Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed their intention to strengthen transport cooperation by broadening collaboration across aviation, maritime affairs, railways, safety investigations, and the development of transport human resources. Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi reiterated the Indonesian government’s commitment to expanding transport cooperation with Saudi Arabia during a meeting held on 13th July 2026 with Saudi Arabian Minister of Transportation and Logistics Services Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser at the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation Office.
According to a statement, Purwagandhi expressed full support for Saudi Arabia’s proposals to expand collaboration through several memorandum of understanding (MoUs) covering safety investigations, maritime affairs, railways, and civil aviation. To accelerate progress, he said a technical team from his ministry will be assigned to promptly finalise the draft agreements.
Air Transport Agreement Remains a Foundation for Growing Connectivity
The two countries already have an established relationship in the aviation sector, with cooperation dating back to the signing of the Air Transport Agreement in 1988. Building on that framework, further discussions between Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation and the Saudi’s Ministry of Transportation and Logistics Services took place in June 2025 and produced outcomes that both sides considered mutually beneficial.
“Discussions on the air services between Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation and the Saudi’s Ministry of Transportation and Logistics Services in June 2025 has resulted in a mutually beneficial agreement,” Purwaghandi said.
Among the agreed measures was the expansion of operational airports, including in Yogyakarta and Banda Aceh. He also underlined the importance of maintaining the momentum of transport cooperation, pointing to sustained growth in passenger demand between the two countries.
“The cooperation needs to be continued, considering that the demand for air travel from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia—vice versa—continues to show an increase,” he added.
Purwagandhi further noted that an Indonesian airline carrier has increased its flight frequencies to Jeddah and Medina since December 2025. Stressing the importance of balanced opportunities for both sides, he stated, “One important aspect is that we need to ensure fair and beneficial opportunities for the airlines of both countries, improve service quality, and maintain compliance with the regulations of each country,” he noted.
