A ministerial meeting in Amman last week barely registered outside Jordan’s own newswires. An Indonesian government delegation sat down with Jordan’s Minister of Social Development to compare notes on how each country supports people with disabilities. On its own, it looks like a courtesy visit. Set against Indonesia’s fast-growing ties with the wider Middle East and North Africa, it raises a bigger question: could disability policy become a real tool in how Indonesia and the region build closer relations with each other? Indonesia’s relationship with the Middle East used to run mainly through two channels: buying oil and gas, and sending pilgrims to Mecca. That is changing. Trade between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates has grown to $5.1 billion [...]
