The Ninth Session of the Saudi-New Zealand Joint Committee Concludes Its Work in Auckland and Praises the Development of Trade Relations Between the Two Countries
His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, headed the Saudi side in the meetings of the ninth session of the Saudi-New Zealand Joint Committee, which concluded its work today in Auckland. The New Zealand side was headed by His Excellency the Minister of Trade and Investment, Todd McClay, with the participation and presence of the official delegations from both countries.

Both sides praised the development of trade relations between the two countries and the achievements made since the eighth session of the committee, which was held in Riyadh on March 6–7, 2022. Discussions included the progress of implementing the Free Trade Agreement signed between New Zealand and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as well as the outcomes of the visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters to Riyadh in February 2025. They also addressed ways to enhance trade cooperation, support investments, and boost opportunities in food security, agricultural technology, environment, industry, and energy.
The two sides agreed to activate work mechanisms that achieve the objectives of the General Agreement on Economic and Cultural Cooperation between the Kingdom and New Zealand, facilitate and improve trade and bilateral relations in all fields, exchange expertise, and enhance the commercial and investment environment through intensified meetings and trade visits. They also agreed to increase trade volume, economic cooperation, and investments, strengthen communication between private sector entities, and expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the two friendly countries.
During the visit, the Minister of Environment and the accompanying delegation toured the Harbour Cruise port, Fonterra dairy 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 incubates food industry companies, to learn about New Zealand's latest innovations in food security.
It is worth noting that the trade volume between the Kingdom and New Zealand reached $881 million in 2023, marking a 25% growth since 2019.
Source: www.mewa.gov.sa/ar