REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz's upcoming visit on March 1-9, 2017, to Indonesia will have a significant meaning and strategy for both countries, the University of Indonesia's Middle East observer Dr Yon Machmudi stated.

"Viewed from both sides, this visit to Indonesia is very important, as it will be the first visit of a Saudi King since the last 47 years, and secondly, it is a change in the global political situation, especially in the US, which is hostile towards Islam and the Middle East," Machmudi remarked here on Friday.

In fact, the PhD graduate from the Australian National University noted that since the New Order era, all Indonesian presidents -- Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Joko Widodo -- had made several visits to Saudi Arabia.

However, the fact that no Saudi King has visited Indonesia since 1970 until this day is anything but usual, according to the Middle East observer.

Machmudi pointed out that the US President Donald Trump's discriminatory policies against Islam and the Middle East had raised concerns among investors from Middle-East countries.

"However, Indonesia, as the largest Muslim country in the world, has started to become a destination for investors from countries in the Middle East region," he stated.

Machmudi argue that since the leadership of King Abdullah (2005-2015), there has been a shift in the direction of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy by making Asia as an alternative partner in place of the Western hegemony.

"In 2050, Indonesia is forecast to be among the four major economic powerhouses and has the potential to become an alternative destination for Saudi investors," he added.

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