Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Arsenal Football Club announced on Wednesday, November 19, their mutual agreement to conclude their sponsorship partnership at the end of the 2025/2026 football season.
The announcement marked the close of an eight-season collaboration that began in 2018 and positioned Rwanda at the centre of international sports marketing.
“We are proud of what this partnership has achieved over many years of collaboration. It broke new ground for tourism boards around the world, driving awareness and visitation for Rwandan tourism at a pace traditional campaigns could never match,” said RDB Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Afrika in the statement.
Rwanda’s tourism sector saw measurable gains during the partnership. Visitor arrivals reached 1.3 million in 2024, while tourism receipts climbed to US$650 million, representing a 47% increase since the agreement was signed.
Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick described the eight-year collaboration as “a significant journey and a win for both parties,” noting that the club had helped raise global awareness of Rwanda’s tourism and conservation initiatives.
Arsenal became the first club in Europe’s top five leagues to partner with Visit Rwanda, paving the way for similar agreements with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Atlético Madrid.
The deal placed the Visit Rwanda logo on the left sleeve of Arsenal’s men’s, women’s, and youth team shirts and across match-day LED boards at Emirates Stadium, visited by over 250,000 people annually.
Arsenal coaches also travelled to Rwanda to conduct youth training camps. At the same time, several current and former players visited the country for tourism, including Jurrien Timber, David Luiz, Gilberto Silva, Robert Pires, Ray Parlour, and Bacary Sagna, who took part in Rwanda’s famed Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony.
RDB highlighted the Rwanda Heritage Day at Emirates Stadium and visits by club ambassadors such as Alex Scott, David Luiz, Gilberto Silva, and Timber as standout moments of the partnership.
The success of the Arsenal partnership helped Rwanda expand its influence in sports marketing across Europe, the United States, and Africa.
Over the past decade, Rwanda’s major sports sponsorship deals have included Paris Saint-Germain (2019), a premium partnership featuring branding, joint football development, and the launch of the PSG Academy in Rwanda, which has trained over 400 young players.
Bayern Munich (2023), a five-year agreement with branding at the Allianz Arena, later shifting in 2024 to a talent development-focused collaboration running until 2028. Atlético Madrid (2025), a multi-year deal placing Visit Rwanda on training kits and match jerseys for both men’s and women’s teams, along with global digital promotions and stadium branding in Madrid.
In addition, Rwanda signed sponsorship deals with the Basketball Africa League (2021), hosted the inaugural BAL tournament, and continues to serve as a key host for continental basketball events. And in 2025, NBA & NFL, Visit Rwanda became the first African tourism brand to sponsor both the LA Clippers and LA Rams, securing jersey patch rights, stadium branding at Intuit Dome and SoFi Stadium, and youth development programmes.
Through football, basketball, and multi-platform marketing, Rwanda has positioned itself as a leading African destination for tourism, sports, and investment.
