Page 265 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (Part 1)

New Zealand’s Trade Deal With the UAE Could Be the Start of Something Much Bigger

The deal will go down as one of Wellington’s fastest trade negotiations ever – and a
breakthrough for New Zealand’s relations with the Middle East.

By Geoffrey Miller

September 26, 202

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay (second from left) poses with UAE Minister of
State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (second from right) after concluding
negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Wellington, New
Zealand, Sep. 25, 2024.

Credit: X/ Todd McClay

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New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are moving closer together – at record

pace. Just a year after agreeing to enter initial talks, Wellington and Abu Dhabi
have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (or
CEPA for short).

The deal will go down as one of New Zealand’s fastest trade negotiations. It is arguably the
biggest breakthrough for New Zealand’s relations with the Middle East since negotiations
began in 2006 on a wider free trade agreement (FTA) with the six-country Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC).

The CEPA is not a substitute for the wider deal with the GCC – which in addition to the UAE
also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. But the new bilateral
arrangement with the UAE will still be incredibly valuable. After all, the UAE is already New

https://thediplomat.com/2024/09/new-zealands-trade-deal-with-the-uae-could-be-the-
start-of-something-much-bigger/