Relationship dossier
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Sustained cooperation on pilgrimage and bilateral agreements, alongside recurring migrant-worker and execution disputes
Indonesia toward Saudi Arabia
+35The Indonesian government has pursued bilateral cooperation with Saudi Arabia through agreements on labor and other sectors, and has coordinated with Saudi authorities on the Hajj. It has also protested Saudi executions of Indonesian nationals and raised concerns about the treatment of Indonesian migrant workers.
Saudi Arabia toward Indonesia
+30The Saudi government has coordinated with Indonesia on Hajj arrangements and concluded bilateral agreements covering labor and other areas. Saudi treatment of Indonesian migrant workers and executions of Indonesian nationals have, however, caused serious bilateral friction.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is structured by recurring Hajj coordination and a range of bilateral agreements, alongside substantial religious and diplomatic engagement. Disputes over migrant-worker protections and executions of Indonesian nationals are significant counterweights, making the partnership cooperative but not especially close.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia maintain substantial religious, diplomatic, and economic cooperation, including recurring coordination over Indonesian Hajj pilgrims and bilateral agreements on areas such as labor and investment. The relationship has also faced serious strains over the treatment of Indonesian migrant workers and Saudi executions of Indonesian nationals. Cooperation is sustained, but these disputes limit its closeness.
Areas of tension
- Protection and treatment of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi executions of Indonesian nationals, including cases that prompted Indonesian protests
Key developments
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement on the placement and protection of Indonesian domestic workers.
Saudi Arabia executed Indonesian national Siti Zainab; the case caused serious concern in Indonesia, including over notification to Indonesian authorities.
Saudi Arabia executed Indonesian national Tuti Tursilawati, prompting Indonesian government protest.
King Salman visited Indonesia and the two governments announced multiple agreements covering areas including energy, defense, and culture.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which bilateral labor agreements have improved protections for Indonesian workers is unclear.
- The implementation and practical scope of bilateral investment and sectoral agreements are uncertain.