Rwanda Development Board

Rwanda Development Board
Company typeParastatal
IndustryInvestment and export promotion, tourism and conservation
Founded2009
HeadquartersKigali, Rwanda
Key people
Afrika Jean Guy
(Executive Director and CEO)[1]
ProductsInvestment licenses, tax waivers, investment advisory, serviced land, SME training, tourism permits
WebsiteHomepage

Rwanda Development Board (RDB), is a government department that integrates all government agencies responsible for the attraction, retention and facilitation of investments in the national economy.[2]

Overview

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) was established in 2009 to coordinate, spur and promote national economic development. RDB includes agencies responsible for "business registration, investment promotion, environmental clearances, privatization and specialist agencies which support the priority sectors of ICT and tourism as well as SMEs and human capacity development in the private sector".[2] The executive director is a cabinet-level position and the incumbent is appointed by and reports directly to the president of Rwanda.[2][3] RDB measures its achievements in (a) direct foreign and domestic investments, (b) increased exports and (c) number of jobs created.[4]

Visit Rwanda sponsorship

In May 2018, Arsenal FC announced Visit Rwanda as the club's first official shirt sleeve sponsor and the club's official tourism partner in a three-year £10 million per year deal. The deal was extended to another four years in 2021.[5][6] In November 2025, Arsenal announced that they had reached a mutual agreement to not renew their deal in June 2026.[7][8]

In December 2019, Paris Saint-Germain FC signed a three-year €8-10 million per year deal with Visit Rwanda as the club's official tourism partner. The Visit Rwanda logo will also appear on the back of the men's training kit and on the shirt sleeve of the women's team's kit.[9][10][11] In May 2023, the deal was extended to 2025.[12]

In May 2021, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) signed a sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda as a founding and host partner of the BAL. Visit Rwanda will be showcased on BAL team uniforms.[13] The deal was extended to another five years in 2023.[14]

In August 2023, FC Bayern Munich signed a five-year partnership deal with Visit Rwanda as a football development and tourism promotion partner.[15] In August 2025, FC Bayern announced that the commercial sponsorship will transition into a football talent development program through the FC Bayern Youth Academy in Kigali until 2028.[16][17]

In September 2025, the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) signed a long-term sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda. The Visit Rwanda logo appears on the jersey patch of Clippers' jerseys.[18]

Reaction

The Visit Rwanda initiative has had a very positive effect on Rwanda’s economy. By partnering with big sports teams like Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the country has become more popular around the world. This has helped attract more tourists, leading to more money being made from tourism about $498 million in 2019, contributing 13% to Rwanda’s economy. It also created many new jobs and encouraged foreign businesses to invest in the country. These deals promote eco-tourism, business travel and job creation, helping Rwanda grow even more.[19][20]

However, the sponsorship deals have been met with criticism due to allegations of human rights abuse, with claims that Rwandan president Paul Kagame is using sportswashing to enhance the country's reputation[21][22] and potentially "persuade the international community to overlook alleged human right violations in the country."[23] Another criticism concerned the fact that Rwanda, one of the poorest nations in the world, was paying millions of dollars to some of the world's richest football clubs (for example, Arsenal received $39 million for the initial three-year deal) instead of using the money to alleviate poverty in the country.[23][24] In 2021, when Arsenal's initial three-year partnership was about to expire, prominent figures including journalist Michela Wrong and sports writer Barney Ronay were critical of the club's decision to renew the deal given Rwanda's human rights situation.[25][26] In 2025, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called on Arsenal, PSG, and Bayern Munich to drop their sponsorship deals with Visit Rwanda, citing Rwanda's alleged involvement with the M23 paramilitary group operating in the Congo and accused of numerous human rights violations.[27][28]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Perezida Kagame yagize Jean-Guy Afrika Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB". RBA (in Kinyarwanda). 13 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c TIGC (28 March 2017). "Business Registration in Rwanda: The Rwanda Development Board, A One-Stop Shop for Investors". Kigali: Theiguides.org (TIGC). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. ^ Kimenyi, Felly (31 August 2017). "Rwanda gets new Cabinet, who is in?". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  4. ^ Administrator (3 September 2013). "Rwanda is developing a world-class business climate to attract investors: Vivian Kayitesi, Head of the Investment Promotion and Implementation Department, Rwanda Development Board". Singapore: Macigindaba.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  5. ^ Meyers, Billy (14 January 2023). "Why Arsenal have Visit Rwanda on their shirts". HITC.
  6. ^ Dixon, Ed (17 August 2021). "Report: Arsenal and Visit Rwanda seal "UK£40m" sleeve sponsorship extension". SportsPro.
  7. ^ "Visit Rwanda Update". arsenal.com. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  8. ^ "Arsenal's controversial sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda to end next year". The Guardian. 19 November 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Rwanda signs deal with Paris St Germain to promote tourism". Reuters. 4 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Paris Saint-Germain Signs Visit Rwanda Training + Women's Main Shirt Deal". Footy Headlines. 4 December 2019.
  11. ^ Bates, Pearce (5 December 2019). "PSG confirm Visit Rwanda training kit deal". SportsPro.
  12. ^ Mahadik, Gauresh (11 May 2023). "PSG land sponsorship extension with Visit Rwanda". SportsMint Media. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  13. ^ "VISIT RWANDA AND RWANDAIR JOIN BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE AS OFFICIAL PARTNERS". www.rwandair.com. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Basketball Africa League And Rwanda Announce Five Year Extension". www.africa.com. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  15. ^ "FC Bayern and Visit Rwanda agree partnership until 2028". fcbayern.com. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  16. ^ Pearson, Matt (8 August 2025). "Bayern Munich end Rwanda sponsorship after pressure". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Bayern Munich veers from Rwanda sponsorship after criticism". Al Jazeera. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  18. ^ Fainaru-Wada, Mark (29 September 2025). "Los Angeles Rams, LA Clippers sign deals to promote Rwanda". ESPN.com. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Contribution of Tourism in the Economy of Rwanda". www.bookly.africa. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  20. ^ "How Rwanda is building a sustainable economy through tourism". www.breakingtravelnews.com. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  21. ^ Smith, Alan (21 September 2021). "Arsenal face moral and social questions over Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal". Football.London.
  22. ^ Millar, Colin (21 February 2022). "Arsenal's Visit Rwanda sponsorship and the dark side to a sportswashing agenda". The Mirror.
  23. ^ a b Voets, Thomas Yaw (1 March 2023). ""Visit Rwanda": a well primed public relations campaign or a genuine attempt at improving the country's image abroad?". Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. 19 (1): 143–154. doi:10.1057/s41254-021-00206-6. ISSN 1751-8059.
  24. ^ Reyntjens, Filip (28 May 2018). "When the poor sponsor the rich: Rwanda and Arsenal FC". The Conversation. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  25. ^ Ronay, Barney (5 March 2021). "Does Arsenal's Visit Rwanda shirtsleeve deal remain a 'compelling fit'?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  26. ^ Smith, Alan (21 September 2021). "Arsenal face moral and social questions over Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal". Football London. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Arsenal, Bayern Munich and PSG told to 'reconcile conscience' over Rwanda sponsorship deal". Sky News. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  28. ^ "DR Congo asks clubs to end Visit Rwanda sponsorship". Reuters. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.

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