After Hotel Sultan Controversy, Prabowo Orders GBK Revamp into Global Icon

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com—Following recent controversy related to Hotel Sultan, President Prabowo Subianto summoned Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) as well as Head of the Danantara Investment Authority Rosan Roeslani, along with several ministers of the Merah Putih Cabinet, to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The meeting discussed the direction of national tourism development, including plans to transform the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) area into a new internationally standardized icon.

Rosan said President Prabowo has directed that the development of the GBK area be carried out in a comprehensive and integrated manner, so that it can become a new center of economic growth in Jakarta.

He noted that the restructuring would not only include the revitalization of Hotel Sultan, which had previously drawn public attention, but also the entire GBK complex covering approximately 200 hectares.

“The plan is to make it a new icon of Indonesia. It will be comprehensively redesigned, not only in the GBK area, but the entire complex will be redesigned, from the golf course to the GBK area, which is about 200 hectares,” he said in Jakarta.

Rosan explained that in the future, the management of the GBK area could involve several state-owned entities such as InJourney and Meru, once administrative processes coordinated by the Ministry of State Secretariat are completed.

However, he stressed that the development concept is still being refined. He added that hotel facilities will remain part of the area, but will be developed in a more integrated manner.

“There will definitely be hotels as part of it, not just one. But the President’s message is to make this a new icon for Indonesia, so the planning must be comprehensive and provide real economic impact for the country and its people,” he said.

According to Rosan, all facilities within the GBK complex will be upgraded to meet international or world-class standards, turning the area into a new economic hub in Jakarta.

“GBK will still be GBK, but everything will be upgraded to international standards, so it can become a new economic center in Jakarta,” he said.

He added that the GBK development is part of the government’s strategy to strengthen the national tourism sector as a new source of economic growth. The government, he said, will map out and prioritize tourism destinations with strong potential for integrated development, covering both mass-market and high-end segments.

“So we can cover all layers of tourism, from mass market to high-end or experience-based tourism,” he said.