Saudi Kingdom donates 25 tonnes of dates to Tanzania ahead of Eid ul-Adha

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has received 25 tonnes of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reaffirming the long-standing diplomatic and historical ties between the two countries.

The handover ceremony took place on May 19, 2026,  at the sub-office of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation in Dar es Salaam, where the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ngwaru Maghembe, expressed gratitude on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the people of Tanzania for the continued annual support facilitated through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.

According to Mr Maghembe, the annual donation of dates symbolises the strong friendship and cooperation between Tanzania and Saudi Arabia, while strengthening humanitarian and diplomatic relations between the two nations.

The Deputy Minister also commended Saudi Arabia for its continued support in the health sector, particularly the recent successful separation surgery of Tanzanian conjoined twins, Nancy and Nice Anjelina Magore George, conducted at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh under the directives of the Saudi government.

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Moreover, he applauded the Kingdom for providing scholarships, capacity-building programmes and support for the Tanzania International Holy Quran Award (TIHQA), initiatives that continue to benefit Tanzanians in different sectors.

Speaking during the event, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Yahya Ahmed bin Okeish, thanked the Tanzanian government for its continued cooperation and warm bilateral relations with the Kingdom.

Ambassador bin Okeish revealed that a total of 80 tonnes of dates from Saudi Arabia have been distributed in Tanzania in 2026, including 25 tonnes allocated to  Tanzania  Mainland , 30 tonnes distributed during the Holy Month of Ramadan and another 25 tonnes designated for Zanzibar.