VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government expects Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Tsani's visit to Maumere, Sikka District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), to have a catalytic effect in increasing tourist visits to the province.

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"We welcome (the emir) to Maumere. This sojourn can drive tourist visits to our region, taking into account the fact that he is the Qatar king's son, " Head of the Provincial Secretariat Marius Ardu Jelamu said in Kupang on Saturday.

The Qatari emir landed in Maumere on Friday (June 7) with a group aboard two private jets and a cruise ship that had arrived in Maumere Bay on Thursday (June 6).

The former NTT tourism head could not as yet ascertain the length of their stay in Maumere and the objective behind the visit.

"However, it is beyond doubt that NTT will gain increasing popularity. In addition, several will wonder why the son of the King of Qatar is keen on visiting NTT," he emphasized.

He further added that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Tsani choosing to visit NTT, Indonesia, is testament to the fact that Indonesia was an increasingly tolerant nation.

The provincial government is upbeat that the Qatari emir's visit to NTT would draw more investors from Qatar to invest in the region, starting from the tourism, land, and air sectors.

"I believe NTT, especially Maumere, the location of his visit, will bear witness to several positive impacts," Jelamu noted.

Members of the entourage comprised Sultan Ghanim S. Alhodaifi Al-Kuwari, Abdulla Mohammed M.S. AL-Khulaifi, Abdulhadi Awajan H.F. Al-Hajri, Abdulhadi Khalil M.A. Al-Hajri, Ali Hamad SA, Al-Hajri, Jaralla Mihd TB Al-Nabet, Khalifa FA Kayed Al-Muhannadi, Mansour Faleh F Al-Hajri, Abdulla Mohammed SL Al-Khayarin, Aboobacker Siddique Pookkayil, Gocha Jibuti, Abdulla Jaber AA Al-Sulati, Mohammad Noor Abdulghafor, and Edward Estores. (ant)