SO what is so important about Indonesia?" some of my friends ask. "Why all the celebrations here, in Saudi Arabia and there about the royal visit? How much business is there between the two countries? The trade balance is some 8 billion dollars. That is less than what your tourists and investors spend in Dubai, alone! I told my Western colleagues that the story is much longer, richer and dimensional to be short written just in dollars and dimes. We, Arab and Indonesians, go way back—many centuries ago. Unlike Persia, India, Bukhara, China and other parts of Asia, Islam reached the southeastern part of the continent via Arab traders. They came to the shores of these islands, from south Arabia by sailing boats, carrying no more than few merchandise, but with smart minds and good hearts. Settling and setting up their shops there, they soon became a respected part of social fabric. They gave no preaching, but offered good neighborly attitude, honest dealing, kind, tolerant and peaceful coexistence. Leading by example, they soon were chosen leaders in their communities and given respectful status. The Arab merchants taught Islam in its simplest, purest form — the way Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did. Millions followed the true path to Allah, by choice and conviction. They carried the same values of honesty, kindness and tolerance their ancestors were taught. Today, there are 255 million Indonesians and their bridges to Arabia is solidified by history, culture, trade and religion. The Silk Road and sea routes, and now airways have brought them closer to the Holy Lands, year over year. Today, hundreds of thousands of Muslim Indonesians come every year for pilgrimage, commerce, education and work. Around 160,000 Saudis visit Indonesia annually for business and pleasure. Many Saudi families have Indonesian origins. We need more of the same ... much more! King Salman's visit to Indonesia is the first visit by a Saudi King for over 45 years. He was met with euphoria. People queued up in droves under heavy rain to welcome him. The whole country is buzzing about the details of his program. Not just Muslims, followers of other religions, too, were happy to hear about his meeting with their leaders and his message of peaceful coexistence, and call for tolerance, love and cooperation. There are five major religions in Indonesia, 87.2 percent of them are Muslims, 9.9 percent Christians, 1.7 percent Hindus, 0.7 percent Buddhists, and 0.2 percent Confucianists. They live in 13,466 islands and comprise 300 distinct native ethnic groups. Their languages include Indonesian Malay, Slang, English in addition to 740 living local dialects. The largest ethnic group is the Javanese, which comprises 42 percent of the population, and is politically and culturally dominant. The Sundanese, ethnic Malays, and Madurese are the largest non-Javanese groups. Fortunately, a sense of Indonesian nationhood exists alongside strong regional identities. They have lived in harmony, enjoying freedoms and equal rights under democratic, scholar system. Following the resignation of President Suharto in 1998, Indonesian political and governmental structures have undergone major reforms. Four amendments to the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia have revamped the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. As hundreds of companies, large, medium and small, have met on the occasion of King Salman visit, agreements worth billions of dollars were signed. For a country where over 90 percent of its economy generated by small businesses, this means lots of good news for so many hard-working people. And for Saudi Arabia, there is much to learn from Indonesian entrepreneurs. Our "Vision 2030" gives much attention to small and middle-size companies, as well as tourism, industry, technology, heath and petrochemical industries. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his host, President Widodo, have overseen, among 11 pacts, the signing of agreements to take down trade barriers and a new agreement between state energy companies Saudi Aramco and Pertamina, building on an existing $6 billion plan to expand Indonesia›s biggest refinery. Hundred of thousand of Indonesian live and work in Saudi Arabia. They make 4.19 percent of the 9 million foreigners in the Kingdom of 27 million inhabitants. Most are domestic labors, but many are specialists in hospitals, hotels, schools, construction firms, Haj and tourism services and factories. They are well appreciated for their dedication, peacefulness, and good work ethics. To those who don't understand what all the fuss is about, and why people of both countries are so excited and jubilant about King Salman's visit, they need to look into the depth and strength of the historical relationship between Arabs and Indonesians. The Muslim ummah's high hopes for Islamic solidarity are flying higher with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' tour to the Muslim world. Indonesia is a very important nation in our ummah. It is one of the world top 20 economies and is the largest Muslim country with quarter of a billion people. We need every one of you, our brothers and sisters! — Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi
