Zespri will work to grow its sales and marketing operations in the Middle East and other developing markets from a new office in Dubai.
Speaking at an official opening ceremony earlier this week, Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said New Zealand’s single-desk kiwifruit marketer was focused on increasing its presence across the Middle East, India and Africa, with the new office to support this development.
“More consumers in the UAE and these regions are enjoying the great taste of premium quality, healthy Zespri kiwifruit, with sales set to increase by more than 50 per cent over the next five years to over 4m trays of New Zealand fruit and over 2m trays of global supply (Northern Hemisphere) fruit,” Jager explained.
“Zespri’s gold variety SunGold has proved particularly popular with consumers in the Middle East. Our team in-market is working hard to expand distribution across the region to introduce more consumers to our premium quality fruit and get more of them to buy Zespri kiwifruit each week.”
As part of the opening ceremony, a Maori cultural delegation, led by Kaumatua Kihi Ngatai, blessed the new office, installing a traditional Maori whakairo (carving). The carving is named Te Hau Marama, which translates to the wind of understanding, and embraces traditional architecture of the Middle East region, which takes advantage of desert winds to keep a comfortable breeze for its inhabitants.
