Pojok NTB – Before leading West Nusa Tenggara, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal spent many years in the world of diplomacy. Having served as an Indonesian Ambassador, he was accustomed to bringing Indonesia into international forums and encounters. Now, as Governor of NTB, he finds himself on the other side: the world is coming to Lombok.
On 5–6 September 2026, Swedish Crown Princess Victoria is scheduled to visit Lombok. The visit is not merely an occasion to welcome an important figure from Europe. For the NTB Provincial Government, it is an opportunity to bring stories rooted in local communities into the global conversation.
Governor Iqbal’s experience as a diplomat has shaped his perspective in preparing for the visit. For him, an international visit should not stop at welcoming ceremonies or protocol-driven agendas. More importantly, it should be about the experiences taken home and the relationships that can grow after the meeting ends.
Therefore, Crown Princess Victoria will not only be introduced to the beauty of Lombok.
The NTB Provincial Government has prepared a number of activities that will allow Victoria to meet and engage directly with local communities—from women who lead community initiatives and Posyandu health volunteers, to indigenous communities protecting the environment, as well as MSME entrepreneurs and coastal communities.
“We want the Princess to see firsthand the conditions and daily lives of the people in the field,” Iqbal said during preparations for the visit with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This emphasis also reflects the direction of the visit. Lombok does not want to merely serve as the backdrop for an international agenda. NTB wants to offer an experience.
One of the areas receiving particular attention is Posyandu, Indonesia’s community-based health service. Behind services for mothers and children are thousands of volunteers, most of whom are women, who work directly with families and communities. For NTB, this is precisely the kind of work that deserves to be showcased to the world: development that comes alive in people’s everyday lives.
The visit will also highlight the relationship between local communities and the environment. Through communities and areas rooted in culture and nature, NTB aims to demonstrate that sustainability does not always begin with major policies. It can also grow from local knowledge and the ways communities protect and manage the spaces in which they live.
Victoria is coming to Indonesia not only as the Crown Princess of Sweden, but also in her capacity as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. This shared connection gives her visit to Lombok a broader significance.
The issues that NTB plans to highlight—women’s empowerment, public health, community empowerment, and the environment—are all part of the global conversation on sustainable development.
This is where the relationship between Sweden and Lombok finds a new context.
There may not be a long historical connection between the Swedish monarchy and the kingdoms that once existed in Lombok. Yet an encounter between two regions separated by great geographical distance can begin through shared concerns about the future.
Sweden comes through its Crown Princess. Lombok welcomes her with the stories of its people.
For Governor Iqbal, his diplomatic experience has taught him that relationships often grow from meaningful encounters. That is why he hopes the visit will not be overly packed with activities, allowing Crown Princess Victoria enough space to experience Lombok directly.
The hope is that when Victoria returns to Sweden, what remains will be more than documentation of activities and a list of official engagements.
There will be experiences. There will be encounters. And there will be stories about Lombok to take home.
It is at this point that the vision of “NTB Goes Global” (NTB Mendunia) finds its meaning.
NTB Goes Global is not simply about taking the region’s name abroad or bringing international figures to Lombok. More importantly, it is about building connections—creating opportunities for stories from local communities to find their place in the global conversation.
Once, as a diplomat, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal brought Indonesia into international forums. Now, as Governor of NTB, he has a different platform to do the same: bringing stories about the people of NTB to the world.
The visit of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria will be one of the important encounters in that journey.
The world is coming to Lombok. And NTB is preparing to ensure that the world will not only see its beauty, but also take home stories about the people who live there.
