Our Cooperation
Economic Diplomacy
The UAE is Rwanda’s leading trade partner. Rwanda-UAE total trade exceeded USD 1.5 billion in 2024, up from the mere USD 100 million in 2012. Main exports to UAE include Gold, Coltan and horticulture products. Rwanda's imports from the UAE mainly include petroleum fuels, motor vehicles, electronics, and furniture among others. Rwandan exporters have established strong partnerships with major UAE hypermarkets to supply fresh produce to the market. Each week, Rwanda exports approximately 80 tons of avocados, passion fruits, and other fruits and vegetables to the UAE. As far as investment is concerned, from 2000 to 2024, 14 UAE companies registered their businesses in Rwanda with investment commitments valued at no less than US$ 320 million. Notably, in 2023 RDB recorded investment from the UAE valued at USD 138.2 million, making UAE the second-highest source of FDI after India in that single year. The investments are in various sectors like logistics, hospitality, mineral processing, Manufacturing, road safety, Transportation as well as agriculture.
Political and Technical Cooperation
Rwanda and The United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy excellent cooperation in various technical sectors that include Education, Hospitality, Financial Services, Health, Labour, Technology and Space. In education,Rwandan students have benefited scholarships in different universities in UAE including the UAE University, Sorbone University -Abu Dhabi, New York University - Abu Dhabi and Al Qasimia University, among others. In Financial Services, there are partnership opportunities between Abu Dhabi Global Market and Kigali International Financial Center. The two financial centers signed a collaboration MOU in March 2024. In space, Rwanda Space Agency and UAE Space Agency signed a collaboration MOU in December 2023.
MoUs
Rwanda and UAE have so far signed various bilateral MoUs and agreements, among them: Since 2017, the two countries signed the following Agreements: MoU on Political Consultations; Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation; MoU between Federation of UAE Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Rwanda Private Sector Federation; Agreement on Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments; Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion; A Visa waiver agreement; MoU in the field Labor Mobility; Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA); The MoU on the establishment of Joint Committee for Cooperation, MoU on Cooperation in the field of improvement and development of Government activities; MoU on Security Cooperation and Counter Terrorism; MoU for Cooperation in the field of space - between Rwanda Space Agency and UAE Space Agency; MOU between MINAFFET and Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, the MOU on The C4IR AI Fellowship Program between UAE Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution and Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the MOU for cooperation in the field of Education, the MOU between Rwanda National Police and Dubai Police, and the Cooperation MOU between Kigali International Financial Center and Abu Dhabi Global Market.
