Uganda’s push to move up the global coffee value chain has received a major boost following a high-level investment engagement bringing together Ugandan and Saudi partners under the emerging Uganda–Saudi Coffee Corridor.
The milestone was marked during a private dinner at the Serena Hotel Kampala, where government officials, investors and private sector leaders celebrated growing bilateral cooperation in the coffee sector.
The engagement comes amid strengthening economic ties between Uganda and Saudi Arabia, facilitated by the Ugandan Embassy in Riyadh in collaboration with Saudi authorities.
At the centre of the initiative is a strategic partnership between Nonda Coffee and Saudi investment partners including Ingaz Group and Saudi Coffee Company.
The collaboration has already yielded key milestones, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at deepening trade and investment in Uganda’s coffee value chain.
The Uganda–Saudi Coffee Corridor is designed to transform Uganda’s coffee journey — from smallholder gardens to premium global products.
Through structured aggregation centres, farmers are being supported to improve sorting, grading and traceability, helping reduce post-harvest losses while attracting premium prices for high-quality beans.
Ahead of the dinner, a Saudi investor delegation toured Luwero District, where the proposed Luwero Coffee Park will be established.
The facility, spearheaded by Nonda Commodities Limited, is expected to handle roasting, blending, spray-drying, packaging and branding — marking a strategic shift from exporting raw beans to exporting finished coffee products.
Speaking at the dinner, Nonda Coffee CEO Tony Miiro described the project as a generational effort to redefine Africa’s role in global coffee.
He said the initiative goes beyond trade to focus on ownership, identity and building African brands with global relevance.
According to Miiro, the planned processing facility could handle up to 42,000 metric tonnes annually, translating into hundreds of millions of dollars in export value while creating jobs and supporting tens of thousands of farmers.
Saudi investor Ali O Alswayeh highlighted the broader ambition behind the partnership, describing it as a long-term economic bridge between the two countries.
He noted that discussions had evolved from simple trade into a structured investment framework supported by both governments, including plans to position Saudi Arabia as a gateway for Ugandan coffee into global markets.
Alswayeh also hinted at future developments such as logistics infrastructure and global warehousing systems aimed at strengthening Uganda’s participation in international commodity exchanges.
Vice Chairperson of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Sarah Kagingo, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a model for scaling Ugandan enterprises through strategic global alliances.
She noted that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform agenda and Uganda’s industrialisation drive present a natural alignment, particularly in agro-processing, logistics and value addition.
Kagingo added that strengthening value chains like coffee requires coordinated ecosystems spanning transport, finance, trade facilitation and manufacturing.
Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Monica Musenero said the initiative aligns with Uganda’s broader transition from a commodity-based economy to a knowledge-driven and value-added industrial base.
She highlighted Uganda’s economic evolution — from recovery and diversification to manufacturing and now a focus on high-value production powered by innovation and partnerships.
Musenero described projects like Nonda Coffee as pathfinders for future bilateral ventures, saying Uganda is intentionally building trust-based economic corridors that combine public support with private sector leadership.
Beyond coffee, leaders from both countries framed the corridor as a symbol of a new model of economic diplomacy — one built on shared value, co-investment and long-term collaboration.
With growing government backing and investor confidence, the Uganda–Saudi Coffee Corridor is increasingly being viewed as a blueprint for future trade partnerships — not only in coffee but across agriculture, innovation and industrial development.
If successful, the initiative could mark a turning point in Uganda’s ambition to shift from exporting raw commodities to exporting globally competitive, value-added products.
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