- 02 Jul 2025
[By Invitation Only] Indonesia’s Middle East Policy Between Economic Pragmatism and Islamic Solidarity Indonesia
Newly-minted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s six-day tour of the Middle East in April took him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan. In each capital, the president secured agreements linked to sectors central to Jakarta’s interests, ranging from defence to agriculture, signalling that the region will continue to play a major part in Indonesia’s foreign policy calculus.
Economics aside, Indonesia’s approach to the Israel-Palestinian conflict remains deeply influenced by domestic sentiment, as evidenced by Prabowo’s joint Gaza ceasefire call with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, balancing international engagement with domestic Islamic solidarity. More recently, the Indonesian president expressed a willingness to establish diplomatic relations with Israel if it recognises a Palestinian state.
What are the priorities for Prabowo in the Middle East? How and why have bilateral relations with the UAE stood out among other connections? Is religious diplomacy still an important aspect of Jakarta’s foreign policy? Domestically, what are the public perceptions of the Arab world?
The Middle East Institute welcomes Rico Marbun, Executive Director of Media Survei Nasional (MEDIAN), to address these questions in a by-invitation session that examines Indonesia’s Middle East policy.
This event will be held in-person, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM (SGT) on Wednesday, 2 July 2025. Please register your interest by emailing meievent@nus.edu.sg. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
Photo Caption: President Prabowo Subianto kicks off Middle East tour from Jakarta on April 9, 2025. (Photo Courtesy of Presidential Press Bureau)
About the Speakers
Media Survei Nasional (MEDIAN)
Rico Marbun is Executive Director of Media Survei Nasional (MEDIAN), a Jakarta-based survey company. He is also Head of the Central Executive Board (DPP), and Coordinator for Election Strategy of Gelora Party, a member of Prabowo’s party coalition. Mr. Rico graduated from University of Indonesia with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1998. He is also an alumnus of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Rico obtained his master’s degree in strategic studies from RSIS in 2006. He was a lecturer in the International Relations department at Paramadina University and the Political Science department at Indonesian Police Academic College (PTIK).
Research Fellow
Middle East Institute, NUS
[Moderator] Clemens Chay is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. His research focuses on the history and politics of the Gulf Arab states, including the geopolitics of the region.
Event Details
29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Blk B Level 7
Singapore 119620
Please email meievent@nus.edu.sg to register your interest.
