Indonesia, Qatar deepen defense industry ties through joint venture
Baku, June 3, AZERTAC
Domestic defense company Republikorp is expanding Indonesia’s defense industry partnership with Qatar’s Barzan Holdings through a joint venture to develop weapons systems ranging from firearms to mini submarines, according to Antara.
The partnership was formalized Tuesday when Republikorp founder Norman Joesoef signed a strategic joint venture agreement with Barzan Holdings Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Alsadah.
Under the agreement, Republikorp and Barzan Holdings will develop industrial and production capabilities across defense sectors, including firearms, unmanned surface vessels, mini submarines, and advanced defense technologies.
The signing took place alongside talks between Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Qatar’s Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdurrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani in Jakarta.
The joint venture expands earlier cooperation established between Republikorp and Barzan Holdings.
The agreement provides the foundation for establishing Republik Barzan, an entity designed to strengthen defense industry collaboration between Indonesia and Qatar. Republikorp said the partnership could help accelerate the development and competitiveness of Indonesia’s domestic defense industry. Earlier, Sjafrie and Sheikh Saoud signed a statement of intent on broader defense cooperation during their meeting at the Defense Ministry.
“This signing follows up on the letter of intent signed in 2021,” Defense Ministry Information Bureau chief Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait told reporters. Rico added that both sides also signed a memorandum of understanding covering defense industry development cooperation.
According to Rico, the agreement benefits Indonesia by expanding opportunities for joint military exercises, personnel exchanges, and military education cooperation with Qatar.
Such programs could improve military capabilities through greater technical knowledge transfer and operational cooperation. The agreement is also expected to deepen broader bilateral relations between Indonesia and Qatar.
“This is a concrete step toward stronger, more structured, mutually beneficial defense relations,” Rico said.
Regarding defense manufacturing cooperation, Rico said the specific cooperation model has yet to be finalized. As a result, authorities cannot yet confirm whether cooperation will involve joint weapons development, procurement arrangements, or other defense projects.
“The cooperation remains broad for now, but defense industry collaboration will move forward,” he said.
Rico said the partnership is expected to strengthen Indonesia’s defense sector while improving relations with regional partners.
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