Behind Jokowi's Road In Abu Dhabi

Jokowi Street in Abu Dhabi (Instagram / @ jokowi)

JAKARTA - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government inaugurated the "President Joko Widodo Street" in Abu Dhabi. The road was inaugurated as a symbol of the close relationship between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. How is Indonesia in the eyes of the UAE, where is the road located, and who are the figures who are in the same position as Jokowi?

According to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Tuesday, October 20, the inauguration of the road was carried out by the Head of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The event took place at 16.45 local time.

This activity was also attended by the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Husin Bagus and other Indonesian Embassy staff in Abu Dhabi. In addition, there were also a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE and Abu Dhabi Municipality, who together witnessed the unveiling of the red curtain covering street names.

Sheikh Khalid said, apart from reflecting on the close relationship between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, the naming of roads was also carried out as a form of respect for the UAE Government to Jokowi. For the UAE, during his tenure as President of the Republic of Indonesia, Jokowi has brought progress to relations between the two countries.

About Jalan Jokowi

President Joko Widodo Street is located on one of the main roads that divides the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) with an area that is occupied by a number of diplomatic representative offices. The street was previously called Al Ma'arid Street.

In Indonesian, Al Ma'arid Street means "exhibition". The road connects Jalan Rabdan with Jalan Tunb Al Kubra.

Street names in Abu Dhabi are generally geographic names that reflect the land history of the street's location. In addition, street names are usually taken to preserve Abu Dhabi culture and identity.

However, the Government of Abu Dhabi, in 2013 changed the names of a number of main streets with the names of the great leaders of Abu Dhabi. This was done as a form of respect and at the same time commemorating the vision, leadership and contribution of leaders who built the UAE society.

The UAE government had previously carried out the change of street names in Abu Dhabi with the names of leaders of friendly countries on September 23, 2019. At that time the UAE inaugurated King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street on one of the roads in Abu Dhabi.

Just like Jalan Jokowi. Jalan King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is a form of respect for the contribution of King Salman to strengthen the bilateral relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and the contribution of the King in the development of the Islamic world.

For Indonesian leaders, Jokowi is not the first to be immortalized as a street name abroad. Abu Dhabi previously enshrined Sukarno Street in Rabat, Morocco; Jalan Muhammad Hatta in Harleem, Netherlands; Raden Adjeng Kartini Street in Amsterdam; and Jalan Munir in The Hague.