Kagame in Oman: Rwanda’s President Seeks Gulf Investment
RWANDA · GEOPOLITICS
Key Facts
—What happened: President Paul Kagame of Rwanda makes a two-day official visit to Oman on 7 and 8 September 2026.
—How big it is: It is the highest-level contact yet between the two governments, which have signed several cooperation agreements since January.
—What it means: The visit aims to turn those agreements into trade, investment and economic ties.
—The catch: Rwanda faces US sanctions over its alleged support for M23 rebels in Congo, which it denies.
—Who it hits: Rwandan officials and companies, including a gold refinery and three mining firms, are under US sanctions.
—What comes next: Watch for any investment commitments or named projects in the joint statement after the visit.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda arrives in Muscat on 7 September for a two-day official visit. Kagame in Oman marks the most senior contact yet between the two governments.
What the visit is meant to produce
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda arrives in Muscat on Monday, 7 September, for a two-day official visit. It is the most senior contact yet between two governments that have signed several cooperation agreements since January 2026.
The stated purpose is to move a warming diplomatic relationship into trade, investment and economic substance. Both governments have listed the same sectors in their pre-visit statements.
Those sectors are energy and renewables, mining, logistics, airports, hospitality, healthcare, education and technology. It is a wide list, which usually means the specifics are still being negotiated.
The visit was announced on 5 September by the Diwan of the Royal Court, the Sultan’s court. Kagame is expected to meet Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, who has ruled Oman since January 2020.
The aviation link came first
SalamAir, a low-cost Omani airline, began flying twice a week between Muscat and Kigali on 21 July 2026. It is the most concrete development in the relationship so far.
The legal foundation was laid earlier. A 2023 air services pact took effect on 12 January 2026, and airport plans were in January’s memoranda.
Kigali has built its strategy around exactly this. The airport, the convention business and the national carrier are the instruments of a small landlocked economy trying to be a hub.
Why the Gulf keeps looking at East Africa
Gulf states have become significant African investors over the past decade, in ports, logistics, agriculture and increasingly in minerals. The Horn and East Africa are the nearest African markets to the peninsula.
The competition is not only commercial. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have built positions on Africa’s Red Sea coast, each with political weight.
Oman is quieter than its neighbours. It avoids taking sides and diversifies from hydrocarbons.
What Rwanda is selling
The pitch is a small, well-run, predictable jurisdiction with an international convention business and a growing services sector. Rwanda has used it to attract capital well beyond what its size would suggest.
There is a mining dimension too. Rwanda handles a substantial volume of regional minerals, but that trade is now under scrutiny.
On 25 June 2026, the US Treasury designated Gasabo Gold Refinery and three Rwandan mining companies over conflict minerals financing M23. Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, called the sanctions ‘biased’ and ‘unjustified’.
Kagame has separately said Rwanda wants a stake in a proposed refinery at Lamu, Kenya. On 24 August 2026 he said Rwanda ‘would be very happy to be part of that kind of investment.
He added that it was too early for details.
What Oman gets
Oman is diversifying away from hydrocarbons under Oman Vision 2040, and outbound investment is part of that. African logistics and airport concessions fit the model.
Duqm, Oman’s deepwater port and special economic zone, needs cargo and partners. East African trade routes are one answer.
The Swahili coast diaspora gives Omani business regional familiarity. Few Gulf states match this historical connection.
The sanctions cloud
Rwanda’s involvement in the war in eastern Congo is the single largest risk to any investment case built on Kigali. The West, UN, and US Treasury accuse Rwanda of backing M23 rebels.
Kigali denies this.
On 2 March 2026, the US Treasury designated the Rwanda Defence Force itself and four senior commanders over operational support to M23. Rwanda’s Office of the Government Spokesperson said the measures ‘misrepresent the reality and distort the facts’.
The EU imposed sanctions on M23 figures and Rwandan officials in March 2025, and the UK suspended bilateral aid in February 2025. Neither has been reported as lifted.
Gulf states have continued signing agreements with Kigali through this period.
The Gulf portfolio beyond Oman
Rwanda’s Gulf ties extend beyond Oman. Qatar Airways agreed in December 2019 to take a 60% stake in Bugesera Airport.
The project costs about US$2 billion and remains under construction.
A Qatar Airways acquisition of 49 percent of RwandAir has been reported as close for years but has not closed. The UAE and Rwanda have been negotiating a comprehensive economic partnership agreement since at least November 2025, but it is not signed.
Saudi Arabia and Rwanda concluded a general cooperation agreement and a trade and investment agreement in February 2025. These are framework instruments, not capital commitments.
What could get in the way
The sanctions are a live issue, not a historical one. They directly touch the mining and aviation sectors that this visit is meant to promote.
Rwanda’s domestic market is small, so almost any project has to make sense as a regional play. That limits the scale of what Oman can expect.
The other constraint is trust. Western governments have questioned Rwanda’s actions in Congo, and that affects how investors everywhere assess risk.
The measure of success
Memoranda are cheap and frequent. The test of this visit will be whether anything signed carries a number, a counterparty and a date.
Watch for an investment fund commitment or a named airport or logistics concession. Those are the deliverables that turn a state visit into a transaction.
What to watch next
Watch the joint statement at the end of the second day, and whether Omani sovereign investment vehicles are named in it.
Watch the Muscat to Kigali route as well. A move from two flights a week to daily would say more than any communiqué.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Kagame visiting Oman?
On 7 and 8 September 2026, for a two-day official visit to Muscat. It follows a Rwandan ministerial delegation led by Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe on 10 and 11 January 2026.
What sectors are Rwanda and Oman discussing?
Energy and renewables, mining, logistics, airports, hospitality, healthcare, education and technology. In January 2026 they signed a memorandum of understanding on airport development and two cooperation programmes on logistics and data centres.
Is there a direct flight between Oman and Rwanda?
SalamAir launched twice-weekly Muscat-Kigali flights on 21 July 2026. This follows an air services agreement effective 12 January 2026.
Why is the Gulf investing in East Africa?
The region is Africa’s closest market to Arabia. Gulf states have built port, logistics, farm, and mineral positions there over ten years.
What are the US sanctions on Rwanda about?
The US Treasury says Rwanda backs M23 rebels in eastern Congo, which Kigali denies. It sanctioned Rwanda’s army and four commanders in March 2026 and four mining firms in June.
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