RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Commission I of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR), a parliamentary grouping dealing with defense, foreign affairs, communications, and intelligence issues, received Qatari Ambassador to Indonesia, Sultan Mubarak Aldo Sari, at the Indonesian parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The House said it marked the "beginning of the strengthening of bilateral relations" between the two nations.

Other House members are seen attending the meeting, the House's press release stated on Tuesday. Chairperson of Commission I, Utut Adianto, explained that Sultan, who had only been in Indonesia for about three months, expressed his desire to strengthen relations between the two countries.

"Essentially, he's only been on duty in Indonesia for three months. He expressed his desire to strengthen further relations and hopes the letter of credentials can be submitted to the President soon," Utut said after the meeting.

According to him, one of the discussion focuses was strengthening economic and trade cooperation. Based on bilateral trade data, trade between Indonesia and Qatar reached approximately US$1.2 billion; however, Indonesia still faces a trade deficit of approximately US$130 million.

Furthermore, the commission also highlighted the importance of protecting and improving the welfare of Indonesian migrant workers in Qatar. Utut stated that cooperation between the two countries needs to be further expanded to benefit the Indonesian people directly, including migrant workers.

Utut also said that Qatar has quite advanced capabilities and has the potential to become a strategic partner for Indonesia. He mentioned the potential for investment cooperation and the development of defense equipment.

"In the defense sector, they've been very helpful in assisting us. Some have invested a billion dollars, while others have invested as much as $2.5 billion, particularly in the defense equipment sector," he said.

Utut also highlighted the lower number of Qatari tourists visiting Indonesia compared with Indonesians traveling to Qatar. Nearly 500,000 Indonesians visit Qatar each year, excluding its migrant workers, but only around 2,500 Qatari tourists visit Indonesia.

"In fact, Qatar Airways flies to Jakarta twice daily and to Bali once daily. So, they're primarily a hub for European tourists, but Qataris themselves still attract relatively few visitors to Indonesia," he said.

Therefore, Commission I hopes the meeting with the Qatari Ambassador will pave the way for increased Qatari tourist visits to various destinations in Indonesia. Utut believes the two countries still have significant potential for future development in tourism cooperation.