​His Excellency Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen  Al-Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, chaired the Saudi side in the Eighth Session of the Saudi-New Zealand Joint Committee Meetings. The meetings were held in Riyadh on 07 March 2022, while the New Zealand side was chaired by Honourable Damien O’Connor, the Minister of Trade and Export Growth, with the participation of relevant official delegations from both sides.

At the beginning of the meetings, the two sides commended the achievements since the Seventh Session of the Committee, held in Auckland on 10 August 2018, including; the approval of three New Zealand entities to provide halal certification services in New Zealand by the Saudi Halal Center,  a delegation of companies New Zealand to visit the Kingdom; to explore investment opportunities, collaboration between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and New Zealand companies; to deliver the first phase of the Saudi National Livestock Improvement Plan as well as to enhance bee productivity.

A number of recommendations were reached during the meetings of the current session, to be approved and adopted by both sides. These recommendations covered the fields of food security, halal sector, the quality of food and agriculture, and a number of other areas of cooperation, including: commercial, investment, diplomatic and judicial, as well as the field of energy, industry, mineral resources, education, training, work, and social development. 

At the conclusion of the meetings, the two sides agreed on a follow-up mechanism for the next session of the Joint Ministerial Committee, which included the need to ensure both countries' efforts were directed towards achievable shared goals. They also agreed to monitor the implementation of the recommendations and action points identified in these Minutes of the meetings through diplomatic channels.In addition, it was agreed to convene the Ninth Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission in New Zealand at a date to be agreed upon in due course through diplomatic channels.