It is heartening to see the UAE getting lots of praise from every corner of the world. The UAE, which is all set complete 50 years on Dec.2, has worked very hard to be where it is today. It is a very young nation. The leadership of the UAE has been working very hard for the country and its people. “FM of New Zealand all praise for UAE,” Nov.18, Gulf Today)

Today, the UAE has become a role model of growth, development and peaceful coexistence. People from 200 nationalities have chosen the UAE as their second home and they all have been living here peacefully. That’s why it is no surprise that New Zealand’s newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, choosed the UAE as one of the seven countries she wanted to visit. The other countries are Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Qatar, the US and Canada.

“As an indigenous woman, I’m committed to the future of my country, I take on the values of myself and many other women — I want a bigger New Zealand (in terms of inclusiveness), which is going to be good for my children and their children. I want New Zealand to be a better place,” she explained. As we know, the UAE is New Zealand’s 12th largest trading partner globally.

The bilateral trade between the two countries from September 2020 to September 2021 stood at US$2.04 billion, a year-on-year increase of 24 per cent, according to the New Zealand Embassy in the UAE. It is matter of great pride for all us that in such a short span of time the UAE has become a world-class destination.

Manoj Jha — By email