By Diana Kintu
In a major drive to attract foreign investment and create jobs, Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo is spearheading efforts to draw significant Saudi Arabian investment into the country’s coffee industry and wider agricultural sector.
Speaking at a high-level investment conference in Riyadh where she represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Alupo outlined Uganda’s ambition to shift from exporting raw coffee beans to producing high-value, branded coffee products. The initiative aligns with Uganda Vision 2040, which prioritises industrialisation, value addition, and export diversification.
Since Uganda has strategically invested in Saudi Arabia through Nonda Commodities Limited, we invite reciprocal investment to strengthen this two-way partnership,” Alupo said. “Together, we can transform Uganda into Saudi Arabia’s primary African sourcing and industrial partner for coffee.”
At the centre of this effort is a $148 million (approximately Shs556 billion) initiative known as the Value-at-Source Coffee Project, designed to retain more value from coffee within Uganda by encouraging local processing, packaging, and branding. The project is expected to empower farmers, create jobs, and reduce the country’s dependency on raw exports.
The Luweero Coffee Park will be Africa’s largest integrated coffee processing hub, expected to handle 42,000 metric tonnes of coffee per year. The facility will ensure consistent quality control, promote value addition, and serve as a key driver of Uganda’s industrial growth.
The Jazan Coffee Terminal in Saudi Arabia will serve as Uganda’s export gateway to Gulf and Asian markets. The terminal will act as a logistics and re-export hub for Ugandan coffee. By leveraging Saudi Arabia’s prime maritime position, Uganda will access a broader international market with improved efficiency.
Marking a milestone for Uganda’s coffee branding journey, Vice President Alupo also launched the first Ugandan single-origin coffee franchise in the Saudi capital. The Nonda Coffee Shop and Roastery will introduce premium Ugandan coffee to a global clientele, boosting the country’s international profile.
Vice President Alupo highlighted that such investments will be crucial in bringing more Ugandans into the money economy. “In Uganda today, 33% of households are still outside the money economy. Our being here is very fundamental because we are going to reduce that number as many will join commercial agriculture,” she said.
The initiative also promises to stimulate rural economies, improve household incomes, and position Uganda as a global player in the speciality coffee industry.
Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih commended Uganda’s stability and economic reforms, describing the country as a beacon of commerce in the region. He praised President Museveni’s leadership and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to deepen cooperation in areas such as agro-industrial development and infrastructure.
Uganda is the largest coffee exporter in Africa after Ethiopia, but much of its coffee is still exported in raw form. The new partnership with Saudi Arabia represents a turning point — one aimed at ensuring more of the coffee value chain remains within Uganda.
Through this initiative, Uganda not only strengthens its trade relations with Saudi Arabia but also moves closer to achieving its long-term goal of becoming a regional hub for agro-processing, value addition, and industrial transformation.