Fair brings Indonesian experience comes to Oman

Muscat: Hundreds of people attended the two days Indonesian INAFair 2016 on the Rooftop Garden of Muscat Grand Mall, which concluded this weekend.
During the event, visitors enjoyed a wide variety of Indonesian cultural performances, ranging from the Saman Dance found in the country’s westernmost province, to the Poco-Poco Dance, which originated in the eastern region of the country.
A special ensemble of Gamelan (Indonesian traditional instruments) was also performed at the opening by students from British School Muscat.
The event also provided a glimpse into the art of Indonesian batik and woven clothes, during a series of fashion shows.
Guests who came to the festival were able to taste authentic Indonesian cuisine, such as satay, fried rice and rendang, while browsing through a vast choice of products on sale, such as oud, clothes, jewelry and handicrafts. Moreover, businessmen who came seeking opportunities, met potential partners.
Indonesia considers Oman to be one of the most important countries in the region.
The trade between the two countries reached $355 million last year, and the two sides are continuously exploring various means to increase this figure.
In addition, the number of visitors from Oman to Indonesia has been increasing rapidly in the last two years. In fact, Omanis are now the second largest number of visitors to Indonesia among GCC countries, behind only Saudi Arabia. The first INAFair in Oman was held last year.
The event was begun to bring a complete picture of Indonesia to Oman, and eventually to increase relations between the two countries. Considering the positive outcome, the Embassy of Indonesia in Muscat has committed itself to make this an annual event which will grow in scope in the years to come.