Published on November 11, 2025, by The Jakarta Globe
By Jayanty Nada Shofa
Jakarta. Jordanian King Abdullah II is expected to travel to Jakarta later this week to meet President Prabowo Subianto, with whom he shares a decades-long bond.
Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono has confirmed Abdullah II’s visit. The chief diplomat did not disclose the details, except that the leaders’ talks were scheduled for Friday. And such high-level meetings traditionally cover bilateral economic cooperation, the sovereign fund Danantara included.
“[The president] will host the Jordanian king in Jakarta on Nov. 14 [Friday], if there are no changes to the plans,” Sugiono told the press in Jakarta on Monday.
According to the Jordanian government, Abdullah II will not be leaving Jakarta empty-handed, as both countries are expected to sign a string of deals. Abdullah II is also set to meet Danantara’s representatives, thus possibly expanding the fund’s list of foreign partners.
Prabowo has repeatedly talked of his close friendship with Abdullah II. Media reports showed that they were alumni of the American military training center Fort Benning. A December 1998 New York Times article wrote that Jordan had offered Prabowo citizenship. He turned down the offer, saying that Indonesia did not accept dual citizenship. The article stated Prabowo had already been living in Amman for four months at the time. When he tried to run for president in 2014, Prabowo admitted of wanting to copy Abdullah II’s leadership style should he get elected.
“If Indonesians give me a mandate, I wish to lead the country fairly and courageously just like my friend, the King of Jordan,” Prabowo wrote on a social media post on Twitter (now X) back on February 2014, about five months before the elections.
The ex-army general lost to Former Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who later managed to secure two consecutive terms.
Official statistics indicated a weakening Indonesia-Jordan trade between January and September 2025. Trade had fallen from $709.4 million in the said nine-month period of 2024 to $559.7 million the following year. Jordanian investments in Indonesia remained modest at just $5.41 million in Q1 2025. This puts Jordan at 43rd place in the list of Indonesia’s biggest foreign investors.
Abdullah II embarked on a five-leg Asian tour over the weekend, with Japan being his first stop. He will head to Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Pakistan.