President Paul Kagame on Saturday, February 10, began an official working visit to Qatar where he held bilateral talks with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar. ALSO READ: President Kagame in Qatar on working visit The Head of State’s visit comes at a time when Rwanda and the Gulf country maintain strong bilateral relations in different sectors. In Doha, Kagame and the Qatari leader met and discussed “productive and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in key sectors including infrastructure and hospitality,” according to the Office of the President. “They also exchanged views on current global issues.” Qatar has over the years expressed interest in investing in different sectors in Rwanda including aviation, tourism and trade, among others. The development followed the 2017 establishment of both countries’ Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York. In 2019, both countries signed four cooperation agreements in the sectors of culture, sports, tourism and business events and aviation travel logistics. Qatar Airways started its direct flights to Rwanda in March 2012, creating a direct linkage between Rwanda and the Middle East. The partnership between the two countries extends to business opportunities that people can benefit from both markets through an agreement signed between Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) and Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL), in September 2021. The cooperation promotes skills development through training programmes, facilitates the creation of a community between the fintech ecosystems, and continuous improvement in the financial landscape, among others. On the other hand, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) are key investors in the Virunga Africa Funds, a $250 million investment fund that will be invested in sectors capable of driving economic growth and social transformation across Africa. ALSO READ: Kagame commends Qatar for successfully hosting World Cup The partnerships also received a boost when in December 2021, RwandAir, the national carrier, launched its direct flight to Doha that operates three times a week, following a code-sharing agreement signed between the two countries that places Rwanda’s national carrier code on 65 routes operated by the Doha-based Qatar Airways. Before that, in December 2019, Qatar Airways acquired a 60 per cent stake in the Bugesera International Airport which is under construction with the government owning the remaining shares. At a time when Qatar was preparing for FIFA World Cup 2022, a working deal opened for Rwandans in the hospitality sector. Graduates from a local varsity, University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB) are now sent to Qatar for internships and job offers for five years.
