Desert Diplomats Draw Closer

The New Zealand Embassy in Riyadh recently played host to a special meeting of 100 trade and investment leaders from the Saudi Arabian business community including New Zealand businessmen who live in the Kingdom. New Zealand Ambassador Rodney Harris said: “New Zealand and Saudi Arabia are drawing ever closer together through mutual interests and this is shown in the expansion of diplomatic relations and the establishment of the Saudi Consulate General in Auckland.” Harris said cooperation between the two countries was obvious when considering just two industries, dairy and education. The dairy industry boasts the largest single New Zealand investment in Saudi Arabia, the Fonterra processing plant in Dammam, valued at approximately $25 million.