
“This is a pinisi boat, typical to Indonesia,” she said.
In return, the ambassador presented the former president with a bouquet of flowers and a book titled Qatar, Between Land and Sea, Through Arts and Heritage.
The literary work documents Qatar’s cultural, historical, and artistic wealth, highlighting strong connections between its people and both land and sea.
AlDosari expressed his delight at being received for dialogue with Megawati and praised her painting collection.
Also present at the meeting, PDIP Central Executive Board Chairman for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Basarah said the Qatari envoy noted both Megawati and her father, Soekarno—Indonesia’s first president—as widely recognized figures in the Middle East, including Qatar.
Quoting the ambassador, he explained that the mother and sibling of the Qatari emir “are historians who have extensively studied Indonesian history.”
Basarah further highlighted that Megawati was praised during the meeting for her speech when receiving an honorary doctorate from Princess Nourah University in Riyadh, the world’s largest women’s university, in February 2026.
The ambassador, he continued, stressed that the Qatari government shares Megawati’s view on gender equality, reflected in the appointment of several women as ministers in its current cabinet.
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Translator: Fianda S, Tegar Nurfitra