Qatar deports 75 Tanzanian truck drivers over failure to operate modern vehicles

The drivers, trained at Tanzania’s National Institute of Transport (NIT), had been hired to meet the growing demand for commercial vehicle operators in the Gulf state. However, they were unable to manage the automated transmissions, digital dashboard interfaces, and onboard navigation systems typical of modern trucks such as those manufactured by Volvo, the Tanzania Times reports.

According to Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, the drivers are accustomed to older manual trucks and were overwhelmed by the sophisticated technology. “Many could not feed the required information regarding their preferred directions through tapping onto the screen,” he said at a press conference.

Despite completing advanced training programs and additional courses before deployment, the drivers were deemed unfit for the roles upon arrival in Doha.

Qatar, which has more than 800 vacancies for truck drivers, had allocated between 200 and 350 positions specifically for Tanzanian nationals. The recruitment initiative was coordinated through the Tanzanian Embassy in Doha and the Qatari transport company Mowasalat-Karwa, following bilateral discussions held in March 2025.

Mowasalat had planned to send a delegation to Tanzania in May to conduct practical driving assessments, but those trials were instead carried out in Qatar.

Officials on both sides had seen the recruitment initiative as a step toward strengthening economic ties and addressing employment challenges. Tanzania’s Ambassador to Qatar, Habibu Awesi Mohamed, and Mowasalat’s Government and Employment Relations Manager, Khalid Al Rahiya, had led the negotiations.

In light of the failed deployment, Tanzanian authorities are considering importing a prototype of the high-tech trucks to facilitate hands-on training for future candidates at NIT.