Tanzania calls on African countries to be allowed to use their resources

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Doto Biteko has said that the diplomatic relationship between Tanzania and Oman, which has lasted for more than 44 years, is historic and has continued to be beneficial between the two countries.

Dr. Biteko said this today, February 28, 2025, at his office in Dar es Salaam when he met and held talks with the Omani Ambassador to the country, Hon. Saud Hilal Al Shidhani.

"Hon. Ambassador, we thank you for the way we cooperate and your presence in the country has continued to strengthen relations with your Government. We are happy to have this diplomatic relationship. We consider Oman as friends and Hon. President Samia loves cooperation between Tanzania and other countries, the principle that says if you want to go far, go with your colleagues is very important, said Dr. Biteko.

He continued to say that the presence of a large number of Tanzanians working in Oman is a reflection of the friendship and cooperation that exists between the two countries.

Dr. Biteko said that Tanzania will send a team of experts to the country to study gas issues. He also briefed Hon. Ambassador Al Shidhani on the Government's intention to hold the fifth auction of gas blocks through the 11th East African Petroleum Conference from March 5 - 7 this year, so the auction is an opportunity for companies from Oman to invest in the country. 

In addition, other opportunities arising from this partnership include developing scholarships for Tanzanian youth to study in Oman, especially in business, oil and gas.

"Our cooperation between the Ministry of Energy and the Government of Oman is inseparable from the entire chain from production to trade. We are on the right track and we believe that through this cooperation we will make further progress and leave a mark," said Dr. Biteko

Speaking about the agenda of using clean cooking energy, he said that African and developing countries should speak the same language on how to generate energy to help the 600 million people who lack energy in Africa by using existing resources, while giving the example of some countries that continued to use coal to generate electricity but did not allow African countries to do so. 

"In Africa, we do not pollute the air as much as developed countries and if there is technology they can provide, then it should be used to reduce air pollution, but the level of pollution is not the same among these countries so the conditions regarding reducing carbon emissions should not be the same for all. So we need to speak the same language and I have seen some countries in the Asian continent speak the same language in this," stressed Dr. Biteko. 

He also commended Omani companies doing business in Tanzania for continuing to operate effectively and welcomed them to invest in the gas sector as the country has a large amount of gas after moving to hydropower generation.

For his part, the Omani Ambassador to the country, Hon. Saud Hilal Al Shidhani, said that his country enjoys the existing relationship between it and Tanzania and is proud to have more than 30 percent of the 9 million people in the country speaking Swahili.

Ambassador Shidhani said that his country has a greater understanding of oil and gas issues and can therefore assist Tanzania by building the capacity of its experts, while Tanzania can also assist his country in mining issues as it has made more progress in that area.

"There are many areas where we can collaborate with Tanzania, for example, there is surplus electricity here and we have recently opened a hydrogen production facility and Tanzania is moving towards that, so if there are new opportunities we can collaborate closely," said Ambassador Shidhani.

He added that his country has prepared a special platform to provide scholarship opportunities for Tanzanians, and has also promised that his country will drill 20 water wells