Unguja. For the first time, an international fuel tanker from Saudi Arabia has offloaded petrol, diesel and aviation fuel at the Mangapwani Integrated Port in Zanzibar.
Speaking after receiving the vessel on May 31, 2026, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals, Joseph Kilangi, said the direct delivery demonstrates the continued strengthening of fuel storage and supply infrastructure in Zanzibar.
He said the development reflects the Eighth Phase Government’s commitment to transforming Mangapwani into an integrated port capable of handling petroleum products and other strategic cargo.
“Zanzibar experienced fuel shortages for a prolonged period, although not on a large scale, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving Israel, Iran and the United States. Previously, we relied on a single fuel supplier based in Tanga,” he said.
Mr Kilangi said the contract with the previous supplier had expired, prompting the government to enter into an agreement with One Petroleum (OP), which has now delivered its own vessel carrying the largest volume of fuel ever received directly in Zanzibar.
He said the 36 million litres of fuel are expected to meet the islands’ demand for an entire month.
“Once this vessel completes unloading, it will return to Oman and Saudi Arabia to collect more fuel and come directly here. This will reduce operational costs, and we believe that if the conflict situation stabilises, fuel prices in Zanzibar will fall,” he said.
He said the government’s objective is to position Zanzibar as a regional fuel hub and that the company has already been allocated land to construct storage facilities with a capacity of up to 85 million litres.
Zanzibar currently consumes about 30 million litres of fuel per month. Storage facilities with an 85-million-litre capacity would therefore enable the islands to maintain reserves sufficient for nearly three months.
Mr Kilangi said OP is also constructing its own storage tanks with a capacity of 50 million litres. Once all facilities are completed, fuel shortages in Zanzibar will become a thing of the past, while price fluctuations will be minimised, benefiting social services, trade, industry and the construction sector.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA), Rashid Abdullah Fadhil, said the vessel, MT Clearocean Miracle, arrived carrying 36,271,100 litres of fuel.
He said the shipment comprised 14,702,045 litres of petrol, 11,476,392 litres of diesel and 10,092,663 litres of aviation fuel.
He noted that Zanzibar had previously depended on smaller vessels whose cargo volumes were often insufficient to meet demand.
“We will not experience fuel shortages for the entire month, and it will also eliminate the inconvenience caused by small vessels travelling to Dar es Salaam, where port congestion often contributes to fuel shortages in Zanzibar,” he said.
Mr Fadhil, who also serves as ZURA’s Director of Legal Services, said the arrangement will similarly eliminate the need for small vessels to travel to Mombasa, where congestion has also affected fuel availability in Zanzibar.
He said this is only the beginning, with another tanker expected to arrive between June 25 and 30 to deliver an additional fuel consignment.
“We introduced this innovation because of the global situation and to ensure fuel security in the country. We believe that once the situation stabilises in the Middle East, fuel prices will decline,” he said.
He reassured residents that there is no risk of fuel shortages in Zanzibar.
The Head of Business at One Petroleum, Dr Mohammed Jameel, said the company will ensure monthly fuel shipments from Saudi Arabia to guarantee a reliable energy supply while reducing transport-related costs.
“Every month our vessels will bring this fuel to ensure there are no shortages and that citizens have a reliable supply of energy,” he said.
