UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

New Zealand and UAE business ties

New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a strong relationship, evidenced by New Zealand's early support of Expo 2020 Dubai and a long history of trade and bilateral cooperation.

The UAE is New Zealand's tenth largest trading partner, with two-way trade worth nearly $4 billion. New Zealand is a natural partner for the UAE in the food and beverage and agritech sectors in particular, offering both a trusted source of premium-quality food and technical expertise to help the UAE manage its water and food security challenges.

NZTE’s office in Dubai supports New Zealand’s commercial relationships in the UAE, Qatar and the Levant countries.

Meet our

Trade Commissioner

Kevin McKenna

Dubai

Based in Dubai, Kevin McKenna serves as New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul-General to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and as Trade Commissioner to Qatar. He is responsible for NZTE's activities across the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

Kevin previously served as New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul General in Mumbai, India. Before joining NZTE, he was Executive General Manager for the Transfield Services group of companies in the Middle East, India and Asia regions, based in Abu Dhabi.

Kevin has held several directorships of Middle Eastern companies, including Transfield-Emdad Services and Intergulf Contracting in the UAE, and Transfield-Mannai FMS in Qatar. Kevin is a former Wing Commander in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

He holds a Master of Arts (Honours) degree from Massey University, a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Otago and a Diploma in Business from Massey University.