• Uganda’s premium coffee brand Nonda Coffee has opened its first single-origin café in Riyadh, marking the country’s debut on the Gulf’s specialty coffee scene.

• The café launch is part of the US$148 million “Value-at-Source Coffee Project”, a bilateral Ugandan-Saudi investment venture aimed at scaling up processing, roasting and export operations.

• The project supports a dual-facility structure: the Luwero Coffee Park in Uganda for processing and the Jazan Coffee Terminal in Saudi Arabia for distribution and re-export to Gulf markets.

Uganda’s coffee sector is brewing a bold new chapter as Nonda Coffee, a Ugandan-based specialty coffee firm, plants its flag in the heart of Saudi Arabia with the opening of its first single-origin café. The launch in Riyadh is more than a retail milestone, it signals Uganda’s shift from raw-bean exports toward value-added global coffee branding.  T

he venture Is anchored in the “Value-at-Source Coffee Project,” a US$148 million investment between Uganda and Saudi Arabia’s Ingaz International Holding Group. The Investment will build the Luwero Coffee Park in Uganda (for processing, roasting and packaging) and the Jazan Coffee Terminal in Saudi Arabia (for certification, distribution and re-export across the Gulf).

In attendance at the launch, Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo underscored the deal’s alignment with Uganda’s Vision 2040 industrialisation goals, emphasizing “exporting value, identity and culture, not just commodities.”  From the Saudi side, Mr. Mohammed bin Abdulrazzaq Alohaly of the country’s Ministry of Investment called the venture “a model of productive South–South cooperation,” noting that Ugandan coffee would find a long-term market in the Kingdom and Gulf region in the company statement.

The move holds multiple benefits: it positions Uganda’s coffee on the global premium map, creates jobs in processing and roasting at home, strengthens export earnings and integrates the value chain from farm to cup. It also offers Saudi Arabia a stake in sustainable agribusiness and diversified sourcing.

Uganda’s coffee industry is enjoying a remarkable upswing, with exports reaching 7.43 million 60-kg bags between June 2024 and May 2025, a  22% rise in volume and nearly 94% increase in value, generating US$ 2.09 billion, according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA). In May 2025 alone, the country shipped 793,445 bags worth US$ 243.9 million, maintaining its position as Africa’s leading coffee exporter. Exports to Saudi Arabia have also grown steadily, valued at US$ 3.46 million in 2024, marking a strategic diversification beyond Europe and Asia.  

By Cynthia Ebot Takang