The government of Qatar has approved a draft agreement on mutual visa waiver allowing free entry for holders of Rwandan ordinary passports.

This was approved on Wednesday, February 12, during Qatar Cabinet's weekly meeting.

ALSO READ: Kagame, Emir of Qatar discuss bilateral relations

Previously, Qatar only allowed visa-free entry for Rwandan nationals for a maximum period of up to 30 days.

Rwanda holds a visa-free policy for all country members of the African Union, the Commonwealth, and La Francophonie, as well as East African Community member states.

Rwanda and Qatar have enjoyed cooperation in various sectors, including defence and security, ICT, as well as aviation.

The development came during President Paul Kagame’s visit to the Middle Eastern country, where he also met with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday.

The two leaders discuss the continuous positive bilateral relations between Rwanda and Qatar and partnership in key sectors.

Qatar Airways has a cooperation with RwandAir in passenger and cargo operations. The Qatari carrier has also invested in the ongoing construction of the $2 billion airport in Bugesera.

ALSO READ: Completion of Rwanda’s new airport extended to 2028

Qatar Airways will have a 60 per cent stake in the airport, which is scheduled to be completed in 2028.

The airport will have a 130,000-square-meter main terminal building capable of accommodating eight million passengers a year and the figure is expected to rise to over 14 million passengers in the following decades, according to developers.