Rwanda Defence Force officers on January 22 and 23 graduated from Qatar’s prestigious military academies after completing a rigorous four-year military programme, according to the Rwandan embassy in Qatar. Five Rwanda Defence Force officers graduated on 22 and 23 January 2025 after completing four-year programmes at different military academies in Qatar. The ceremonies were attended by His Highness Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and senior officials of Qatar as well as a... pic.twitter.com/rszR5MRiTu — Rwanda Defence Force (@RwandaMoD) January 23, 2025 ALSO READ: Rwanda, Qatar armed forces train 100 RDF military police personnel The graduation ceremonies were attended by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and senior officers from both countries. Rwanda Defence Force officers graduated on January 22 and 23, 2025, after completing a four-year program at Qatar's military academies. The ceremonies were attended by HH Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and senior officers from both #Qatar and #Rwanda and other guests. pic.twitter.com/dynwvRsxZ4 — Rwanda Embassy in Qatar (@RwandainQatar) January 23, 2025 Last August, up to 100 personnel from RDF military police completed a six-week intensive training programme in areas including counterterrorism, VIP protection, and anti-riot drills, that was conducted in collaboration with the RDF and Qatar Armed Forces in Rwanda. The joint initiative underscored the strong bilateral ties between Qatar and Rwanda and reflected their commitment to enhancing security capabilities, according to RDF. Earlier, in February 2024, President Paul Kagame travelled to Qatar for an official working visit during which he held bilateral talks with the Emir of Qatar. ALSO READ: President Kagame in Qatar on working visit The visit came at a time when Rwanda and the Gulf country maintained strong bilateral relations in different sectors. In Doha, Kagame and the Qatari leader discussed productive and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in key sectors including infrastructure and hospitality. ALSO READ: Qatari military academy students visit RDF Command and Staff College In July 2022, a delegation led by Brig General Patrick Karuretwa, attended the graduation ceremony of the Joint Command and Staff Course at Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies in Al-Khor, Qatar. Two RDF senior officers were among the graduates, at the time. 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.