Business Traveller (Middle East)
NEW ZEALAND
The GCC is New Zealand’s fifthlargest trading partner, and in the last 12 months, New Zealand exports to Gulf countries – particularly the UAE and Saudi – have grown across the board despite the pandemic, totalling NZ$2.2 billion (US$1.51 billion). The UAE is New Zealand’s 10th largest trade partner, connected by direct flights to Auckland with Emirates Airline, so the Antipodean country is keen to build on this position of strength at Expo 2020 Dubai. Tapping into one of Expo’s subthemes, Mobility, New Zealand’s pavilion theme, ‘Care for People and Place’, is based on the Māori ethos ’kaitiakitanga’ – the idea that all living things are innately connected.
“The pavilion showcases to the world how we, as a nation, innovate because of this connection and responsibility we have to the natural world,” explains Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Through our participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, we aim to share this ethos by forging new fruitful relationships with businesses, consumers and governments, as well as deepening our current connections.”
Visitors can experience New Zealand’s ingenuity in food and beverage production, agritech, technology, aerospace and healthcare, to name a few. This story is brought to life through an immersive experience that takes visitors on a journey of Aotearoa New Zealand, exploring the impact humans have on the world.
Kimpton says there are “growing opportunities for New Zealand businesses in the Middle East” and Expo will help them to make new connections, as well as facilitate “inward investments into New Zealand”. “While our borders are closed at the moment, New Zealand is very much open for business and Expo offers a platform for our exporters to engage with their key international contacts – to see the world in one place,” he says.
“Throughout Expo we will be working to build on our international reputation and shift perception of New Zealand beyond just natural beauty, to showcasing our people as innovative and knowledge-led, who consider problems with a fresh perspective and find solutions others haven’t imagined.”
Highlights:
■ The Expo Business Leverage Programme helps New Zealand exporters tap into Middle East markets, with a focus on F&B, agritech and healthcare sectors.
The pavilion hosts dedicated venues for these exporters to meet with potential clients.
■ The full-service restaurant ‘Tiaki’ (meaning to care and protect).
■ Te Aratini, a Festival of Indigenous and Tribal Ideas, during Tolerance and Inclusivity Week at Expo 2020 Dubai (November 17-19).
■ Taste New Zealand month ( January) featuring renowned chefs.