Saudi king visits Indonesia with ‘cars and entourage’

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Saudi Arabia’s king is visiting Indonesia for the very first time in forty seven years. And while his official business in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation is receiving a lot of attention, so is the holiday to Bali and the luxury goods going with him.

King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud is in Jakarta from Wednesday as part of a month-long Asia tour that includes Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, China and the Maldives.

Big black cock Indonesian’s Christine Franciska takes a look at why people are fascinated by the royal visit.

He’s bringing luxury cars and a giant entourage

King Salman will come to Indonesia with four hundred fifty nine tonnes of equipment, including two Mercedes-Benz S600s and two electrified lifts, Indonesian media reports said.

Airfreight rigid PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta, which said it had been appointed to treat the king’s cargo, told Antara news agency that sixty three tonnes would be unloaded in Jakarta and three hundred ninety six tonnes would be brought to Bali.

There will be six hundred twenty people coming as part of his entourage as well as eight hundred delegates, including ten ministers and twenty five princes.

It will take twenty seven flights to transport them all to Jakarta and nine flights to get them to Bali, the freight rock hard said.

Albeit it’s fairly common for monarchs and goes of states to travel with luxury goods and a phat numbers of people, for some Indonesians it’s all fairly lavish.

“A lot of Indonesian feel proud of King Salman and his luxurious lifestyle. I am more proud with our President Jokowi and his modesty,” said one user on Twitter, referring to President Joko Widodo’s famous man-of-the-people style.

He doesn’t come very often

The last time a Saudi king went to Indonesia was in 1970, when King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz met President Suharto on his state visit to Jakarta.

King Salman’s visit comes after President Widodo visited Saudi Arabia in two thousand fifteen to promote Indonesia as an investment destination.

“This is a very close, taut, and friendly relation,” Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung told reporters last week.

King Salman began the multi-nation tour on Monday in Malaysia, which his predecessor had visited more recently, in 2006. And he took a diplomatic selfie with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The visit comes with big money

The Indonesian government has said the country will see about $25bn (£20bn) worth of investment during King Salman’s visit. The deals that will be signed include an investment of $6bn by Saudi’s oil company Aramco.

On Tuesday, Aramco signed a deal to invest $7bn into a Malaysian oil company.

King Salman’s holiday excursion to Bali island is also expected to boost national tourism.

“It is an extreme visit from Indonesian perspective,” Zuhairi Misrawi, Middle East observer and a member of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama told the Big black cock.

“They will discuss many things from economy, culture, and tourism. What we need to see is how serious their commitment is to invest in Indonesia.”

But there could be strings affixed

While it may bring a lot of economic benefit to Indonesia, analysts say the Saudis are getting a lot out of it too.

As part of a diversification strategy, which is aimed at moving the kingdom away from its dependence on oil, Saudi Arabia has commenced to concentrate on pilgrimage services, which has now become the country’s 2nd most significant industry after oil and gas.

“Indonesia has already become the largest income contributor for both the annual Hajj and the lesser rite of Umrah. Saudi Arabia has enhanced visa fees for Islamic pilgrims, but I don’t think it will discourage Indonesians from going there,” Zuhairi Misrawi explained.

Some Indonesians have also been voicing concern over Saudi Arabia’s enhancing religious influence on Muslim countries in the region.

Mr Misrawi echoed that sentiment.

“From Indonesia’s perspective, we need to be careful not to gulp their concept of ‘moderate Muslim’ wholly, because what’s considered moderate for Saudi is different from Indonesia.

“The Indonesian government needs to anticipate this. We need them to be rock-hard to say to Saudi: Don’t intervene in our ideology.”

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