Dar es Salaam. The Saudi Arabian ambassador to Tanzania has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Tanzania across economic, investment, development and cultural sectors.
Speaking at celebrations to mark the 45th Saudi National Day in Dar es Salaam at the weekend, Mr Yahya Ahmed Okeish said the bilateral partnership between the two countries continues to grow in line with the aspirations of both nations.
“I am confident that the coming phase will witness remarkable leaps in our bilateral relations under the wise leadership of both our nations,” he said.
This year’s anniversary was marked under the theme “Our Pride is in Our Nature.”
The event was attended by several ambassadors and senior government officials, including Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, who was the chief guest.
As part of strengthening people-to-people ties, the envoy highlighted a range of community engagement initiatives undertaken by the Saudi Embassy this year.
These included a Mbezi Beach cleanup campaign, an open day for orphanage students and other social programmes.
Mr Okeish further disclosed that a Saudi team from the Supporting Energy Solutions for Food Security initiative visited Dar es Salaam last month to prepare for the launch of a tailored programme for Tanzania.
The initiative aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s food security drive.
On the humanitarian and development front, Saudi Arabia has continued to extend support through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
Notably, its annual medical missions have provided life-saving surgeries in Tanzania, including open-heart operations for children and a continuing mission in Zanzibar.
The ambassador also underscored the enduring nature of Saudi–Tanzania relations, noting that trade exceeded $1.4 billion in 2023.
This year, the two countries hosted business forums in Riyadh and Dar es Salaam, which culminated in the establishment of a Joint Business Council to advance trade and investment.
In his remarks, the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Prof Kitila Mkumbo, expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s support across key sectors.
He noted, for instance, that the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) has conducted over 500 surgeries since 2019 with the assistance of Saudi medical experts.
He also cited trade figures showing Tanzania exported goods worth over Tsh 32 billion to Saudi Arabia in 2024, while imports from the Kingdom amounted to Sh1.4 trillion.
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