Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, visited Kigali last week on a three-day tour, during which the signing of several bilateral agreements with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame took place.
The pacts, which span across sectors such as aviation, travel and logistics, culture, sports, and tourism, are made amid rising investments from the Gulf state.
Qatar’s national carrier will co-operate with RwandAir through Rwanda’s Aviation Travel and Logistics (ATL), as well as its investment arm.
Doha will also reportedly become a substantial investor in Rwanda’s Bugesera Airport as the government seeks to attract more investment to fund the project. Expected to become the country’s largest, the airport is co-owned by the government (25 percent) and Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil (75 percent).
The 1st phase of construction is estimated to cost $418 million and over $130 million has been infused into the project so far, with the deadline for completion of the first phase set at 2020.
The pact will improve Rwanda’s relationship with Qatar in the aviation sector, which has continued to develop since Qatar Airways launched daily flights to Kigali in 2012.
Earlier this year, Tanzanian President, John Magufuli, signed agreements in air transport when he hosted the Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
Qatar has three embassies in the region —Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan —and its national carrier, Qatar Airways, flies to 48 destinations in Africa.
