Tanzania and Oman have strengthened their longstanding historical, cultural, economic and social ties through the media sector following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Oman Journalists Association (OJA), Tanzania Union of Journalists and Media Workers (JOWUTA) and Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF).
The agreement was signed during a joint media conference involving journalists from Tanzania and Oman in Dar es Salaam, with its implementation set to run for 12 months under a work plan designed to achieve the agreed objectives.
Speaking at the opening of the conference on October 1, 2026 Director of the Middle East Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Abdallah Abasi Kilima, said Tanzania and Oman had a long history of relations built through trade, culture and people-to-people ties. He said the Indian Ocean had not been a barrier between the two sides but had connected their people through trade, language, knowledge and culture.
Ambassador Kilima said journalists had an important role to play in documenting and explaining this shared history to the current generation, particularly young people who may have limited knowledge of the longstanding ties between Tanzania and Oman.
He commended JOWUTA and TEF for organising the conference, saying the implementation of the MoU would create opportunities for training, capacity building, professional exchange visits and experience sharing, as well as greater cooperation in tourism and sports.
JOWUTA chairman Mussa Juma Juma said the conference was an important step towards strengthening relations between Tanzania and Oman, adding that journalists had chosen to play a central role in advancing the longstanding ties between the two countries.
He said the cooperation would focus on media freedom, professional and technological knowledge sharing, tourism, trade and investment opportunities, as well as exchange programmes involving journalists from Tanzania and Oman.
Mr Juma said JOWUTA had brought journalists from the two countries together to discuss how the media could strengthen people-to-people relations.
He also invited Omani investors to explore opportunities in Tanzania’s media sector, including radio, television and newspapers.
TEF chairman Deodatus Balile said the Indian Ocean had long served as an important link between Tanzania and Oman, adding that cooperation between journalists from the two countries could help preserve and build on that shared history for present and future generations.
Mr Balile said the 12-month work plan should include exchange visits, joint news production and professional training, including the use of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in the media industry.
OJA chairman Dr Mohammed Mubarak Al-Araimi said relations between Oman and Tanzania had deep historical roots and extended beyond geographical boundaries.
He said Zanzibar was among the key areas that had served as a centre for interaction between Omani and African communities through trade, culture and social ties.
Dr Al-Araimi said the media had a responsibility to use this history as a foundation for strengthening present and future relations by connecting people, preserving historical records and creating new opportunities for cooperation in trade, culture, tourism and investment.
He also highlighted the history of the media in Zanzibar, saying newspapers had played a role in education, communication and the exchange of ideas. He cited historic publications including Al-Najah, Al-Falaq, Al-Nahda and Al-Murshid.
Omani Ambassador to Tanzania Saud Hilal Al Shidhani congratulated the organisers of the conference and said relations between Oman and Tanzania had a strong historical and cultural foundation.
He said the use of Kiswahili in Oman had helped facilitate communication and strengthen ties between the people of the two countries, alongside Arabic and English.
Ambassador Al Shidhani said cooperation in the media sector would help build capacity, exchange knowledge and strengthen professional journalism standards at a time when social media and technology were transforming the industry.
The conference brought together journalists, leaders and stakeholders from Tanzania and Oman to establish a framework for sustained cooperation through training, exchange visits, joint news production, tourism, trade and investment.
The conference concluded with JOWUTA, TEF and OJA signing the MoU, whose implementation will be guided by a 12-month work plan.