Pacific, Māori and New Zealand businesses are being encouraged to explore investment and trade opportunities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Dubai identified as a potential gateway to international markets.

The opportunity was highlighted at a business gathering in Wellington last month, where UAE Ambassador to New Zealand Rashed Matar Alqemzi met Pacific business leaders and entrepreneurs to discuss trade, investment and closer economic engagement.

The event, Connecting the Pacific and the UAE: Doing Business in Dubai, was co-hosted by Inailau Pacific Businesswomen’s Network and The Pacific Business Hub at Te Iho in Wellington on 21 October.

It marked the first time Ambassador Alqemzi had addressed the Pacific community in New Zealand directly.

In his keynote address, Ambassador Alqemzi highlighted the New Zealand-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force on 28 August 2025 and includes a dedicated chapter on Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation.

“The UAE, particularly Dubai, offers New Zealand businesses, including Pacific and Māori enterprises, a gateway to global markets,” he said.

He encouraged Pacific businesses to explore opportunities in technology, renewable energy, education and healthcare.

Ambassador Alqemzi also highlighted shared cultural values between the UAE and Pacific communities, including family, respect for elders, hospitality and strong community ties.

He said the UAE, which has joined the Pacific Islands Forum as a Strategic Partner, looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Pacific countries.

Samoan business strategist and Inailau Pacific Business Women’s Network founder Afamasaga Jackie Curry told the gathering that Pacific businesses had opportunities to establish themselves in the UAE market.

Curry said her first visit to Dubai in December 2023 had led to two years of building business relationships across the UAE.

“Nine out of 10 people I meet in Dubai have never met a Samoan, or any Pacific person, before,” she said.

“New Zealand products and services carry a high perceived value in the UAE, and people are fascinated by our Pacific and Māori cultures.”

She identified digital technology, health and wellness, premium packaged food, construction and engineering consultancy, fashion, creative industries, hospitality and real estate as sectors with potential for Pacific and Māori businesses.

Curry said there was also room in Dubai’s retail market for more New Zealand, Māori and Pacific products.

“Walk through the supermarkets in Dubai, and apart from our meat, our produce and Whittaker’s chocolate, you will not find many New Zealand products on the shelves. There is real space for authentically Kiwi, Māori and Pasifika premium products in this market,” she said.

She stressed that building business relationships was essential for companies seeking to enter international markets.

“Networking is not a nice extra. It is the work. Relationships come before transactions,” she said.

“Going global does not mean leaving our culture behind. Family, service, respect, hospitality. These are not things we hide in international business. They are what we bring.”

The Pacific Business Hub founder and chief executive Salā Laura Keil-Hall said the event was organised to give Pacific businesses direct access to information, contacts and potential international partners.

“Our Pacific businesses have the talent, ambition, products and services to compete internationally. But entering new markets isn’t just about having something to offer. It’s about having access to the right information, people and relationships,” she said.

She said trade agreements could open markets, but Pacific businesses also needed practical support to take advantage of those opportunities.

During the event, Ms Curry announced the establishment of Moana International Consultancy, which will provide business facilitation, market-entry support and business immersion programmes for Pacific, Māori and New Zealand companies and investors seeking opportunities in the UAE.

“For two years, I navigated this market on my own. Now I want to help our businesses fast track their way into Dubai and UAE,” she said.

The consultancy’s first Dubai Business Immersion Trip is scheduled for early April 2027.

The two organising groups are also planning a follow-up event in Auckland in March 2027 to continue discussions on trade and investment opportunities between the Pacific and UAE.

The Wellington gathering was supported by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, with corporate sponsors FutureZone and Chas Everitt Dubai…. PACNEWS