UAE presence strengthens

New Zealand will open an embassy in Abu Dhabi, its first in the UAE and second in the Gulf region, where it is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully said: “The UAE and New Zealand share a diverse and growing bilateral relationship, and our commercial presence in the UAE is also developing strongly.” According to the Minister, the UAE embassy will “provide a step forward” for New Zealand’s diplomatic presence in the Middle East, facilitating trade in the region. The Abu Dhabi embassy is scheduled to open in January 211.