Indonesia and Saudi Arabia seek to Expand Trade partnership
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are working to bolster their economic relationship and increase bilateral trade. Trade volume between the two nations reached $3.2 billion in the first half of 2025, with Indonesia exporting $1.7 billion worth of goods and importing $1.5 billion from Saudi Arabia.
According to Indonesian trade Minister budi Santoso,referred to as Busan,Saudi Arabia ranked as Indonesia’s 18th largest export destination and 12th largest source of imports in 2024. “Indonesia has trade representatives in Saudi Arabia who can facilitate relations between Saudi Arabian and Indonesian business players,” Minister Santoso stated on August 25, 2025.Total trade between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia for the entirety of 2024 amounted to $6.6 billion,with Indonesian exports totaling $2.6 billion and imports reaching $4.4 billion.
Key Indonesian exports to Saudi Arabia include motor vehicles, palm oil, light vessels, sauces and processed foods, and iron pipes. Imports from Saudi Arabia primarily consist of crude petroleum oil, non-crude petroleum oil, petroleum gas, cyclical alcohols, and sulfur.
During a virtual meeting on August 21,2025,Saudi Arabian Trade Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi expressed his country’s interest in strengthening trade cooperation and identifying new opportunities for collaboration. He highlighted the potential for further development in trade of goods and services and proposed an exchange of facts between the two nations to facilitate increased trade.
Busan responded positively, noting that there is potential for Indonesia to increase its trade volume with Saudi Arabia and expressing hope for future growth. “I appreciate Saudi Arabia’s desire to explore potential cooperation in order to enhance the performance of trade between the two countries,” he said.
To strengthen the partnership, Busan suggested initiatives such as business delegation visits and participation in trade exhibitions, citing previous Indonesian business delegation visits as a successful example.
The two trade ministers are scheduled to meet again on the sidelines of the G20 Ministerial Meeting in October 2025 to discuss concrete plans for enhancing trade cooperation.
