REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi met Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transportation and Logistics, Saleh Al-Jasser, to deepen cooperation in the field of transportation.
During Sumadi's visit to Riyadh on Sunday (December 3), he remarked that Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have established mutually beneficial bilateral relations in the transportation sector.
"This is a great momentum for the two countries to expand cooperation in the field of transportation, which has been going well," he noted in a statement on Monday.
According to Sumadi, the two countries can establish further cooperation in areas, such as Hajj travels and the development of urban transportation.
In the marine sector, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia recently inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Recognition of Standard Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarer Certificates.
It aims to recognize each other's maritime education and training, seafarers' skill certificates, and international-standard medical certificates for seafarers working on ships.
In the aviation sector, Sumadi sought Saudi Arabia's support to help Indonesian airlines get additional time slots to accommodate the 20 thousand Hajj quota in 2024.
In addition, Sumadi expects support from the Saudi government and the operator of Jeddah Hajj airport, Port Projects Management & Development Co. Ltd (PPMDC), to invest as a shareholder and become the operator of airports in Indonesia that serve Hajj and Umrah travels.
The support from PPMDC will increase flight traffic from Jeddah and Madina to Indonesia, the minister remarked.
Saudi Arabia is also developing urban transportation in several cities, such as Riyadh, Mecca, and Madina, similar to Indonesia that is accelerating the development of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT), among others.
Witnessing the development, Sumadi invited Saudi Arabia to participate in Indonesia's railway projects.
The Saudi government itself hopes that Indonesia will help promote the use of the Haramain high-speed train as a form of improving Hajj/Umrah services for Indonesian pilgrims.
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