Dubai - Consul-General Hassan said he sees his assignment in Dubai as an opportunity to boost trade relations between the UAE and Indonesia.
Published: Thu 16 Aug 2018, 10:18 PM
Last updated: Fri 17 Aug 2018, 1:15 AM
August has proven to be very hectic month for the new Indonesian Consul-General, Ridwan Hassan. He hit the ground running right after he arrived in Dubai on August 1. It was the same day that the UAE Government started its 90-day general amnesty and he immediately attended to his compatriots who availed of the programme.
Khaleej Times caught up with him on Wednesday while he was talking to his countrymen at an air-conditioned makeshift tent built specifically for those applying for amnesty.
He said: "Around 400 Indonesians have come to our consulate since Day 1 of the three-month amnesty programme. Many have also come to various immigration offices in Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah. The response is quite high and we expect the number to increase as some Indonesians may still be just waiting to hear from their fellowmen how the programme works.
"Many of the amnesty-seekers have signified their intention of staying in the country and we are helping them in rectifying their residency status," he added.
He said his job requires not just attending to the consular needs of the more than 52,000 Indonesians in Dubai and the Northern Emirates but also to enhance the economic, socio-cultural and diplomatic relationship between the UAE and Indonesia.
Consul-General Hassan said he sees his assignment in Dubai as an opportunity to boost trade relations between the UAE and Indonesia.
Just recently, the two countries announced targeting a significant increase in bilateral trade to $5.5 billion after the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology and Indonesia's National Standardisation Agency and National Accreditation Committee signed an agreement to harmonise standards for halal products.
"The UAE, and Dubai in particular, is one of the most important economic hubs of the world. One of my focus here is to improve our existing good economic relations with the country," he said.
"Aside from the economic aspect, we also see improving people-to-people relationship and this is where the current amnesty programme comes in," he added.
He said: "The amnesty programme is a very good initiative in addressing the concerns of foreign workers in the UAE and I expect a lot of Indonesians to take advantage of this programme."
Consul-general Hassan also praised the recent reforms done by the UAE Government, providing more rights and protection to the domestic workers.
"In Dubai alone, at least 80 per cent of Indonesians work in various capacities as domestic or household service workers. The recent reforms instituted by the UAE have given them more protection," he added.
When asked if this will mean that the Indonesian government will lift the deployment ban on new domestic workers to the UAE, Hassan said that the matter is being reviewed thoroughly in Jakarta.
"Officials from Jakarta will also come to the UAE to assess of the situation and make recommendations to our government," Hassan said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Labour imposed a ban on the deployment of domestic workers to all countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, on May 26, 2015. The ban, however, was only for new domestic workers and those who have been deployed prior to the ban are working legally.
On a personal note, the new Indonesian consul-general also gives priority to his family affairs. "As much as possible I see to it that I spend quality time with my wife and children," he said.
A typical day for him means waking up at 4.30am and, as a devout Muslim, reciting the dawn prayers with his family before preparing for a day's work. He has also celebrated his 57th birthday on August 11 with his family and staff at the consulate. And also today will be his first time to celebrate the Indonesian Independence Day with his countrymen in Dubai.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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