A UAE delegation, led by His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, today concluded a two-day visit to New Zealand that aimed to explore opportunities for further collaboration between the two countries in the environmental and business domains. In addition, the UAE delegates exchanged experiences and best practices in agriculture, livestock breeding, water resources conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation with their counterparts and stakeholders in New Zealand.
The delegates were accompanied by His Excellency Saleh Al Suwaidi, the UAE Ambassador to New Zealand, throughout the visit.
Speaking on the close ties between the UAE and New Zealand, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “The UAE is New Zealand’s main entry point into the Middle East – both for people and for goods. With four major airports, two leading international airlines and nine large seaports, no other country in the GCC region today can compete with the UAE’s sea, land and air logistics capabilities. Therefore, the UAE is New Zealand’s number one re-export market in the region and 10thlargest in the world.”
He noted that the value of trade between the two countries in 2017 amounted to AED7 billion, with dairy being the dominant commodity, followed by meat.
The UAE Embassy in New Zealand and the New Zealand Middle East Business Council hosted a business luncheon for the delegates that was attended by representatives of New Zealand businesses. The two sides discussed ways of boosting business synergies and trade volume between the two countries.
During the visit to the New Zealand capital, Wellington, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi met with his counterparts – David Parker, Environment Minister, and James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change. He also attended meetings with Megan Woods, Energy and Resources Minister, Fletcher Tabuteauand, Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary, Penny Hulse, Auckland City Councilor and Chair of the Environment and Community Committee, and Jackie Frizelle, Divisional Manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Furthermore, the delegates toured Auckland-based Fonterra, the world’s largest dairy exporter, Wellington’s ZEALANDIA ecosanctuary, and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). During a visit to Auckland University of Technology (AUT), His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi delivered a lecture outlining the UAE’s forward-looking vision for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the use of renewables.
The UAE delegation’s visit to New Zealand came on the heels of an official visit to Australia.