Aramco, Saudi Coffee Co. ink deal to improve the brew in the Kingdom

RIYADH (Arabnews): Coffee cultivation in Saudi Arabia will soon be waking up to a concerted effort to promote its brew, with the government training farmers in Jazan and Asir and supporting its value chain in the Kingdom.

As part of the initiative, the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Saudi Coffee Co., a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to elevate the industry to sustainable levels to position it as a competitive national brand.

Under the terms of the agreement, the coffee company will expand the initiative by training farmers and providing full support for the value chain of coffee products in the Kingdom.

The project would also include consultations on best practices to operate the Coffee Development Center in Al-Dair, which Saudi Aramco is building in cooperation with the Jazan Mountains Development Authority to serve the region’s farmers.

The MoU backs the oil giant’s efforts toward fulfilling social responsibility by supporting small projects in the Kingdom.

Khaled Al-Zamil, the vice president for public affairs at Saudi Aramco, inked the deal with Fahd Al-Nahit, the chairman of the Saudi Coffee Co.

“This cooperation with the Saudi Coffee Co. represents an important turning point for the citizenship initiatives in Saudi Aramco,” said Al-Zamil.

The initiative continues its tangible contributions in supporting small-scale industries initiatives, including the program launched in 2016 to train coffee farmers on the latest sustainable agriculture methods for coffee production in the Jazan region.

“This partnership strengthens efforts to develop the coffee industry in the areas of agriculture, research, innovation and marketing, and opens the way for the exchange of experiences and complements Saudi Aramco’s previous efforts in developing the Saudi coffee industry and making it more competitive globally,” he added.

Saudi Aramco has already launched and supported many initiatives and projects with a sustainable impact across crafts, traditional and popular professions, including beekeepers, fishermen, and other crafts that work on enhancing the Kingdom’s national identity and contributing to preserving the cultural heritage.