KING Mohamed VI of Morocco arrived in Dar es Salaam yesterday for a three-day state visit and talks with President John Magufuli that are expected to focus on flagging investment and trade worth around 4 trillion/- (1.8 billion US dollars).

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Dr Augustine Mahiga said that bilateral deals were expected to be agreed during the meeting today between the Moroccan monarch and Dr Magufuli.

The visit is a part of a royal tour aimed at broadening cordial relations, partnerships and opening up investment opportunities.Trade imbalance is one of the issues expected to feature during the discussions as the Moroccan Government has in recent years sought to expand her economic footprint in Africa.

It was a sunny and bright afternoon at the Julius Nyerere International Airport that was overflowing with a friendly warm atmosphere of friendliness as the Moroccan and Tanzanian national flags blew in the wind. Hundreds of Dar es Salaam residents dressed in festive costumes capped the grand occasion waving colourful banners as they looked forward to the arrival of the Moroccan guests.

It was about 4:55 local time, when the Royal Maroc’s Boeing 747-400 airbus that flew in the state visitor touched down at the airport. Dr Magufuli and other government leaders, including the Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, and Dar es Salaam regional and civic leaders took a few steps by the Red Carpet towards the plane.

The president and the Moroccan guest shook hands as a girl presented a bouquet of flowers to the King. More introductions followed. The two heads of state then headed to the welcoming platform where a military brass band played the national anthems of the two countries as a 21-gun salute thundered across the afternoon sky.

The King inspected the guards of honour and the march-past. Later, waving the national flags of the two countries, dancers gyrated to the tunes of songs in praise of the Tanzania-Morocco friendship. King Mohamed VI also inspected traditional dance and choir performances by various groups in the company of President Magufuli.

According to Dr Mahiga earlier this week, the King was scheduled to be accompanied by a more than 150 memberdelegation, including government officials, businessmen and members of his family. King Mohammed VI flew in from Rwanda where he had been since Thursday.

Statistics by the Morocco Ministry of Economy and Trade shows that trade with sub-Saharan African countries rose by an average of 12 percent annually between 2003 and 2013.