AI : Rwanda partners with the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia to boost its technological ecosystem
Rwanda takes a new step in its ambition to become an African leader in artificial intelligence. Through an agreement signed with the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, the country is committed to strengthening its AI ecosystem by fostering innovation, training, and international synergies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape global economies, redefining production models, education, governance, and even public health. In this global race, Africa does not want to lag behind, and Rwanda is positioning itself as one of the leading drivers of this technological transformation on the continent.
On April 23, 2025, during the Dubai AI Week, Kigali took a significant step in international cooperation. The country signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) of the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. This partnership, concluded by Ambassador John Mirenge on behalf of the Rwandan government, aims to strengthen collaboration on AI development through shared initiatives in governance, technological innovation, and training.
A strategy supported by Vision 2050
Since 2022, Rwanda has had its own Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR Rwanda), created in partnership with the World Economic Forum. This centre is currently leading several regulatory and experimental AI projects. Recently, Kigali launched an ambitious plan to develop 50 artificial intelligence applications over four years, targeting sectors such as health, agriculture, education, finance, and public administration.
This program is part of the broader digital strategy of Rwanda, aligned with the Vision 2050, which aims to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy. According to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, the digital economy could represent nearly 10% of Rwanda’s GDP by 2030.
AI must be a tool for inclusive development, not a driver of the digital divide
The memorandum signed in Dubai also reflects a desire to pool strengths. The United Arab Emirates, pioneers in integrating AI into public services – notably in Dubai, which appointed a Minister of Artificial Intelligence as early as 2017 – will provide their expertise in algorithmic governance. Malaysia, on the other hand, is recognized for its innovation programs applied to industry and technological education.
“AI must be a tool for inclusive development, not a driver of the digital divide,” emphasized Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, during the latest Global AI Summit in Africa, held in Kigali. The event brought together several hundred international experts, government representatives, and private sector actors, highlighting Rwanda’s growing role in global discussions on technological governance.
We must not be mere consumers of global innovation, but co-authors of it
Beyond the economic aspects, Rwanda advocates a human-centered vision of AI. Initiatives under the new agreement will focus on youth training, data ethics, and ensuring technology is accessible to rural populations. An AI scholarship program has already allowed the first cohort of Rwandan talent to train abroad.
The challenge remains immense. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), only 22% of Africans had access to the Internet in 2023, a crucial prerequisite for the adoption of AI solutions. Hence, it is essential for Rwanda to form alliances capable of bridging these gaps quickly.
Through these efforts, Kigali aims to become a continental technological hub while contributing to a responsible African AI model. As President Paul Kagame summarizes: « We must not be mere consumers of global innovation, but co-authors of it. »
