McCully appoints Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today named career diplomat Hamish MacMaster as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

“New Zealand has a strong bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia. It is our most significant market in the Middle East with over 4000 Saudi students coming to New Zealand each year,” Mr McCully says.

Mr MacMaster will work with both Saudi Arabia and the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to implement New Zealand’s recently launched strategy for the region.

“New Zealand’s relationships in the Gulf have advanced significantly over the last decade, with strong growth in political and economic areas including food security, education and investment,” Mr McCully says.

Mr MacMaster, who has previously served in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran, will be cross-credited to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.