RRI.CO.ID, Mataram - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial administration is expanding its international economic footprint by forging a strategic partnership with Morocco, targeting comprehensive investments across green energy, sustainable tourism, downstream agriculture, and human resource development.

Following a bilateral meeting with the Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia, Redouane Houssaini, in Mataram on Friday, July 17, 2026, NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal emphasized that international collaborations must deliver tangible domestic benefits.

The administration's focus is firmly set on accelerating industrial downstreaming, attracting foreign capital, creating sustainable jobs, and upgrading the province's competitive edge in the global market.

Presenting a comprehensive regional roadmap titled "Islands with Limitless Potential," Governor Iqbal showcased NTB as a booming investment gateway to eastern Indonesia, backed by a stable economy and a productive population of 5.81 million people.

A key pillar of the prospective partnership rests on NTB's massive renewable energy (EBT) potential. The province is highly rich in solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy resources.

"The potential is reinforced by the presence of at least 15 large dams that can be developed as locations for floating solar power plants as well as hybrid power generation systems," Governor Iqbal explained, as quoted by Antara.

Furthermore, the province intends to couple its clean energy grid with its strategic mineral resources, including large deposits of copper, gold, silver, manganese, iron sand, and lead, to build an eco-friendly, green-powered downstream industrial ecosystem.

In the tourism sector, NTB is pivoting strongly toward high-value, sustainable ecotourism. The province currently boasts 265 travel destinations, 375 designated tourism villages, and rapidly expanding international flight connectivity.

To anchor this expansion, the provincial administration presented a pipeline of investment-ready luxury hospitality projects valued at approximately IDR 1.61 trillion (USD 98 million).

These include the Kerakas Beach Five-Star Hotel in North Lombok, the Gili Gede Luxury Resort, the Mautika Mandalika Hotel, and the Kuta Heights Hotel inside the Mandalika special economic zone.

Governor Iqbal assured that these flagship projects are fully backed by ready infrastructure and streamlined administrative licensing.

Beyond tourism, the governor highlighted agricultural and maritime sectors as promising investment channels.

NTB is currently executing a large-scale sustainable farming initiative by planting one million coconut trees and one million coffee trees, integrated directly with local processing plants.

In the livestock sector, the province is open to foreign capital for modern slaughterhouses, dairy processing plants, and a cattle breeding project in Labangka, Sumbawa.

Coupled with a massive maritime output that reached 1.25 million tons in 2025, the province invites Moroccan collaboration in cold-chain logistics and the downstream processing of premium export commodities such as tuna, vaname shrimp, lobster, seaweed, and salt.

Governor Iqbal expressed optimism that the budding relationship with Morocco will transcend standard trade agreements, expanding into long-term technology transfers, modern agricultural practices, and educational exchanges to cultivate top-tier local talents. ***