But it was all too brief.
Needing 47 runs off 36 balls with five wickets in hand they were a chance. Debutant Aryansh Sharma was leading the charge on 60 from 41 balls and there was certainly a sniff of an upset for the UAE - and with three other players on debut possibly their greatest win ever on the cards for the 16th ranked team in the world.
But it didn’t last long as the experienced players in the Black Caps side ensured they didn’t start the back half of the year with a black mark.
The hosts lost their last five wickets for 21 runs to fall 19 runs short of victory as Black Caps skipper Tim Southee finished with 5-25, his second five wicket bag in the format.
Southee and James Neesham combined have played more T20 internationals than the entire UAE starting XI and the cooler heads showed in the 35 degree heat.
In front of a sparse crowd at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, New Zealand made 155 for six in a mixed innings that didn’t get off to the best start. Opener Chad Bowes was dismissed first ball of the series when he edged the opening delivery from Junaid Siddique.
Fellow opener Tim Seifert top scored for the Black Caps reaching his eighth T20 fifty, making 55 from 34 balls, but the rest of the top order failed to achieve one boundary between them as New Zealand slipped to 85 for five in the 13th over.
They needed some late hitting from James Neesham (25 from 22), Cole McConchie (31 from 24) and Rachin Ravindra (21 from 11) to get beyond 150.
Chasing 157 for victory, the UAE also lost a wicket first ball with Southee trapping Muhammad Waseem LBW. Wicketkeeper Sharma gave the UAE hope of a rare win over the T20 World Cup semifinalists but when Neesham removed him the chase fell apart.
The experience of Neesham (2-15) and Mitchell Santner (2-22) showed while Kyle Jamieson (1020 from 2.4 overs) took the final wicket in his return to international cricket.
Southee’s five wicket bag was his first since 2010 while UAE were the 14th different T20 opponent he has faced in his career.
"It was a good game of cricket. We came to expect that. They are a growing side and they showed it tonight." Southee said.
"Number of guys have been playing cricket in different parts of the world. We had a couple of days of training and we had to adapt. When you travel, you get used to different conditions. They (UAE) are a quality side, they are improving. Youngsters playing with that sort of freedom - it is exciting."
The second match takes place 2am Sunday.
