By Zahid Karani
KARACHI: The High Commission of Rwanda in Islamabad, in collaboration with the National Agricultural Export Board, hosted the Rwanda Coffee Festival 2026 at a hotel in the capital, marking the first dedicated effort to introduce Rwanda’s premium specialty coffee to the Pakistani market.
The event was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Pakistan’s federal minister for commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, and Rwanda’s minister of trade and industry, Prudence Sebahizi, along with Rwanda’s high commissioner to Pakistan, Harerimana Fatou. Diplomats, members of parliament, business leaders and delegates from Rwanda attended the opening.
Addressing the gathering, Sebahizi said Rwanda had emerged as a leading producer of high-quality specialty coffee through innovation, strict quality controls and sustainability-focused policies. He thanked Pakistan for its hospitality and said Rwanda was keen to deepen economic engagement, highlighting the potential of its premium Arabica coffee in Pakistan’s growing consumer market. He also pointed to opportunities for direct sourcing and long-term partnerships, noting Rwanda’s access to wider African markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Jam Kamal Khan welcomed the Rwandan delegation and congratulated the high commission on organising the first Rwanda Coffee Festival in Pakistan. He said the initiative could open new avenues for bilateral trade and private-sector cooperation, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest in expanding trade ties with Rwanda, particularly in agro-manufacturing, textiles, leather and value-added agricultural products. He stressed that the business community would play a central role in making such collaborations successful.
The festival also featured a Rwandan cultural dance performance and an exhibition by five leading Rwandan coffee companies. Pakistani importers, coffee professionals and consumers sampled a range of coffee varieties, with many praising the quality, aroma and distinct flavour of Rwandan coffee, seen as having strong potential in Pakistan’s expanding specialty coffee market.
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