Kagame arrived in Salalah on Monday, September 7, 2026.
President Paul Kagame has arrived in Oman for his first visit to the Gulf state, opening two days of talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq as Rwanda seeks to deepen a relationship increasingly shaped by trade, investment, energy security and connectivity.
Kagame arrived in Salalah on Monday, September 7, and was received by Sultan Haitham at Al Hosn Palace in an official welcome. The visit ends Tuesday and is expected to include the signing of new cooperation agreements.
While the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1982, their engagement has gained momentum in recent years, with both governments pursuing practical cooperation in sectors ranging from aviation and logistics to technology, infrastructure and energy.
The Presidential visit follows a visit to Oman in January by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, who led a senior Rwandan delegation.
Discussions produced cooperation initiatives covering airport development, logistics and inland ports, data centres, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
One of the agreements brought the Rwanda Development Board together with Oman Airports Management Company to explore investment and cooperation opportunities in aviation infrastructure.
But the relationship has also taken on a more strategic dimension through energy cooperation.
Rwanda has begun moving towards direct government-to-government fuel procurement from Oman’s OQ Trading, with the first major shipments arriving through Tanzania’s Port of Tanga.
The arrangement is intended to strengthen the reliability of fuel supplies while improving logistics, competition and price stability. The first shipment is expected to be around 40,000 tonnes, with regular supplies planned under the new arrangement.
For Rwanda, the partnership with Oman therefore extends beyond attracting investment to securing a more reliable link in one of the country’s most critical supply chains.
The two countries have also strengthened physical connectivity. In July, SalamAir launched direct Muscat-Kigali flights, operating twice a week.
The route provides a direct link between Rwanda and Oman and is expected to facilitate movement of investors, businesspeople and tourists between East Africa and the Gulf.
The flights followed an Air Services Agreement signed by the two countries in 2023 and brought into force in January 2026.
Beyond aviation, technology and fuel, Rwanda and Oman are exploring opportunities in energy, renewable energy, mining, logistics, hospitality, healthcare and education.
In 2020, more than 80 Omani companies participated in an Omani Products Exhibition in Kigali, where two commercial agreements were signed, including one on the marketing of Omani industrial products in Rwanda.
Kagame’s delegation includes Nduhungirehe, Finance and Economic Planning Minister Yusuf Murangwa and Trade and Industry Minister Antoine Kajangwe, alongside other senior officials.
For Rwanda, closer engagement with Oman offers another route into Gulf and wider Middle Eastern markets. For Oman, Rwanda provides a foothold in an East African economy that has positioned itself as a regional centre for business, logistics and investment.
The relationship has also been gaining political momentum. In July, Kagame received Oman’s newly accredited ambassador to Rwanda, Nasra Salim Al Hashmi, while Sultan Haitham sent Kagame a message on bilateral relations in August.
The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international developments, with issues affecting the Gulf, Africa and wider global security likely to provide a broader backdrop to their discussions.
During his stay, Kagame is expected to visit the Land of Frankincense Museum and Razat Royal Farm in Dhofar. Sultan Haitham will also host the Rwandan President and his delegation for a dinner and separately receive Kagame for lunch at Al-Mamurah Palace.
With direct flights connecting Kigali and Muscat, new economic agreements and Oman becoming a source of fuel for Rwanda, the relationship is moving into a phase where its value will increasingly be measured by practical outcomes.
