By:Indonesiabussinesspost

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia has revealed of a planned meeting with the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, Banda Al-Khorayef.

"There is an agenda for the Minister of ESDM of Saudi Arabia to meet with me this week," Bahlil said on Tuesday, April 16, 2025.

He said that his meeting with the Saudi ESDM Minister will discuss the needs of both countries in the mining sector, particularly the critical minerals.

The visit of the Saudi minister is expected to strengthen cooperation in the mining, pharmaceutical, food and automotive sectors. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long recognized Indonesia as a major partner in the Southeast Asia region.

"Indonesia is an important trading partner for Saudi Arabia, with bilateral trade reaching more than US$6 billion in 2023," the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said in a statement on April 11, 2025.

With Indonesia's mineral fuel exports reaching US$67 billion (Rp1,128 trillion) and imports reaching US$38 billion in the last fiscal year, this sector offers opportunities for long-term growth.

In addition, cooperation in the renewable energy sector is also a major agenda. Saudi Arabia is also investing heavily in the renewable energy sector and electric vehicle (EV) technology, which is part of the Vision 2030 agenda.

One example of the cooperation is the partnership with Vale Indonesia, the country’s largest producer of nickel, a vital element in the production of electric vehicle batteries.

So far, Indonesia has also established critical mineral cooperation with several other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.