JAKARTA IN POLE POSITION

Indonesia's commercial hub will thrive long after the nation's new capital is open for business

- RANDY MULYANTO

Even as Indonesia's capital moves from Jakarta to Nusantara in Borneo, the country's most populous city will remain the commercial heart of the nation of 281 million people. Home to more than 10 million of them, Jakarta will continue to welcome business travellers from well beyond the country's borders after the government has set up shop in Nusantara - and it will do so well into the future.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport the nation's largest international gateway, situated in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area - is welcoming new arrivals. In April the nation's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia began daily flights from Jakarta to Doha, in a codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways. Star Alliance member Egyptair now operates direct flights from Cairo to Jakarta following its October 2023 inaugural flight (the airline served the city previously, but stopped in 2016). And this September Taiwan's Starlux Airlines is expected to embark on five flights a week from Taipei to Jakarta.

In March this year the government announced 14 new National Strategic Projects aside from hundreds more under outgoing President Joko Widodo in several provinces, funded by the private sector. One new project is Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 (PIK2) by Indonesian conglomerates Agung Sedayu Group and Salim Group. Dubbed "The New Jakarta City", it spans North Jakarta and Banten. Covering some 6,000 hectares and built from scratch to include two reclaimed islands, the area is expected to bring in 20 million tourist visits and 10 million new jobs, according to Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy. PIK2 is still expanding and now offers mangrove safaris and the newly constructed Chinatown Pantjoran PIK, as well as multiple dining and entertainment options, among other attractions. As the name suggests, there is also a PIKI (800 hectares), with the reclaimed Golf Island and Riverwalk Island connecting the two areas.