Jakarta, Feb. 23 -- The government is targeting an expansion of Indonesia's rice market through retail chains in Saudi Arabia following the success of its first export of Hajj rice, with potential demand coming from modern retail networks and the Indonesian Umrah pilgrim segment.

President Director of state-owned logistics firm Perum Bulog, Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, stated that market exploration in Saudi Arabia indicates strong interest in Indonesian rice, not only for Hajj purposes but also for commercial and Umrah markets.

"Indonesian rice has enormous market opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Besides fulfilling Hajj needs, we will continue with Umrah rice and retail," he said on Monday.

He noted that two Saudi Arabian modern retail chains,...