A large Indonesian business delegation, led by Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Soewandi, will arrive here on September 25 with a view to boosting Saudi-Indonesian commercial relations. Arab News today quoted Zakaria Anshar, minister counselor at the Indonesian Embassy, as saying that "Minister Rini, who will be accompanied by a large contingent of some 80 businessmen and officials, will also hold talks with her Saudi counterpart besides meeting other high-ranking Saudi officials during her stay in Riyadh and Jeddah". She will inaugurate the Indonesian pavilion at an International Agriculture Exhibition to be held in Riyadh later this month. Anshar said that the Indonesian Embassy in cooperation with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry will organize two seminars on Sept. 26 at RCCI and Sept. 28 at Jeddah's Meridien Hotel respectively. In addition, meetings between Saudi and Indonesian businessmen will also be organized. Anshar said that trade between the two countries has been growing steadily since 1988. "In 2003, the two-way trade reached $1.93 billion including $440 million worth of Indonesian exports", said the diplomat, adding that the total Saudi investments in Indonesia currently exceeds $4.5 billon in 31 projects mainly in oil, real estate, chemical and trade sectors.
