The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, arrived in Kigali on a two-day working visit, where he will be received by President Paul Kagame.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived in Rwanda on October 20, 2025.
During this visit, he is expected to hold talks with President Paul Kagame. The two last met in early November 2025 in Doha when he attended a conference on common development. At that time, they discussed promoting bilateral relations and cooperation.
The Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Qatar in Rwanda, Ali bin Hamad Al Aida, said that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Kigali comes at a time of ongoing changes around the world, both regionally and internationally.
He said that it also reinforces Qatar’s vision to work more closely with the African continent, in terms of security, stability and sustainable development.
Al Aida said that Rwanda is a reliable partner of the State of Qatar, stressing that this visit will be an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries based on mutual trust, respect and mutual interests.
He indicated that one of the areas where the two countries expect to focus their efforts is in terms of cooperation in development programs, innovation and investment, after noting that there are other sectors in which they work well, including security, education, transport and aviation.
It is expected that the visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will leave Rwanda and Qatar with the signing of new cooperation agreements.
The Rwandan Ambassador to Qatar, Igor Marara Kayinamura, said that today there are many sectors in which the two countries are working together, emphasizing that the Bugesera Airport construction project is one of the most important.
He said that among the new projects the two countries can work on is the ‘Kigali Innovation City’ which aims to make Rwanda a technology hub in Africa.
Rwanda and Qatar have cooperative relations in various sectors, including investment, tourism and transport.
The two countries also have cooperation in the field of air transport, where Qatar Airways is expected to acquire a 49% stake in RwandAir in the near future.
Apart from RwandAir, Qatar also has a 60% stake in the Bugesera Airport project.
The Emir of Qatar was last in Rwanda in July 2022, when he was a special guest at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Kigali.
