Touching Vietnam, Riau Governor Offers This To The Government Of Saudi Arabia

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PEKANBARU - Riau is known as the largest catfish producer in Indonesia. Therefore, the Governor of Riau, proudly offers one of the region's mainstay commodities to the Government of Saudi Arabia, during a visit to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta, Sunday, March 6.

"We are the largest catfish producer in Indonesia. So I can assure you that Saudi Arabia will benefit from taking it directly from us, rather than importing it through Vietnam," said Riau Governor Syamsuar, as reported by Antara, Sunday, March 6.

The offer of cooperation in the catfish trade, according to Syamsuar, is one of the many potential collaborations that he offers to the Government of Saudi Arabia. Responding to the offer, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, Essam bin Abed Al-Thaqafi, admitted that he would soon schedule his return visit to Riau, to explore the potential for profitable cooperation for his country.

During the visit, Syamsuar also explained that Riau is a province that is rich in natural resources and has a Muslim majority population, so there are very open opportunities for cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Riau is now called Syamsuar has a variety of growing businesses, ranging from oil and gas, palm oil, rubber, coconut, and sago, the largest in Indonesia.

"We hope that the Saudi Arabian government is also willing to invest in Riau. And, we guarantee that if Saudi Arabia intends to invest in Riau, it will provide various facilities for investors," said Syamsuar.

According to Syamsuar, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, previously visited the Koto Mesjid Tourism Village, which is located in District XIII Koto Kampar, Kampar Regency, Riau Province.

The tourist village in the Riau area is better known as Kampung Patin. Because this village has a well-known catfish culture, so this village has the motto 'no house without a pond'. "Almost every house in Kampung Patin has at least one catfish pond. In a month the local community can harvest 390 to 400 tons of catfish," said Syamsuar.

Not only as a side dish, continued Syamsuar, catfish by the local community is also processed into various kinds of culinary products with a distinctive and unique taste. Such as catfish skin crackers, catfish floss, catfish meatballs, catfish dumplings, catfish nuggets, catfish brains, cilok catfish, salted catfish, batagor catfish, to catfish dawet ice, as well as banana stem chips and coconut jelly (dekla).

Creative economy products in Patin Village are also very interesting, for example handicraft products made from processed bamboo, such as palm sticks, rattan, and pandanus. Even the disabled (deaf) also participate in the creative home recycle program, in which this craft production utilizes paralon waste into pots, tissue holders, glass trays, wall hangings, and rattan stick plates.