Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Hai Faisal bin Abdullah Alamudi, met with Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights, Yusril Mahendra, at the Coordinating Ministry for Law and Human Rights building in Jakarta on Thursday, December 5, 2024. During the meeting, Ambassador Faisal requested that Indonesia resume sending Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) to Saudi Arabia. He noted that currently, most PMIs in Saudi Arabia come from non-Muslim countries such as India, Thailand, and the Philippines, and suggested it would be preferable for workers to come from Muslim countries.
Ambassador Faisal also sought support for facilitating economic cooperation and investment between the two countries, including in the tourism sector. Responding to this, Minister Yusril stated that Faisal’s requests would be followed up on. Yusril highlighted the Golden Visa policy launched by the Indonesian government under President Jokowi and strongly supported by President Prabowo, which he believes has made it very easy for investors to enter Indonesia.
Yusril also addressed the decline in the number of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Based on records from the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia, the number has decreased from a peak of 2 million to around 100,000. This decline is believed to be due to a moratorium that has been in place for approximately 10 years. Yusril suggested that it is time for the two countries to negotiate a comprehensive agreement addressing not only obstacles in investment and economic sectors, but also issues related to the workforce, emphasizing the need for legal protection for Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. He added that the existing cooperation between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia must continue and be developed. Yusril concluded by stating, “I have summarized all the requests of Your Excellency and we will coordinate internally and also between Ministries, both with technical Ministries under our coordination and other ministries and institutions.”
It is important to note that the Indonesian government is currently implementing a moratorium policy on sending Indonesian Migrant Workers to 21 countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, and Pakistan.