fter changing the name of a main street in Abu Dhabi to “President Joko Widodo Street” on Monday, the United Arab Emirates announced a plan to build a mosque and name it after the Indonesian president.
The Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi broke the news on its official Twitter account on Tuesday.
"Not only has [the UAE] named a street [after President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo], we'll soon see them building a mosque named President Joko Widodo Mosque,” the tweet said. “We asked for blessings and support from all Indonesian citizens.”
The mosque will be located in Abu Dhabi’s diplomatic area.
The embassy tweet revealed that the Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had given the order for the street renaming and for the construction of the mosque to honor President Jokowi.
Read also: UAE names street after Jokowi
According to Emirates News Agency, the order was a form of recognition and appreciation of Jokowi’s close friendship with the UAE and his efforts in strengthening the relationship between the two countries in many areas, including the economy, commerce and development.
Previously, President Jokowi had expressed his gratitude for the street renaming, hoping that it would strengthen the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and the UAE.
"It is a recognition and an honor, not only for me, but for Indonesia," Jokowi wrote on his social media accounts.
President Joko Widodo Street, previously named Al Ma'arid (Exhibition) Street, is located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s central business district, near the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center and the foreign embassy district.
In early 2020, President Jokowi visited Abu Dhabi to attend the signing of 16 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between various entities and institutions in the UAE and Indonesia.
The MoUs aim to enhance mutual cooperation between Indonesia and the UAE in various areas, including education, health, energy, ports, the environment, and Islamic affairs and endowments.
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