Prabowo Holds Strategic Talks with Qatar Deputy PM at Merdeka Palace

President Prabowo Subianto received Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

According to the official statement from the Presidential Secretariat, Sheikh Saoud conveyed a special message from Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to President Prabowo.

The meeting between President Prabowo and the Qatari Deputy PM took place behind closed doors at the President’s office in Merdeka Palace, with the specific message from the Emir not disclosed by the palace.

“Sheikh Saoud conveyed a special message from Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to President Prabowo. The Head of State welcomed the Emir’s message and concern, and reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Qatar,” the Presidential Secretariat stated.

Previously, President Prabowo and the Qatari Deputy PM discussed issues related to the implementation of bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including those agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 13 April 2025.

The MoU signing ceremony, concerning the Strategic Dialogue between the Indonesian and Qatari governments, was witnessed by President Prabowo and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha, Qatar.

The establishment of this strategic dialogue forum aims to foster more intensive cooperation in various strategic areas, including foreign policy and international and regional issues, defence and security, counter-terrorism, the economy—particularly trade and investment—cultural exchange, and people-to-people ties.

The Presidential Secretariat described the meeting between President Prabowo and the Qatari Deputy PM as warm and friendly.

The meeting served as a platform to strengthen communication and positive relations between Indonesia and Qatar.

“The meeting between President Prabowo and Sheikh Saoud was conducted in a constructive atmosphere with mutual respect,” the statement noted.

This meeting is part of ongoing efforts by Indonesia and Qatar to strengthen their strategic partnership, which benefits both nations and contributes to regional stability and prosperity, according to the Presidential Secretariat.