The ministry’s Director General of National Export Development, Fajarini Puntodewi, said the result highlighted opportunities for Indonesian fashion and textile products in the Saudi market.
“Through sustained promotion, intensive business outreach and stronger product competitiveness, Indonesia is expected to boost exports while strengthening its position as a leading supplier of Muslim fashion and textiles in the Middle East,” Puntodewi said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Indonesia’s pavilion featured 10 companies, comprising eight fashion businesses and two textile firms. Their products included modest fashion, Muslim clothing, abayas, gowns and fabrics used to make thobes and abayas.
Before the exhibition, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh facilitated business matching between the companies and three prospective Saudi buyers. The businesses continued their outreach through meetings with potential partners during the event.
Indonesia’s Trade Attache in Riyadh, Zulvri Yenni, said strong Saudi demand for textile materials and finished products offered an opportunity for Indonesia to expand its market share.
She said Indonesian businesses needed to maintain a sustained presence through product promotion, participation in trade exhibitions and fashion events, and collaboration with Saudi industry players as the country’s fashion sector develops.
Such efforts could help position Saudi Arabia as both an export destination and a strategic partner for Indonesian fashion businesses seeking to expand across the Middle East, Yenni said.
“We encourage businesses to use the exhibition as a starting point for intensifying the promotion of Indonesian fashion and textile products in the market,” she said.
From January to August 2026, Indonesia’s non-oil and gas trade with Saudi Arabia totaled US$2.17 billion. Exports reached US$1.39 billion, while imports stood at US$774.1 million, leaving Indonesia with a trade surplus of US$619.6 million.
From August 2025 to August 2026, Indonesian fashion exports to Saudi Arabia reached US$17.55 million, accounting for 0.84 percent of the Saudi market, according to ministry data.
Saudi Arabia imported US$2.09 billion worth of fashion products from all countries over the same period. Its textile imports totaled US$598.55 million, of which Indonesian products accounted for US$12.79 million, or 2.14 percent of the market.
Indonesian fashion and textile products generated potential transactions worth US$1.12 million at the country’s debut participation in Saudi Fashion & Tex Expo 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Trade Ministry said. The exhibition, held from Sept. 24 to 27 at the Jeddah Center for Exhibitions & Events, brought together more than 550 companies from 22 countries.
