Rwanda Development Board

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.

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". The executive director is a cabinet-level position and the incumbent is appointed by and reports directly to the president of Rwanda. RDB measures its achievements in (a) direct foreign and domestic investments, (b) increased exports and (c) number of jobs created.

Visit Rwanda sponsorship

In May 2018, Arsenal 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.

In December 2019, Paris Saint-Germain 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. In May 2023, the deal was extended to 2025.

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. The deal was extended to another five years in 2023.

In August 2023, Bayern Munich signed a five year partnership deal with Visit Rwanda as a football development and tourism promotion partner.

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.

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 and potentially "persuade the international community to overlook alleged human right violations in the country." 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 3-year deal) instead of using the money to alleviate poverty in the country. 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. 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.

See also

* Parliament of Rwanda

References

External links

Website of Rwanda Development Board

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2009 establishments in Rwanda
Government of Rwanda
Finance in Rwanda
Government agencies established in 2009
Investment promotion agencies
Organisations based in Kigali