How a Gulf Prince Charmed Jokowi and Poured Money Into Indonesia

Leaders of U.A.E. and Indonesia said to be like “brothers”
Sheikh Mohammed chairs committee for Indonesia’s new capital

Joko Widodo with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan duirng a state visit at the presidential palace in Bogor, July 2019.Photographer: Mast Irham/Pool Photo via AP Photo

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By Sylvia Westall and Philip Heijmans

March 31, 2020 at 9:00 PM UTC

Updated on

April 1, 2020 at 8:32 AM UTC

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During a visit last summer where he strolled through the tropical gardens next to Indonesia’s summer Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince offered to build a grand mosque for his host, Joko Widodo. If that seemed like a generous gesture, the two men struck a bigger bargain within months, appointing the de-facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates to chair the steering committee for a new $34 billion Indonesian capital city.