JAKARTA - Indonesia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue negotiations on the Indonesia-GCC Free Trade Agreement (Indonesia-GCC FTA) through the 4th round on January 18-23, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Director General of International Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Djatmiko Bris Wijtaksono, conveyed that this 4th round is an important phase in encouraging the substantive completion of negotiations in 2026.
"We are optimistic that the dynamics of constructive discussions and mutually beneficial solutions can be further accelerated so that the substantive completion of the Indonesia-GCC FTA in 2026 can be achieved. This agreement will strengthen the long-term economic partnership between Indonesia and the GCC," said Djatmiko, quoted by Antara.
The implementation of the 4th round reflects the strong commitment of Indonesia and the GCC to maintain the continuity of the negotiation process and accelerate the deepening of the substance of the agreement.
The focus of the 4th round is to negotiate core issues including trade in goods, trade in services, investment, and rules of origin. The strengthening of cooperation in Islamic economy and halal sector is also negotiated.
Meanwhile, the Director of Bilateral Negotiations of the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and Chairman of the Indonesian Negotiating Team, Danang Prasta Danial, emphasized that the 4th round was an important momentum to consolidate the various advances that had been achieved in the previous rounds.
The important dynamics in the 4th round of negotiations were marked by increasingly technical and focused discussions, as mutual understanding of the interests of each party increased.
According to him, at this stage, Indonesia and the GCC are trying to overcome the differences through constructive dialogue while maintaining the balance of interests and mutually beneficial principles.
"We both hope that the negotiations can be completed soon so that they can expand access to the Indonesian market for goods and services to Gulf countries," explained Danang.
The GCC consists of six countries in the Gulf region, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. The official launch of the Indonesia-GCC FTA negotiations was on July 31, 2024.
The Indonesia-GCC FTA is a strategic instrument to encourage the improvement of Indonesia's economic competitiveness. This agreement is expected to expand market access for national products with export growth projections of up to 17.4 percent, especially in the electronic equipment, leather, metal products, manufacturing, and textile sectors.
This negotiation is also expected to increase exports of air transport services and business services to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
In the period January-November 2025, the total trade between Indonesia and the GCC was recorded at 15.45 billion US dollars. Indonesia's export value to the GCC reached 7.59 billion US dollars and Indonesia's imports from the GCC amounted to 7.86 billion US dollars.
Meanwhile, in 2024, total Indonesian-GCC trade reached 15.58 billion US dollars. Indonesian exports to the GCC were recorded at US$ 7.04 billion, while Indonesian imports from the GCC amounted to US$ 8.54 billion.
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