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Indonesia, Saudi Arabia to boost ties as travel restrictions lifted
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Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi talks with her visiting Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Alsaud in Jakarta on Tuesday. (Courtesy of/Indonesian Foreign Ministry)
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ndonesia and Saudi Arabia have committed to boosting economic, trade and people-to-people ties as travel between the two countries resumes just in time for the haj pilgrimage season.
The Saudi government recently lifted a ban on its citizens traveling to Indonesia in response to an improved COVID-19 situation there. The ban was imposed in July of last year, and in May of this year, Indonesia was mentioned among other 15 countries that Saudi citizens were barred from visiting.
Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi told her visiting counterpart Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Alsaud on Tuesday that Indonesia appreciated the return of travel between the two countries, particularly because this year Indonesia held the largest quota of haj pilgrims of any nation – some 100,000 Muslims.
“I wish the Saudi government all the best in conducting the pilgrimage in 2022. Since there’s been no pilgrimage for the last couple of years due to the pandemic, we hope that this quota may be increased in the coming years,” Retno said.
[RA::Thousands of Indonesians arrive in Saudi Arabia for haj::/paper/2022/06/06/thousands-of-indonesians-arrive-in-saudi-arabia-for-haj.html.
Thousands of Indonesian Muslims arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier this week for the haj for the first time in two years.
Indonesian pilgrims are required to be fully vaccinated and to present a negative PCR test result before departure.
