KAMPALA, Uganda — The Middle East maintained its position as Uganda’s primary export market for the 12th consecutive month in 2025, as the region’s demand for Ugandan goods helped drive total national export earnings to $13.43 billion.
Data from the Bank of Uganda shows that exports to the Middle East more than doubled in December 2025, reaching $676.59 million. The region accounted for 48.5% of Uganda’s total export market share during the month, followed by the East African Community at 20% and Asia at 15.7%.
The surge in regional trade contributed to an overall 55% increase in annual merchandise exports compared to 2024. Gold and coffee remained the central pillars of this growth, with gold alone generating $6.40 billion in foreign exchange and coffee contributing $2.46 billion.
Jan Sadek, head of the European Union delegation to Uganda, noted that while the Middle East and other markets are growing, there is significant untapped potential in Europe for products like coffee, fish and fruit. He emphasized that approximately 70% of Uganda’s coffee production is currently destined for Europe, supported by a 44 million euro EU program for value addition.
“It is always good to start where we have seen success already and that is obviously coffee,” Sadek said.
Despite the record figures, some officials warned that high export volumes to top destinations do not always equate to high domestic profits. Odrek Rwabwogo, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, noted that much of the gold destined for these markets is refined from minerals originating in other African countries.
“The discussion should not be about quantities,” Rwabwogo said. “It should be about how much value you add at household level.”
Strong performance in the Middle Eastern and Asian markets helped narrow Uganda’s merchandise trade deficit by 24% to $206.42 million by the end of the year, even as imports of machinery and mineral products rose to $1.6 billion.
