Saudi King in RI

[Davita]

Just been watching the grand parade to celebrate the arrival of the King of Saudi. What an expensive show....I hope it will be worth it for the Indonesian populace....

Jakpost....
While Saudi oil giant Aramco on Tuesday invested US$7 billion to buy shares in a refining and petrochemical project owned by Malaysia’s Petronas, Indonesia is likely to be left with nothing but petty stuff.
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung boasted last week about a $25 billion deal in the energy sector that would be signed by President Joko “Jokowi†Widodo and King Salman on Wednesday.
However, Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Osama Mohammed Al-Shuibi said the deal would not likely be concluded because more preparations would still be needed.
“The planned cooperation between Aramco and (state energy company) Pertamina was also still being discussed.â€
Although Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are bound together by the brotherhood of Islam, investments by Saudi companies here have remained miniscule compared to those made by non-Muslim countries.
Last year, foreign direct investment from Saudi Arabia only amounted to about $900,000, down from $30 million in 2015, according to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

FDI Saudi/Indonesia
2010 = $0; 2011 = $100,000; 2012 = $0; 2013 = $400,000; 2014 = $2.9M; 2015 = $30.4M; 2016 = $900,000.

 

[Vanhelsing]

I thought it interesting timing for Indonesia to announce today joint bank accounts with Iran in each respective country. It may be construed as insulting given Saudi and Irans hostility toward each other and perhaps Indonesia should have left that announcement until the King had left.

 

[fastpitch17]

The Saudi visit will probably cost Indonesia more then they get in investment return.

 

[nd_eric_77]

It has been quite the topic in WA groups... especially since people mentioned that the 1500 visitors are ALL MEN.

 

[Anglian]

The Saudi visit will probably cost Indonesia more then they get in investment return.

No, he will probably buy off the MPR to bring in Sharia law and ban booze

 

[fastpitch17]

No, he will probably buy off the MPR to bring in Sharia law and ban booze

Not while he is here. I'm sure some of that tons of cargo is private stock and Bali has probably stocked up on the booze too.

 

[Davita]

1. The Saudi visit will probably cost Indonesia more then they get in investment return.

2. It has been quite the topic in WA groups... especially since people mentioned that the 1500 visitors are ALL MEN.

1. Agree...time will tell; maybe some deal with the petro-boys.....but the madrassas spouting wahabi might get a boost. I think Bali will get squat. Dunno why he didn't go to Lombok...they are promoting the island to be a halal and Muslim vacation destination.

2. Might be big-time this weekend in Dhyana Pura and Sanur red light areas.

 

[Anglian]

Well one of the kings was an alcoholic, another spent one million pound in a night trying to break the casino in London, he had a casino in Riyhad, quite pillars of Islam really

 

[Davita]

Well one of the kings was an alcoholic, another spent one million pound in a night trying to break the casino in London, he had a casino in Riyhad, quite pillars of Islam really

Hypocrisy is the name of the game.
Anglian...you may remember events better as I recall you worked in Saudi.

A BA pal told me he loved the route Riyadh-London as the 'boys' would take-over their whole first-class section. Some people already booked were paid to go into business-class. They would enter in white robes and pizza-hut tablecloth-colored headgear. En route they drank their own own champagne and eat caviar/paté and changed into Gucci clothes. They had special customs/immigration (something about being diplomats) and then headed in limos to London's casinos. The crew were all handsomely tipped to keep quiet.

I owned an apartment near Marble Arch. It was one of those converted Victorian (upstairs-downstairs style buildings). I got a call saying someone wished to buy it (excellent offer). It appeared my apartment was wall-to-wall with the next whole building some Arab partners had bought to be their little secret in London. They wanted their English manager to live out of their building so...knocking a hole in the wall to my apartment lobby was their solution. He resided in my apartment but had internal access to manage their sex-club.
This apartment was to be my play-boy mansion when I retired back to UK...but, as I'd recently married, that plan was gone. Therefore...I took the Arab money...

so....I'm also a hypocrite...no scruples.

 

[Euc-]

Hypocrisy is the name of the game.

Oh so true.

I used to work at a very exclusive and secluded hotel in the United Arab Emirates, often we would get weekend business of Saudi princes who would rent out the entire place, arriving in multiple helicopters chartered from the local airfield just 20 minutes away by car. They would take about 25% of the inventory of the hotel to actually use, the remaining inventory (starting at a 1000 usd per night) was taken simply to guarantee privacy.

Payment for all the booze, hookers and whatnot was made, literally, in duffel bags full of cash.

On the other hand, the princesses are a completely different story. They would arrive in a similar fashion, but would order ALL male employees to stay home for the weekend. I remember that on one occasion we didn't have enough female cooks to man the kitchen, so they simply brought their own with them. Telephones of employees were confiscated by the local CID in charge of securing the royal visit, CCTV footage was confiscated after the visit, and monitored by that same CID during the visit, all so that they could walk around in some skimpy clothes without any consequences later on.

Ah, Saudi royalty.. brings back so many memories. Very, very good tippers as well.

 

[Anglian]

As we used to say, Terrible job, but pays well, the only reason alcohol is banned is because a prince got drunk at a party and shot a British diplomat, we had a Saudi prince turn up for a London flight, totally legless, he caused some problems and we had to get another prince to come and collect him in a nice Rolls Royce, there's enough alcohol in Saudi to float a battle ship, is there another word stronger than hypocrisy,
When I first saw Indonesians, I actually didn't know where they came from, lots of elderly ladies in jilbabs doing their Haj,I asked a Saudi where they came from, he said,Indonesian, but they aren't true Muslims, that's what they think of indonesians

 

[fastpitch17]

Not only should the leader not be invited, the entire group should not be invited. They would only use the opportunity to give them some sort of legitimization and use that against the court cases and the Central Government. Bad move if they allow them in.

The government has planned to schedule a meeting between Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and religious leaders in Indonesia. However, whether Islamic Defender Front Leader is to be invited in the meeting or not has not been confirmed yet, since the list is still being drafted.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/...Salman-to-Meet-Religious-Organization-Leaders

 

[dafluff]

As we used to say, Terrible job, but pays well, the only reason alcohol is banned is because a prince got drunk at a party and shot a British diplomat, we had a Saudi prince turn up for a London flight, totally legless, he caused some problems and we had to get another prince to come and collect him in a nice Rolls Royce, there's enough alcohol in Saudi to float a battle ship, is there another word stronger than hypocrisy,
When I first saw Indonesians, I actually didn't know where they came from, lots of elderly ladies in jilbabs doing their Haj,I asked a Saudi where they came from, he said,Indonesian, but they aren't true Muslims, that's what they think of indonesians

Exactly. To see the average Indonesian practically "worshiping" this King is hilarious. Arabs, in particularly Saudis, see Indonesia as where their maids are from, and that's about it.

Now of course, the tables are a bit turned. With Saudi's petro-economy in horrible shape, and demand for their oil supplanted with shale oil and renewable energy, they desperately need new markets to sell their oil. That and someone to trade their cat-in-the-bag Aramco stock with other assets.

 

[Anglian]

I find it quite amusing they tried to undermine the US shale and got their fingers burnt in the process

 

[dafluff]

The Saudi economy must be doing really bad for the king to do Vlogs...

https://www.facebook.com/Jokowi/videos/665801120275407/

 

[fastpitch17]

Indonesia announced they would be getting 25 billion dollars when the king arrives. They got 1 billion.

 

[Anglian]

Indonesia announced they would be getting 25 billion dollars when the king arrives. They got 1 billion.

Now what could that money be used for?

 

[Davita]

All is well...President Widodo conferred upon the King the highest honor of the 'Adipurna Star'....I'm sure this 81 year old multi-billionaire, who can buy a real star, will be absolutely thrilled and delighted.

I just wish for the day when the rest of the planet doesn't need oil any more and those useless gits go back to being nomad Bedouins living in bivouacs, roaming around the desert on camels, buggering donkeys and goats and killing each other in tribal wars.....again. And their only pleasure is to watch a fat belly dancer.

 

[Asun]

I just wish for the day when the rest of the planet doesn't need oil any more and those useless gits go back to being nomad Bedouins living in bivouacs, roaming around the desert on camels, buggering donkeys and goats and killing each other in tribal wars.....again. And their only pleasure is to watch a fat belly dancer.

They still have quite a bit of cash in their safes from decades of selling oil. You gotta find a scheme to relief them from their last pennies first, such as the debaucheries mentioned above

 

[Davita]

They still have quite a bit of cash in their safes from decades of selling oil. You gotta find a scheme to relief them from their last pennies first, such as the debaucheries mentioned above

Yeah you're right. I forgot about the stashed billions being looked after by their BFF's the Bush family. If the s**t hits the fan maybe GeorgeW can pitch tents, and import camels, to make their guests feel at home 'on the ranch' in Texas.....and get his mum, Barbara, to do the belly dance followed by Laura offering hookahs, stacked with ganja.

My wife says a joke going around is the Saudi King sent gallons of Bakso back to Riyadh. Jokowi thought he must love Indonesian food until told...it was for all his Indonesian maids....'coz they're sick from eating camel dung....