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Riau Islands Vice Governor Nyanyang Haris Pratamura met UAE Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri at the ambassador’s official residence in South Jakarta on October 9, 2026, to strengthen bilateral economic relations and explore additional investment opportunities from the Gulf state. The discussion focused on building upon existing UAE business presence in the province while identifying new sectors for collaboration, according to the Riau Islands provincial government. Nyanyang emphasized the strategic location of Batam as an international investment and trade gateway equipped with special facilities that could appeal to Emirati companies seeking regional expansion.
The meeting reviewed progress of the IFFCO Group, a UAE-based food company that operates in Batam through PT Synergy Oil Nusantara, which runs an edible oil refining facility in the Kabil Nongsa industrial area. Nyanyang Haris Pratamura stated that the company’s operations demonstrate the positive contribution of UAE investment to local industry and the broader Batam economy. He expressed confidence that the conversation would open doors for further projects, particularly in food processing and downstream industries that align with national priorities.
Investment Ministry data ranks the Riau Islands among the top three provinces outside Java in attracting foreign investors during the first half of 2026. Realized investment in Batam reached 40 trillion rupiah in that period while the regional economy expanded by 7.28 percent, figures the vice governor presented as evidence of growing momentum. Batam has consistently driven provincial investment totals, with strong year-on-year increases reported across manufacturing, logistics and digital sectors according to local concession agency monitoring.
Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates have broadened their partnership since the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force in September 2023, an expansion detailed in a recent Antara report on the ambassador’s public remarks. Non-oil and gas bilateral trade rose from 1.92 billion dollars in 2020 to 5.84 billion dollars in 2025, representing growth of more than 200 percent. UAE firms have also participated in renewable energy initiatives, including the Masdar-developed 145-megawatt floating solar plant at Cirata reservoir in West Java, with discussions underway to scale similar projects.
Nyanyang Haris Pratamura, accompanied by the head of the provincial investment and one-stop integrated services office, underlined ongoing administrative reforms aimed at removing obstacles for foreign investors. The Riau Islands government continues to improve licensing procedures and inter-agency coordination to provide greater certainty from project inception through operation, he added. Such measures have already contributed to higher employment and expanded industrial capacity in Batam over the past year.
