SalamAir Launches Direct Muscat-Kigali Route as Rwanda-Oman Ties Deepen
Omani low-cost carrier SalamAir launched its twice-weekly direct service between Muscat and Kigali on 21 July 2026, marking a significant step in the growing relationship between Rwanda and Oman. The route - which covers the distance in approximately five hours and 50 minutes - is expected to strengthen trade, tourism and investment links between East Africa and the Middle East, while also connecting travellers to SalamAir's broader network across the Gulf, Asia and Europe. The launch follows a series of bilateral cooperation agreements signed in early 2026, covering logistics, aviation, investment in Bugesera International Airport infrastructure, and ICT and innovation.
The new air link forms part of a broader expansion of Rwanda-Oman relations that now spans energy, logistics, digital infrastructure and investment. In February 2026, a high-level Omani delegation met with Rwanda Development Board officials to explore partnerships in logistics, tourism, manufacturing and digital transformation. On the energy front, Rwanda is expecting its first direct shipment of refined petroleum products from Oman - some 40,000 tonnes - to arrive at Tanzania's Port of Tanga by the end of July 2026, with monthly shipments to follow. Bilateral trade between the two countries, which stood at $2.3 million in 2018, is widely seen as having considerable room for growth across agriculture, mining, construction materials and tourism.
Source: The New Times