Aiming For Hajj And Umrah Congregations In 2022, Indonesia Starts Exporting Rice To Saudi Arabia

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) has succeeded in facilitating rice export cooperation between the state-owned enterprise (BUMN) PT Sang Hyang Seri (SHS) and the Al Batlah company in Saudi Arabia.

Head of the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Jeddah Muhammad Rivai Abbas said the results achieved were proof that Indonesia's superior commodities could be accepted by other countries despite the global pandemic.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic is the right time to prepare Indonesian products for the Saudi Arabian market. Hopefully next year the Umrah and Hajj pilgrims will be able to worship and when that happens, Indonesian rice will be available," he said in a press statement released on Friday, June 18.

Rivai added, the large number of Indonesian people who live in Saudi Arabia coupled with Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from Indonesia, the entry of native rice from the country is a distinct advantage.

"This is of course an achievement in itself because it not only brings benefits in terms of international trade but can also serve Indonesian citizens in the country," he said.

On the same occasion, Director of PT RNI Frans Tambunan as the representative of the BUMN food holding hopes that other food products other than rice can soon follow to be marketed to the Saudi Arabian region.

"Some of the things that we encourage to be exported include fishery products which are quite potential in bringing in foreign exchange," he said.

Meanwhile, General Manager of Al Batlah, Muhammad Husein, said that the synergy that was built was the first step of business development in the future.

“The commitment to procure rice from Indonesia is the basis for continuing to bring food commodities to our country. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia plans to bring in cocoa and spices to meet our domestic needs,” he said.

For information, based on TradeMap 2020 data, the largest rice exporting country to Saudi Arabia is India with a value of US$1.1 billion, followed by the United States with US$120 million, Pakistan with US$105 million, and Thailand with US$25 million.

Meanwhile, the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia was carried out by the President Director of SHS Employee Gunarso and General Manager Al Batlah Muhammad Husein at the Indonesian Consulate General's office in Jeddah, earlier this week, June 14.