Bugesera, Eastern Province · Updated 16 October 2026

Rilima

The site of Rwanda's new international airport, its airport city and, from the early 2030s, a Formula 1 circuit.

From Kigaliabout 40 km by road1
Airport, first phase7–8 million passengers a year2
Runway4.2 km2
Opening expected2027–20283
Special economic zone335 hectares2

Under way

  • Bugesera International Airport: first phase under construction; ICAO certification to follow; ASECNA partnership signed May 20263
  • Bugesera Airport City: spans Rilima, Juru, Nyamata and Gashora; hotels, logistics, schools, a convention centre for about 5,500 delegates; 25–30% of the master plan complete (July 2026)2
  • Formula 1: ten-year agreement announced 13 October 2026; circuit next to the new airport; first race in the early 2030s4

Rilima is where a new international airport, budgeted at well over a billion US dollars, meets open land. The airport's runway and roads are largely finished; the work has moved to terminals and cargo buildings. Around it, the airport city plans logistics, hospitality, housing and services across four sectors.

What it means for owners and developers

  • Timing matters more than location for the next three years: the airport's opening date will set when demand arrives.
  • Short and medium stays first: crews, contractors, event visitors and staff on rotation will need furnished homes before families settle.
  • Plan the running of a building at the design stage, especially water storage, power back-up and staff housing, which are harder to add later in Bugesera.
In the Journal
A Grand Prix, an airport, and the land around themBugesera now holds two of the largest commitments Rwanda has made. What it means for owners and developers, and where the opportunity sits.
Sources
  1. Bugesera International Airport · Wikipedia · 2026-10-16
  2. In Rwanda, Bugesera Airport City gets dedicated CEO as construction enters critical phase · KT Press · 2026-07-30
  3. Rwanda, ASECNA coordinate preparations for Bugesera airport operations · Ecofin Agency · 2026-05-13
  4. Everything we know about F1's all-new race in Rwanda · Formula 1 · 2026-10-13

KERUB manages residences and advises developers in Kigali. If you own, are building or are buying in Rilima, talk to the team.

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