The 9th Session of the Saudi-New Zealand Joint Committee Concludes in Auckland, Praising the Growth of Trade Relations

His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, led the Saudi delegation at the 9th session of the Saudi-New Zealand Joint Committee, which concluded its meetings today in Auckland. The New Zealand side was headed by H.E. Minister of Trade and Investment Todd McClay, with the participation of official delegates from both countries.

Both sides praised the progress in trade relations and the achievements made since the 8th session of the committee, held in Riyadh on March 6–7, 2022. Discussions included the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement signed between New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as the outcomes of the visit of H.E. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Riyadh in February 2025. Talks also focused on enhancing trade cooperation, supporting investments, and strengthening opportunities in food security, agricultural technology, environment, industry, and energy.

The two sides agreed to activate work mechanisms to fulfill the objectives of the General Agreement on Economic and Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. This includes facilitating and improving bilateral trade and relations across all fields, exchanging expertise, enhancing the trade and investment environment through increased business meetings and visits, boosting trade exchange and economic cooperation, increasing investments, and strengthening communication between the private sectors. They also agreed to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

During the visit, the Minister of Environment and the accompanying delegation toured several sites, including Harbour Cruise Port, the Fonterra dairy products factory, Karaka horse farm, and the University of Auckland to explore scientific research related to food, energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and space technologies. The tour also included the Foodbowl area, which hosts food industry businesses, to learn about New Zealand’s latest innovations in food security.

It is worth noting that the trade exchange volume between the Kingdom and New Zealand reached $881 million in 2023, marking a 25% growth since 2019.