Culinary Event Marks Friendship Between Two Great Nations

Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel and Garuda Indonesia Airline are proud to announce the opening of an Indonesian Food and Culture Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (18th to the 27th of March 2009) at La Brasserie restaurant of Al Faisaliah Hotel. This event marks the 60th anniversary of Garuda Indonesia Airline. Costas S. Gavriel, Director of Sales and Marketing at Al Faisaliah Hotel, a Rosewood Hotel, commented: " The Indonesian festival will be inaugurated on the 17th of March by the Indonesian ambassador and senior officials of Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel and Garuda Indonesia Airline. The Food Festival will be held daily from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm during the 10 days period of the festival." Guests of the festival will have the chance to win a holiday in Indonesia offered by Garuda Indonesia. "This gift consists of 2 return tickets from Riyadh to Indonesia with hotel accommodation for 7 days to the lucky winner", said Muhammad Harry Khairuddin, Garuda Indonesia Marketing and Sales Manager for Central and Eastern Provinces. Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel is an ultra-luxury masterpiece in downtown Riyadh, featuring a 24 hours a day full butler service to all it's guests, exceptional outstanding quality, unparalleled service and unsurpassed attention to detail – the hallmarks of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. The hotel has recently announced a ‘new' multimillion dollar expansion to be ready by the end of 2009, seeing the existing 224 rooms and suites grow to 330 units. Gavriel added: "During the Indonesian Festival five internationally acclaimed Indonesian chefs will bring to the Riyadh Community and visitors dishes and flavors of authentic Indonesian cooking."

Strong friendly relations between the two nations
The close ties of Indonesia with Saudi Arabia stem from the friendship and the economic cooperation between the nationals of the two countries. Both countries are united by the religion of Islam. Indonesia was ranked 17th in the Kingdom's exports reaching SR 11,484 million in 2006. Mr. Sintoyo, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Saudi Arabia, commented that "The main exports of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia are crude oil and gas, and petro chemical products. Main Indonesian exports to Saudi Arabia include automotive and spare parts, rubber tires, plywood, electronics, textile, and crude palm oil. The volume of Indonesian exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was US $944 million for 2007, whereas the volume of KSA Exports to Indonesia was US $ 3.3 billion for 2007." Saudi Arabia owns refineries in Indonesia, and has joint Saudi Indonesian Construction projects in the Kingdom. In terms of manpower, the number of Indonesian workers in KSA is almost one million.