New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates will begin negotiations over a free trade agreement, the Pacific nation's trade minister said on Monday.
Todd McClay
New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates will begin negotiations over a free trade agreement, the Pacific nation's trade minister said on Monday.
Trade Minister Todd McClay met his UAE counterpart in Dubai to announce the start of talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday.
"The UAE is an important bilateral partner for New Zealand, and today’s launch of negotiations is an exciting step towards growing our significant trade and economic relationship," he said.
The UAE is New Zealand's largest trade partner in the Middle East and exports hit NZ$1.02 billion ($613 million) in the year to September 2023, up 17% from the year before, according to New Zealand foreign ministry data.
New Zealand is also in talks for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional body of six whose members include the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
McClay said he discussed the talks on his visit to Saudi Arabia last week.
A free trade deal with the European Union came into effect on May 1 after New Zealand ratified the deal in March.
($1 = 1.6633 New Zealand dollars)
Reporting by Lewis Jackson
Air traffic at Yemen's Aden international airport was halted on Thursday as tensions persisted between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two Gulf powers whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
Ras Al Khaimah welcomed 2026 with an impressive 15-minute New Year’s Eve show combining drones and fireworks, earning a new Guinness World Records title for the largest aerial phoenix formed by multirotor drones.
The United Arab Emirates has pursued an assertive foreign policy and carved its own sphere of influence across the Middle East and Africa, a strategy in the spotlight after a rare military escalation with Saudi Arabia in Yemen this week.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.