Tanzania and Oman are set to deepen cooperation between their media sectors, with journalists from the two countries expected to explore how reporting can help expand trade, investment and tourism links.
The Oman Journalists Association (OJA), in partnership with the Tanzania Union of Media Workers (JOWUTA) and the Tanzania Editors’ Forum (TEF), will hold a joint media forum in Dar es Salaam on October 1, 2026.
The meeting is expected to bring together about 40 journalists from Oman alongside their Tanzanian counterparts to discuss media cooperation and opportunities in investment, trade, tourism and the wider economy.
OJA chairman Dr Mohammed Mubarak Al-Araimi said the forum would provide an opportunity for journalists to strengthen professional ties while contributing to the longstanding historical, economic and cultural relationship between Tanzania and Oman.
Dr Al-Araimi, who is visiting Tanzania for the first time, said the engagement should go beyond professional networking to create stronger links between the two countries.
“This forum is not only about bringing journalists together, but also about creating a bridge to strengthen the historical, economic and cultural ties between Oman and Tanzania,” he said.
JOWUTA Secretary General Suleiman Msuya said the partnership with OJA dates back to 2022, when the two organisations began engaging on the sidelines of the 31st World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
He said the planned meeting would be the first such OJA forum in East Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region after the association previously held a similar event in Egypt.
The forum will feature eight main discussions, with four topics presented by Tanzanian participants and four by their Omani counterparts.
The discussions will cover the media sector, economic and trade cooperation, investment and tourism.
Mr Msuya said the media could play a bigger role in connecting businesses and investors from the two countries by providing reliable information on opportunities available in each market.
He said journalists should not limit their contribution to reporting government meetings and official events, but should also provide information that enables businesses and the public to understand opportunities and challenges in different sectors.
“The media has a role not only in reporting news, but also in building sectoral relationships and highlighting opportunities in investment, trade and tourism,” he said.
He said the partnership could also help Tanzanian businesses seeking opportunities in Oman while making it easier for Omani investors to understand Tanzania's investment environment.
The forum is also expected to result in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between JOWUTA and OJA.
According to Mr Msuya, the agreement will provide a framework for journalist exchanges, professional training and sharing of experience between media practitioners from the two countries.
TEF chairman Deodatus Balile said the partnership would strengthen media diplomacy and provide a platform for greater coverage of the historical and cultural links between Tanzania and Oman.
He said journalists could use the platform to highlight investment, trade and tourism opportunities in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar to Omani audiences and other Arab markets.
Mr Balile said the proposed MoU would also support professional development through training and experience-sharing programmes.
He urged Tanzanian journalists to use the cooperation to produce more informative reporting on the relationship between the two countries and the opportunities it presents.
Mr Msuya called on media organisations to give the forum adequate coverage, saying stronger recognition of the media's role could contribute to efforts to expand Tanzania's economic and diplomatic engagement with Oman.
He said the involvement of senior government leaders, including the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and ministers responsible for relevant sectors, would also help highlight the role of the media in promoting trade, investment and development ties.