Re-join our panel of experts for an analysis of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region.

We are very pleased to announce that this event will be kicked off with a keynote address by H.E Rashed Matar Sultan Alsiri Alqemzi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to New Zealand.

The Ambassador's address will be followed by a distinguished panel of experts drawing on academic, business and on-the-ground experience.

The panel will feature special guests Dr. Geoffrey Miller, Mahdi Ghuloom, and Ollie Law.

Reflecting the growing interest in this event, NZIIA Christchurch is co-hosting this event in collaboration with the New Zealand Middle East Business Council.

To RSVP for tickets both in-person and online, please register using the link on the right.

About the panellists:

H.E. Rashed Matar Sultan Alsiri Alqemzi is the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to New Zealand, bringing over two decades of diplomatic, protocol, and international engagement experience to his role. He holds a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Affairs from Zayed University (2012), a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing) from Al Ghurair University (2008), and a Diploma in Associate of Arts from Spokane Community College in the United States (2001). Ambassador Alqemzi joined the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation in 2009, serving in multiple senior leadership positions across protocol, foreign office management, and international representation. His career includes serving as Consul General of the UAE in Shanghai, Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Foreign Office - Dubai, and Head of Protocol & Conferences. Prior to joining the Ministry, he worked at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Throughout his diplomatic career, Ambassador Alqemzi has represented the UAE in numerous international conferences, high-level meetings, and multilateral engagements, contributing to the advancement of the UAE’s global partnerships and international cooperation.

Dr Geoffrey Miller is a New Zealand geopolitical analyst. In December 2025 he graduated from the University of Otago with his PhD in Politics for his thesis Unlocking the Middle East: New Zealand’s Relations with the Gulf States in the 21st Century. The thesis was placed on the University of Otago's list of Humanities Exceptional Doctoral Theses, placing it in the top 10 percent of all theses examined. Dr Miller has lived in Germany and the Middle East and is a long-time learner of Arabic.

Mahdi Ghuloom is a Junior Fellow for Geopolitics at ORF–Middle East, focusing on Gulf States’ economic competitiveness, political institutions, and diplomacy. He previously worked as a Regional Security Analyst at Le Beck International and as a researcher at the Bahrain Prime Minister’s Office and the Bahrain Economic Development Board. He is soon to graduate from an MSt in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford and holds an MSc in Policy Analytics (Exeter) and a BSc in Economics and Politics (Essex).

Ollie Law is Co-Founder and CTO of Fixinc and COPNZ, building next-generation resilience technology across Oceania and Southeast Asia. With nearly two decades bridging technical innovation and organizational needs, he's developing New Zealand's first Common Operating Platform—unifying emergency services data for real-time crisis response. Following his frontline experience during the Christchurch earthquakes and March 15 attacks, Ollie champions public-private collaboration to accelerate the resilience infrastructure New Zealand's communities urgently need.