Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed toured the hospital’s facilities, which integrate medical innovation, sustainable design, and social impact, including solar energy, rainwater use, and eco-friendly materials, and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to global health, humanitarian action, and international cooperation.
The UAE-Indonesia Hospital for Cardiac Diseases is the first of ten specialist hospitals planned globally in the UAE Global Hospitals Programme, part of the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Initiative.
According to Rwanda’s Office of the President, President Kagame also hosted the Emir at his farm in Kibugabuga, Bugesera District where the two leaders held a private tête-à-tête meeting.
The two leaders had last met early November 2025 in Doha, on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development.
During that meeting, they discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between both countries.
Ali bin Hamad Al Aida, the Charge d’Affaires at the Qatari Embassy in Rwanda, has noted that the visit comes at a time of significant global changes, both regionally and internationally.
He also emphasized that the visit underscores Qatar’s vision of deepening its cooperation with the African continent, focusing on security, safety, and sustainable development.
Al Aida further remarked that Rwanda is a trusted partner of the Qatari government, highlighting that this visit would be an opportunity to further strengthen the existing cooperation between the two countries, based on mutual trust, respect, and shared interests.
New partnership agreements between Rwanda and Qatar are expected to be signed during the visit.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to Qatar, Igor Marara Kayinamura, said that there are numerous sectors in which the two countries are already collaborating, including a key project such as the construction of Bugesera International Airport.
He also mentioned new projects that could benefit from the cooperation, including the ‘Kigali Innovation City,’ which aims to make Rwanda a hub for technology in Africa.
Rwanda and Qatar enjoy strong bilateral relations across various sectors, including investment, tourism, and transport. The two countries also collaborate in the aviation sector, with Qatar Airways expected to acquire a 49% stake in RwandAir.
Beyond RwandAir, Qatar holds a 60% stake in the Bugesera Airport project.
The Emir of Qatar last visited Rwanda in July 2022, when he was a special guest at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was held in Kigali.
The agreement, signed in Kigali and witnessed by the Minister in Charge of Emergency Management on Wednesday, November 18, marks the official start of the “Refugee Socio-Economic Graduation & Livelihood Opportunities in Rwanda” project.
The three-year initiative will support 3,200 refugee families and 800 families from surrounding host communities, providing targeted solutions to enhance their economic autonomy and improve their ability to meet basic needs independently.
The project represents a major step in implementing Rwanda’s Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (2025–2030), which seeks to enable half of all refugee households in the country to graduate from reliance on aid by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the ceremony, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, said the partnership illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration in driving long-term change.
“This project marks an important milestone in creating meaningful pathways to self-reliance for refugees in Rwanda,” he said. “By supporting 4,000 refugee and host community households to graduate into sustainable livelihoods, we are demonstrating the power of strong partnerships to drive tangible, lasting change and strengthen the resilience of communities.”
European Union Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, Martin Seychell, noted that the initiative reinforces EU support to Rwanda’s efforts to shift refugee assistance towards economic empowerment.
“The programme we sign today is a concrete demonstration of the European Union’s support to the ambitions of the Government of Rwanda to enable refugee households to move from aid dependence to self-reliance,” he said.
“Thanks to EU support through this and other projects, close to 20% of refugee households should advance towards economic inclusion. This new initiative further strengthens our longstanding engagement in the Great Lakes region and reflects our broader commitment
to the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, which is more essential than ever in a
context of increasing pressure on limited resources.”
The project will provide a sequenced package of interventions including targeted cash assistance, physical toolkits, and training programmes focused on entrepreneurship, climate-smart agriculture, and other livelihood skills.
Support will also be channelled into Village Savings and Loan Associations to strengthen long-term financial inclusion and resilience for participating households across five refugee camps and surrounding communities.
Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Director and Representative, said the initiative reflects a new era in how refugee support is approached in Rwanda.
“Today, we are starting a new chapter where refugees are seen not as beneficiaries but as entrepreneurs and active contributors to the community and Rwandan economy,” he said. “By working hand in hand with MINEMA and our partners, we are turning promise into practice.”
Rwanda currently hosts more than 136,000 refugees, largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, many of whom have depended on humanitarian support for years. By aligning this initiative with national development frameworks and facilitating access to markets and financial systems, partners hope to offer a sustainable and scalable model for future refugee assistance.
UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, Ritu Shroff, said the agreement reflects a shared belief in the potential of refugees and the communities that host them.
“We reaffirm something fundamental: that refugees and host communities alike deserve the opportunity to live dignified, productive, and independent lives and that with the right support, they absolutely can,” she said.
“UNHCR remains committed to working side by side with MINEMA, the European Union, WFP, and all partners to ensure that this project delivers meaningful, lasting impact.”
The decision was announced on Thursday during the November Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and Financial Stability Committee (FSC) briefing by Governor Soraya Hakuziyaremye.
According to the MPC, the decision reflects the Bank’s assessment that current monetary conditions are sufficient to contain inflation within the target band. Headline inflation rose to 7.2% in the third quarter of 2025, up from 6.7% in the previous quarter, driven mainly by increases in core and energy inflation. However, fresh food prices eased, helping limit upward pressure on overall inflation.
The briefing also addressed recent concerns over fuel prices, which have added pressure to transport and consumer costs. On November 7, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) announced new pump prices, setting petrol at Frw 1,989 per litre, an increase of Frw 127 from September, while diesel rose to Frw 1,900 per litre, up Frw 92.
Governor Hakuziyaremye noted that although global crude oil prices are projected to decline by nearly 16% in 2025, the recent domestic price adjustments were driven by higher transportation and logistics costs.
The Bank projects headline inflation to average 6.9% in 2025 before easing further to 5.8% in 2026, supported by improving agricultural output and moderating international commodity prices. Even so, the MPC warned that risks remain, including adverse weather conditions that could affect harvests and global geopolitical tensions that may disrupt supply chains and increase imported inflation.
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Despite a challenging global environment, Rwanda’s economy continued to show strong momentum. GDP expanded by 7.8% in the second quarter, with positive growth recorded across all major sectors. In the third quarter, economic activity remained robust, with the Composite Index of Economic Activities rising 13.2%, signalling sustained demand and stronger output, particularly in services and industry.
Merchandise exports recorded a 15% expansion in the third quarter, supported by higher global prices and increased shipments of minerals and coffee. Non-traditional exports, including manufactured products such as wheat flour, cooking oil and animal feeds, grew by 50.5%, reflecting diversification in export earnings.
Imports also rose by 7.4%, mainly due to increased consumption goods including medicine and corn. The rise in imports contributed to a slight widening of the trade deficit, which expanded by 2.8% compared to the same period last year.
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Pressure on the foreign exchange market continued to ease relative to last year. By the end of September, the Rwandan franc had depreciated by 4.03% against the US dollar year-to-date, a notable improvement from 6.49% over the same period in 2024. The central bank attributed this to tightening measures aimed at moderating speculative behaviour and a general weakening of the US dollar globally.
Money market conditions also shifted in line with recent adjustments in the policy stance. Interbank rates declined to 5.85% in the third quarter, down from 7.25% a year earlier, while average deposit rates fell by 165 basis points to 8.67%, reflecting ample liquidity in the banking system. Lending rates eased slightly to 15.78%, with reductions noted across all major loan maturities.
The MPC stated that maintaining the Central Bank Rate at 6.75% remains appropriate to support the country’s inflation objectives while sustaining economic growth.
“The MPC will continue monitoring economic developments and is ready to take further action to ensure price stability,” Governor Hakuziyaremye stated.
The 37-month contract, managed by the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), covers system design, deployment, and long-term technical support.
RCI CEO Patricie Uwase hailed the partnership as a milestone in South-South cooperation, highlighting Rwanda’s growing role in exporting digital governance solutions.
“This collaboration represents a significant milestone, not only in digitalising justice systems but also in demonstrating how African-led innovation can address global challenges,” she said.
Chief Justice Bryan Sykes described the system as a transformative step for Jamaica’s courts, noting it will reduce processing delays, cut litigation costs, and make court services more accessible to citizens. Law enforcement officers will also benefit, as case files can now be submitted digitally from any parish office.
The collaboration stems from a 2022 benchmarking mission, when Jamaican officials visited Rwanda to study its digitalised justice systems. Interest in Rwanda’s IECMS is reportedly growing, with other countries exploring similar partnerships.
Rwanda has already exported digital solutions to several African nations, including Chad, Eswatini, and Guinea, enhancing public financial management, tax compliance, and procurement transparency.
Implementation in Jamaica will begin in early 2026 with a three-month needs assessment, followed by system deployment and 20 months of maintenance and technical support to ensure sustainability.
Following the ceremony, President Nausėda and Amb. Dushimimana engaged in discussions focused on enhancing both bilateral and multilateral ties, with particular emphasis on trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.
Amb. Dushimimana also represents Rwanda to other countries including The Netherlands and Latvia.
Lithuania, a Baltic state located in Northern Europe, lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Covering an area of approximately 65,300 square kilometers, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest.
The country boasts a diverse and rapidly growing economy, with notable strengths in the IT, manufacturing, and services sectors.
As a member of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Lithuania maintains strong regional and global connections, fostering continued economic growth and political stability.
Citing local officials, the report said that the vessel departed the port of Bena Dibele in Sankuru Province on November 13, bound for the capital, Kinshasa, more than 800 km away.
The boat capsized after encountering “whirlpools”, according to the report. It was carrying about 120 people, of whom only around 50 have been rescued so far, while the others remain missing. Search and rescue operations are underway.
Waterways remain a key mode of transport in the DRC, where boat accidents are common due to overloading and poor vessel conditions.
Trump’s statement came just one day after the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to approve the bill. On Tuesday night, just a few hours after the House passage, the upper chamber unanimously agreed to immediately pass the bill once it was sent from the House. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday.
The bill was introduced in the House in mid-July, but Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, delayed the process for months.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie have led a discharge petition, which would force a vote once the petition reaches the 218-signature threshold. On November 12, the day the House reconvened for the first time after a 54-day recess, the petition secured the final signature it needed.
The bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requires the DOJ to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials in its possession related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
This includes materials that relate to Ghislaine Maxwell, who conspired with Epstein to sexually exploit underage girls, flight logs and travel records, and individuals named or referenced in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
The DOJ may withhold certain information, such as personally identifiable information of victims and materials that could jeopardize an active federal investigation.
Epstein had close connections with many prominent American political and business figures. After being arrested on sexual offense charges, he died in prison in August 2019, in what was officially ruled a suicide.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised that, if elected, he would release documents related to the Epstein case. On July 7, however, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a memorandum stating that there is no “incriminating client list,” no evidence that Epstein’s death was a murder, and that no further Epstein-related documents would be released.
Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released Epstein-related documents involving Trump. Republicans on the committee then released a far larger tranche of files as a countermeasure, accusing the Democrats of cherry-picking.
Trump then directed the DOJ to investigate high-profile Democrats connected to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who is a major Democratic donor. U.S. media view the move as an attempt to counter the impact of the Epstein-related documents involving Trump that Democrats recently released.
“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday night as he announced he had signed the bill.
On Tuesday night, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer lashed out at Trump on the issue, saying that the president “has tried to cover up for Jeffrey Epstein long enough.”
“This isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans or about Congress versus the president,” Schumer said. “This is about giving the American people the transparency they’ve been crying for. This is about holding accountable all the people in Jeffrey Epstein’s circle who raped, groomed, targeted, and enabled the abuse of hundreds of girls for years and years.”
The concert, which featured Grammy-nominated artist Somi Kakoma (born in the United States to Rwandan and Ugandan parents), honored Makeba’s contributions to music and social justice, blending jazz and African musical traditions in a performance that highlighted the iconic singer’s political activism.
Somi, known for her long-standing work bridging African and American cultures, performed a heartfelt tribute to Miriam Makeba, an artist whose international influence transcended music.
Somi’s performance was a blend of jazz and African musical traditions, underscoring Makeba’s pioneering role in using music as a platform for political activism.
The evening, enriched by Somi’s distinctive voice and the talented musicians accompanying her, transformed into both a musical experience and a commemorative act.
The concert highlighted the role of music as a tool for remembrance, emancipation, and the amplification of political causes—values that Makeba passionately championed throughout her life.
The HKW where the event was hosted, is a renowned multidisciplinary institution in Berlin dedicated to fostering global dialogue through the arts.
It is known for its commitment to showcasing diverse cultural expressions, including visual arts, performing arts, and literary practices, alongside scientific and cultural discourse.
The HKW’s inclusive space, free from discrimination, provided an ideal setting for this tribute to Makeba, reinforcing the institution’s mission of cultivating unity and hospitality among global cultures.
Jeanne Ndatirwa, in her remarks, emphasized that the tribute to Miriam Makeba was a pan-African gesture recognizing the significant contribution of African women to human rights.
She expressed pride in the diaspora’s heritage and the importance of such events in strengthening cultural ties and mutual respect between nations.
Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Director and Chief Curator of HKW, reflected on Makeba’s profound impact, stating, “The concert honors a great artist and political icon who not only brought Africa to the world’s music stages but also placed social justice firmly on the global political agenda.”
The evening’s events also highlighted the HKW’s dedication to promoting inclusivity, emphasizing that the institution does not tolerate any form of hate or discrimination, including homophobic, racist, antisemitic, and xenophobic actions or speech.
“Their discussions highlighted the strong partnership between Rwanda and the World Bank across key sectors that contribute to Rwanda’s development priorities,” the Office of the President said.
The World Bank has been a major partner in financing multi-million-dollar projects in Rwanda, supporting initiatives that enhance disaster resilience, urban mobility, and other critical sectors.
Last month, the World Bank approved $141 million (approximately Frw 205 billion) to strengthen Rwanda’s disaster response capabilities. The funding aims to support national efforts in managing disasters and building resilience, ensuring quicker access to emergency resources, and bridging gaps in funding for affected communities.
Authorities highlighted that such support is vital, given that disasters like floods, landslides, and earthquakes cost the country about $145 million annually and have historically reduced Rwanda’s GDP by up to 1.75 percent over the last decade.
In July 2025, Kigali also received a $100 million boost from the World Bank to transform its urban transport system through the Rwanda Urban Mobility Improvement (RUMI) Project.
The initiative focuses on creating a greener, safer, and more inclusive public transport network, including the development of the Nyabugogo multimodal transit hub, dedicated bus lanes, expanded sidewalks and cycling paths, and the deployment of electric buses. The project is expected to improve access to jobs and services, particularly for women and youth, while promoting climate resilience in the capital.
Through scuh partnerships, the World Bank has played a pivotal role in advancing Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and National Strategy for Transformation 2 (NST2), supporting projects that contribute to the country’s sustainable growth and long-term development.
