NTB, Morocco explore cooperation in tourism, renewable energy

Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government explored strategic cooperation with Morocco across key sectors, including tourism, energy, and natural resource development.

Following a meeting with Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia Redouane Houssaini here on Friday, NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal emphasized that this partnership must deliver real public benefits by boosting investment, creating jobs, advancing industrial downstreaming, and strengthening regional economic competitiveness.

In his presentation titled "An Archipelago with Unlimited Potential," Iqbal introduced NTB as a region offering extensive and diverse investment opportunities.

The province is home to around 5.81 million people, the majority of whom are of productive age, supported by stable economic growth and a strategic geographical position as the gateway to eastern Indonesia.

In the tourism sector, he promoted the concept of quality tourism by developing destinations that are high-quality, sustainable, and globally competitive.

NTB is also home to 265 tourist destinations, 375 tourism villages, and continuously expanding supporting infrastructure.

"Tourist arrivals have continued to increase, in line with efforts to expand international flight connectivity and promote investment in hotels, tourism areas, and tourism transportation," he remarked.

Agriculture is also one of NTB's main economic strengths, contributing the largest share to the province's gross regional domestic product (GRDP).

Leading commodities such as rice, corn, shallots, chili peppers, coffee, cocoa, coconuts, vanilla, and tobacco offer promising investment opportunities.

In the energy sector, Iqbal stressed that NTB has enormous potential for new and renewable energy, particularly solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy.

"The potential is strengthened by the presence of at least 15 large dams that can be developed as sites for floating solar power plants and hybrid power generation systems," he explained.

He expressed hope that the meeting would strengthen ties with Morocco not only through trade and investment but also through cooperation in education, technology, and human resource development.

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Translator: Nur, Kenzu

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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