Rwanda has stood by its decision to invest millions in an advertising partnership with UK football club Arsenal, despite facing substantial criticism. The country’s official tourism authority, Visit Rwanda, plans to display its logo on the players’ sleeves next season, aiming to attract more tourists to the East African nation.

The deal has sparked concern, particularly as Rwanda continues to depend on foreign aid for a significant portion of its budget. The British newspaper The Daily Mail reported that the agreement could cost around £30 million ($40 million), nearly half of the UK’s annual aid to Rwanda.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen commented, “If this isn’t a perfect own goal for foreign aid, I don’t know what is. It highlights the absurdity of this system.”

Questions about the deal have also been raised in the Dutch parliament.

In response, Rwanda’s tourism authority defended the agreement, emphasizing its role in a broader strategy to boost annual tourism revenue. “Our national goal is to double tourism receipts from $404 million to $800 million by 2024,” the statement read. “This ambitious goal requires innovative marketing to position Rwanda as an attractive tourist destination. The partnership with Arsenal is just one of many efforts to enhance our visibility and, as such, part of our tourism revenue is reinvested to support such marketing initiatives.”