Saudi Arabia Builds Coffee City, Targets 2,000 Tons of Production Per Year

Saudi Arabia is expanding the development of the coffee sector through the first "coffee city" project in Baha. The project, which has been running for almost three years, is targeted to produce 2,000 tons of coffee per year.

Quoted from a report by Arab News, Sunday, June 7, the project stands on land of about 170 hectares. Referring to Al Arabiya data, more than 527,000 coffee seedlings have been planted in the area.

The coffee city is expected to strengthen the supply chain of Saudi Arabian coffee and open up new export opportunities. The project is also expected to create around 100 direct jobs for farmers, technicians, and supervisors. The indirect impact can be felt in the logistics, operations, and marketing sectors.

Coffee farmer Baha, Mohammed Abbas, said the area was built to boost Baha's position as one of Saudi Arabia's agricultural production centers.

"Baha is always trying to be the leader in agricultural production in Saudi Arabia," Abbas was quoted as saying by Arab News.

According to Abbas, Saudi Arabia targets a coffee production of 10,000 tons per year through six coffee cities. Four development contracts have been awarded to local and international companies. Two other contracts are still in the tender stage.

Abbas said the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia, through its branch in Baha, continues to open investment opportunities in the coffee sector.

The coffee city of Baha is in Ma'shouqa. The region has more than 450 coffee plantations and about 115,000 coffee trees that produce a number of premium varieties.

According to Arab News, the CEO and co-founder of the Arabic Coffee Institute, Al-Mohanad Al-Marwai, said Baha has long been known as one of the important agricultural areas in Saudi Arabia. The area also plays a role in the local and international supply chain.

Al-Marwai said a number of steps had been prepared. Among them was the establishment of the Baha Coffee Association to support small farmers and the initiative to plant 1 million coffee trees by 2030.

"Together, this initiative helps strengthen Saudi Arabia's domestic coffee production, increase the sector's contribution to the national economy, and support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030," said Al-Marwai.

He assessed that Saudi coffee has made great progress in recent years. However, the challenge is not only to increase production. Quality, processing, education, sustainability, and market access must also be strengthened.

"Creating sustainable market demand is just as important as increasing production," he said.

According to Al-Marwai, farmers need access to profitable markets. Buyers need guarantees of quality and consistency. The industry also needs investment throughout the value chain.

"The next step is to position Saudi Arabia not only as a coffee producing country, but also as the origin of coffee that is recognized globally for its quality, authenticity, and innovation," said Al-Marwai.