Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali

Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali
Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno, left, with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb during the World Travel Market in London on Nov. 8, 2022. (Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy)
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Updated 26 May 2023

Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali

Indonesia invites Saudi travelers to explore tourism destinations beyond Bali
  • Kingdom is one of Indonesia’s main tourist markets
  • Target of 60k Saudi visitors in 2023, says tourism minister

JAKARTA: Indonesia wants to attract Saudi travelers with its natural and cultural wonders beyond the holiday island of Bali, the Asian nation’s tourism minister has told Arab News, as the country’s post-pandemic strategy is focused on quality and sustainability.

Indonesia is targeting to welcome 8.5 million foreign visitors in 2023 as it is rebounding from the COVID-19 lull that brought its key forex-generating hospitality sector to a standstill.

While the figure is still about a half of the arrivals recorded in 2019 — right before the coronavirus outbreak — the country’s tourism is oriented toward long-term visits and travelers who contribute more to the local economy.

“We are focusing on quality and sustainable post-pandemic tourism, where we expect tourists to stay longer and have much bigger spending,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said in an interview with Arab News on Thursday.

The Tourism Ministry’s data shows these goals match the travel patterns of visitors from Saudi Arabia.

“We’re seeing travelers from Middle East regions focusing more on personalized, customized, localized (travel),” Uno said, adding that they also look for “hidden gems in new destinations.”

Most tourists, also from Arab countries, opt for the world-famous Bali.

In 2019, out of the 16.1 million who came to Indonesia, 40 percent had gone to the island which that year accounted also for over a third of Indonesia’s foreign exchange obtained from tourism.

But the country has much more to offer both in terms of culture as well as nature and wildlife. Some of the attractions across the tropical archipelago have been promoted as alternatives to Bali and to make tourism revenues less dependent on the resort island.

These “super priority tourist destinations” include Borobudur — the world’s largest Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries and located in central Java — and Labuan Bajo, a port in the island of Flores, which is the gateway to the small islands that are home to the famous Komodo dragons.

There is also Mandalika on the island of Lombok, east of Bali, and Likupang village on the easternmost tip of the Sulawesi island, which are famous for sandy beaches, reefs, diving and surfing spots.

“We believe that these beautiful beaches and bays, panoramic views, green mountains, clear rivers and sports tourism would be preferred by Middle Eastern (travelers),” Uno said.

“We really would like to offer this to tourists from the Middle East, in particular Saudi Arabia.”

The Kingdom is one of the 20 main markets of Indonesia’s tourism sector, which hopes to attract at least 60,000 Saudi visitors this year.

The target is less than half of the 2019 figure, when 157,000 Saudis visited the country and, according to the minister, is very low compared with the potential.

“We’re aligning promotions, we think that there’s a captive market for us,” he said.

To capture the Saudi market, Indonesia is engaging influencers and participating in international tourism trade shows such as the Arabian Travel Market and the Riyadh Travel Fair.

It is also ramping up connectivity and the minister added that talks were underway with Saudi flag carrier Saudia to increase the number of direct flights between the two countries.

Meanwhile, he was hopeful to see new visitors soon as Saudi Arabia’s long summer holiday season will begin next month.

“The summertime in Saudi and the Middle East would be the best time to visit,” Uno said. “See you soon in wonderful Indonesia.”


NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia
Updated 28 May 2023

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia
  • Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti defended police actions in escorting the new mayors the previous day

BRUSSELS: NATO on Saturday urged Kosovo to dial down tensions with Serbia, a day after its government forcibly accessed municipal buildings to install mayors in ethnic Serb areas in the north of the country.
The resulting clashes on Friday between Kosovan police and protesters opposed to the ethnic Albanian mayors prompted Serbia to put its army on full combat alert and to move units closer to the border.
“We urge the institutions in Kosovo to de-escalate immediately and call on all parties to resolve the situation through dialogue,” said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for the transatlantic military alliance, in a Twitter post.
She said KFOR, the 3,800-strong NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, would remain vigilant.
Things were still tense in the north part of the country where heavily armed police forces in armored vehicles were guarding municipality buildings.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti defended police actions in escorting the new mayors the previous day.
“It is the right of those elected in democratic elections to assume office without threats or intimidation. It is also the right of citizens to be served by those elected officials,” Kurti said on Twitter on Saturday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday criticized Kurti’s government for its actions in the north, saying they “unnecessarily escalated tensions, (were) undermining our efforts to help normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia and will have consequences for our bilateral relations with Kosovo.”
Almost a decade after the end of a war there, Serbs in Kosovo’s northern region do not accept Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still see Belgrade as their capital.
Ethnic Albanians form more than 90 percent of the population in Kosovo, with Serbs only the majority in the northern region.

 


Iraq seeks multi-sector engagement with Philippines after 10-year gap

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
Updated 28 May 2023

Iraq seeks multi-sector engagement with Philippines after 10-year gap

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed poses for a photo at the Iraqi Embassy in Manila on May 24, 2023.
  • The last time the Iraq-Philippines joint committee convened was in 2013
  • 4,000 Filipinos live and work in Iraq, and many are married to Iraqi nationals

MANILA: Iraq is seeking a reboot in relations with the Philippines after a lull of 10 years, its head of mission has told Arab News, as Baghdad eyes possible cooperation in agriculture, oil, health and tourism.

Formal relations between Iraq and the Philippines were established in 1975 with the opening of the Iraqi embassy in Manila. Five years later, the Philippines opened its mission in Baghdad, but in the early 2000s both countries closed their respective diplomatic offices.

The embassies were later reopened, and in 2012 the two countries signed an agreement to boost diplomatic exchanges and develop bilateral relations. But the last time the Iraq-Philippines Joint Committee Meeting was held was in 2013.

Iraq is hoping to persuade tourists from the Philippines to explore the country known as the ‘cradle of civilization,’ as it was the site of the Mesopotamians who developed the world’s first writing, agriculture and cities.

Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed

“Now we are restarting ... Iraq is keen to strengthen relations with the Philippines at various levels,” Iraq Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Mohammed told Arab News earlier this week. “There are a lot of things we can do with the Filipinos ...  we actually need many projects. And we are looking now for partners.”

Mohammed, who took up his post a few months ago, said that while Iraq has, in the past two decades, been the scene of prolonged conflict, it was already witnessing security and stability.

A number of cooperation proposals, particularly relating to agriculture, health, education, security, and oil, were being prepared for the Philippine side, and Mohammed said the Philippines has been invited to participate in his country’s largest expo, the Baghdad International Fair, in November.

“(The fair) is an appropriate opportunity to exchange experiences, display Philippine products, learn about the Iraq market close-up, and see the great openness that the country is experiencing,” he said.

Currently, around 4,000 Filipinos live and work in Iraq, many of whom have Iraqi spouses.

To strengthen connections, Baghdad has launched a Study in Iraq program, offering scholarships to Filipino students.

Mohammed said Iraq is also hoping to persuade tourists from the Philippines to explore the country known as the “cradle of civilization,” as it was the site of the Mesopotamians who developed the world’s first writing, agriculture and cities.

For Filipinos, who are predominantly Catholics, a major attraction could also be the ancient city-state of Ur, where Abraham was born. According to Mohammed, the state has allocated 9,000 square meters for the construction of “the tourist city of Ur, which will be one of the largest tourist cities in the Middle East.”

Mohammed added that tourist traffic could flow both ways, too.

“Maybe very soon you will see the first Iraqi (tourist) group visit the Philippines” he added. “It’s now under process.”

 


Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican
Updated 28 May 2023

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

Pope Francis holds talks with head of Muslim World League in the Vatican

LONDON: The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, on Saturday held talks with Pope Francis at his office in Saint Martha House in the Vatican, the organization said.

The two sides discussed a number of issues related to shared values and the civilizational alliance, it added.

Following the meeting, Alissa said he was delighted with the sincere, brotherly and deep dialogue with Pope Francis at his residence. 

“We discussed our shared values and building bridges between civilizations based on effective and sustainable initiatives,” he added. “I appreciate Pope Francis’s kind hospitality and noble sentiments.

Pope Francis held a number of private meetings on Saturday after resuming his regular appointments a day after canceling his schedule due to a fever.


Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says
Updated 27 May 2023

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says

Migrants who tried to cross Mediterranean brought back to Libya, UN says
  • The Italian Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of 423 and 671 migrants in two separate operations in Italian search and rescue waters, and Alarm Phone said they were unrelated to the missing boat

ROME: Nearly 500 migrants who tried to cross the central Mediterranean have been brought back to Libya, a spokesman for the UN migration agency said, two days after charity groups lost contact with the boat carrying them.
“Libya is an unsafe port where migrants should never be brought back,” Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the UN’s International Organization for Migration or IOM wrote on Twitter.
He said there were 485 migrants and they docked in the Libyan port of Benghazi on Friday.
No further details were provided to IOM at this stage.
Alarm Phone, a group that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, had no signs from the boat since Wednesday morning.
At the time, the boat was adrift, with no working engine, in high seas about 320 km north of Libya and more than 400 km away from Malta or Italy’s southern island of Sicily.
The Italian Coast Guard reported on Thursday the rescue of 423 and 671 migrants in two separate operations in Italian search and rescue waters, and Alarm Phone said they were unrelated to the missing boat.
The Italian coast guard had no immediate comment.
In a separate incident, German charity SOS Humanity said 27 migrants were picked up at sea by an oil tanker and illegally taken back to Libya.
Under international humanitarian law, migrants cannot be forcibly returned to countries where they risk serious ill-treatment, and widespread migrant abuse has been extensively documented in Libya.
European governments have taken an increasingly hard line on migration, including in Italy, which is facing a surge in sea arrivals.
More than 47,000 landings have been recorded in the year to date, up from around 18,000 in the same period of 2022.

 


‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court
Updated 27 May 2023

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court

‘Jihadi Hipster’ jailed for life by UK court
  • Shabazz Suleman fled to join Daesh in Syria as a teenager in 2014 while holidaying in Turkiye
  • Promising student claims he was ‘brainwashed’ by group, spent time playing computer games

LONDON: A British man has been jailed after spending three years fighting with Daesh in Syria.

Shabazz Suleman, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, had been a promising student in the UK, having recently completed his high school exams and been accepted onto a course to study at Keele University before he disappeared while on a family holiday in Turkiye in 2014.

He was detained by Turkish forces trying to cross into Syria, before being exchanged as part of a prisoner swap with Daesh in return for two Turkish diplomats.

Suleman, who was 18 at the time, styled himself as the “Jihadi Hipster,” a moniker he used on social media site Twitter. Adopting the name Abu Shamil Al-Britani, he became “disillusioned” with life under Daesh within a year, claiming the group targeted other Muslims and used its fighters as “cannon fodder.”

Ten months into his stay he was jailed by the group in Raqqa for refusing to fight. He was later released after agreeing to join Daesh’s security wing Amniyat.

Suleman was captured again by Turkish-backed forces in October 2017, and later traveled to Pakistan. He returned to the UK in 2021, where he was detained.

Suleman pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism in April, and was sentenced to life with a minimum of nine-and-a-half years.

During his trial he claimed he spent most of his time with Amniyat playing computer games, but Judge Mark Lucraft KC said he must have known he was “supporting a terrorist organization that engaged in indiscriminate violence against civilians.”

The court heard that after joining an aid convoy to Syria in 2013, he told a friend he wanted to “go deeper where it’s more dangerous,” and that he had been visited by local police when his trip to the country was revealed.

He celebrated the deaths of journalists at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015 on Twitter, and also detailed his life under Daesh, as well as posting an image of an alleged spy who was beheaded and crucified by the group. In another message he claimed he wanted to “behead some Americans.”

After disappearing on holiday, Suleman contacted his family to tell them: “I’m doing this for Allah, no one else. I’m not brainwashed or anything. I’ve been planning this for months.”

In 2015 he told journalists at The Times he had become “disillusioned” and was “brainwashed,” adding: “I found myself falling for the propaganda of (Daesh). Eventually, I no longer knew who I was.”

After he was captured in 2017, he told Sky News: “I take responsibility. I was with (Daesh), I was with a terrorist organization. But I didn’t kill anyone, I hope I didn’t oppress anyone. I did have a Kalashnikov and a military uniform, but I didn’t hit anyone.”

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said: “It is clear from the evidence that the defendant fully appreciated before he set off that he would be joining and supporting a terrorist organization which engaged in indiscriminate violence against civilians.

“He was warned not to go, due to the danger, and was told that there was a risk to his life as a UK national. He thus knew very well before traveling how harshly (Daesh) would treat foreigners who did not support (it), and in particular how it treated non-believers.”