Abu Dhabi Ship Building Signs MoU with PT PAL Indonesia

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Signs MoU with PT PAL Indonesia
TT

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Signs MoU with PT PAL Indonesia

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Signs MoU with PT PAL Indonesia

Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PT PAL Indonesia to strengthen cooperation and to leverage the capabilities of both partners to build a range of interceptors, landing craft, and rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) for Indonesia’s naval and coast guard requirements.

The deal was signed by Maktoom Al Shehhi, Director of MRO at ADSB; and Dr. Kaharuddin Djenod, CEO of PT PAL Indonesia, on the second day of the Indo Defense Expo & Forum 2022, held at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta, Indonesia, until 5th November.

Commenting on the deal, CEO of ADSB David Massey said: “Our cooperation with PT PAL clearly strengthens our investment in Indonesia and the global export success of our world-class vessels."

“We are very pleased to be working with PT PAL, and we look forward to jointly pursuing opportunities that will help to achieve our respective business and national objectives.”

For his part, Dr. Kaharuddin Djenod, CEO of PT PAL Indonesia, said: “We are pleased to sign this MoU with Abu Dhabi Ship Building, which will support our objective of strengthening the Indonesian naval and defence industry. This collaboration will strengthen PT PAL's role in mastering naval technology in Indonesia."



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
TT

China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.