UAE–Muhammadiyah flood relief and the arrogance of power in Jakarta

In late December, a shipment of 30 tons of rice from the United Arab Emirates arrived in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, intended for communities devastated by severe flooding. Medan, one of the worst-affected cities, was grappling with prolonged rainfall, displacement, and disruptions to food distribution. Yet the aid did not immediately reach those in need. Instead, it was briefly rejected—an episode that revealed not only the arrogance of power in Jakarta, but also the growing civil society cooperation in Indonesia–Middle East relations.

Initial reports described the rice as assistance from the UAE government. Acting on that assumption, local authorities decided to return the shipment, arguing that there was no formal mechanism for receiving foreign state aid. The decision was justified as regulatory compliance, even as floodwaters lingered and humanitarian needs remained acute.

Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s leadership has increasingly emphasised sovereignty and self-reliance as markers of authority. In crisis situations, that posture can harden into rigidity—where accepting humanitarian assistance is treated as a potential political liability rather than a moral imperative. As the recent floods have shown, such a mindset can delay critical aid even when foreign partners are ready to deliver support.

The deadlock was resolved only after Indonesia’s Minister of Home Affairs clarified that the rice did not come from the UAE state, but from the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent, a humanitarian NGO. Once the aid was correctly understood as civil society assistance, it was handed over to Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s largest Islamic civil society organisation and a veteran actor in disaster response.

Muhammadiyah acted immediately, guided by its principle of “talking less and doing more.” Using its nationwide network of volunteers, mosques, clinics, and regional branches, it distributed the rice across North Sumatra and Aceh, allocating five tons to Aceh alone.

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As I highlighted in a previous op-ed on the recent Sumatra floods, many Middle Eastern countries—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iran, and the UAE—offered rapid humanitarian assistance, yet Jakarta declined, citing sovereignty and procedural concerns. This episode underscores the growing importance of civil society–to–civil society (CSO–CSO) cooperation. Partnerships like that between the UAE Red Crescent and Muhammadiyah ensured that aid reached communities efficiently, bridging the gap between goodwill and delivery.

These networks are deeply rooted. For decades, connections between Indonesia and the Middle East have been sustained by religious charities, educational exchanges, philanthropic networks, and social organisations. Shared Islamic ethics of charity, pilgrimage and scholarly networks, and traditions of mutual assistance have created durable channels of solidarity. The UAE Red Crescent’s engagement in Indonesia sits squarely within this tradition.

Jakarta’s refusal revealed how fragile these networks can be when political calculation intervenes. By treating aid as a test of sovereignty rather than an opportunity to save lives, authorities obstructed a channel that was already functional, legitimate, and ready to operate. This illustrates Prabowo’s centralised, hierarchical leadership style, which equates control with strength and interprets external assistance as a challenge to authority.

Civil society actors, in contrast, operated with pragmatism rather than ego. The UAE Red Crescent did not seek visibility; Muhammadiyah did not wait for political approval. Their cooperation was horizontal, values-based, and outcome-oriented—focused on delivering food rather than managing national image.

As climate-related disasters become more frequent, CSO–CSO cooperation with Middle Eastern partners will grow in importance. Organisations like Muhammadiyah often respond faster than state institutions, mobilising local trust and international solidarity simultaneously. When governments hesitate, civil society fills the gap.

The UAE–Muhammadiyah flood relief effort underscores both the resilience of people-to-people and organisation-to-organisation ties linking Indonesia and the Middle East, as well as the costs of political pride. In an era of converging crises, true strength is demonstrated not by refusing help, but by having the humility to allow partners to deliver aid based on shared values.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.