The Hand Off
Aramco planted and nurtured the seeds of budding Saudi coffee success
Global April 13, 2026 - By
Generations of Saudi farmers have cultivated the Arabica coffee bean, and aided by Aramco, built the Saudi Coffee brand. Now, the company is handing over its Saudi Coffee Development Center to the Saudi Coffee Company.
Community Champions
After almost a decade of transforming a traditional industry, deeply rooted in Jazan Province and its neighboring ‘Asir Province, Aramco is handing over its Saudi Coffee Development Center to the Saudi Coffee Company.
A success story that Aramco started, the Saudi Coffee Company now continues.
Across lofty terraced earth some 800 meters above sea level, generations of Saudi farmers have cultivated and nurtured coffee trees that yield a prized and distinctly aromatic variety of the famous Arabica coffee bean.
Not only is it a lofty setting, Jazan’s Al-Dayer coffee-producing area, as well as six others, now harbor lofty ambitions energized by a transformative journey of empowerment led by Aramco’s Corporate Citizenship.
Handover
Inaugurated in 2024, the Aramco Coffee Development Center has now been officially handed over to the stewardship of the Saudi Coffee Company.
Reflecting on the handover, Hadeel A. Al-Eisa, Corporate Citizenship manager, commented: “The Saudi Coffee Development Center complements Aramco’s 10-year efforts in empowering local communities and combining traditional knowledge with modern capabilities in the coffee sector. As the Center transitions to the Saudi Coffee Company, we are confident it will continue to strengthen the sector, support farmers, and unlock new opportunities for economic growth in the region.”
One Aramco Corporate Citizenship employee has championed the initiative from its early days.
Saleh Al-Ghamdi oversaw the project since its beginning in 2016, working with partners from the planting of an idea, to the rejuvenated ascendancy of a whole coffee producing industry, now branded under the umbrella “Saudi Coffee.”
Improving lives
He is deeply proud of seeing the blooms of Aramco’s efforts toward the coffee industry in the region.
For his endeavors in the mountainside coffee plantations, he received an Aramco Excellence Award in 2018.
“From the beginning,” Al-Ghamdi recalls, “we set out to change it all, to change the mentality among the farmers, to change the thinking from just farms and farming to farming businesses. Now if you go there, the people feel that they have a place worthy of tourism and development.
“For example, when Aramco first arrived there with its offer of support, there wasn’t a single coffee shop; now there are 10,” he said.
Proof of this transformation that Aramco has contributed to is plain to see.
Coffee is now produced in commercial quantities in seven areas, 1,057 farmers have benefited from Aramco’s support, and 203,000 seedlings have been planted.
It’s all about coffee
The quality and distinction of Saudi coffee comes from a distillation of multiple conditions that combine to serve up the final taste.
For coffee, these include factors such as soil, annual rainfall, and average temperature, quality of seedlings, and proper farming methods.
The results speak of a community learning journey, led by Aramco and its Corporate Citizenship.
Due to gradually expanding Aramco-led efforts, the meticulous farming techniques are now married to modern methods, resulting in a reawakened passion for this traditional artisanal craft.
Great potential
New hopes of great potential now infuse the terraces and farming communities that populate the foothills of the mountainous terrain.
It takes weeks of patient drying of the harvest before the peeling and separation of the seeds paves the way for roasting and grinding, and finally, pouring into morning coffee cups.
Aramco’s initial 2016 activities were delivered in collaboration with the Jazan Mountains Development Authority and Al-Dayer Charitable Society.
What began in Al-Dayer, then expanded to six additional areas between 2018 and 2020:
- Faifa
- Al-Raith
- Al-Ardah
- Al-Eydabi
- Huroob
- 'Asir Province.
Targeted support
Training was identified as a key need; the coffee trees were there, but there was no production and farmers needed to combine artisanal and modern skills to eventually reap success.
At the outset, it was necessary to conduct a survey and ascertain where coffee farming stood in the region and identify which areas of the craft needed targeted support.
Training in watering the plants, more productive irrigation methods, and instruction on pruning and harvesting to get the best results was initiated.
At the beginning of the Citizenship project, Aramco had to convince local farmers that it was there to help and provide support to the community.
Trust and buy-in
The project needed to build trust among the people and secure their buy-in.
This involved consultation and collaboration with the farmers, a local charity, and the government.
In this way, trust was built and the initiative began to blossom.
“The support gave them the power to change things; they are very happy when they talk about the company today. They now have incomes and I can’t really explain in words the great feelings I have about it all,” explains Al-Ghamdi.
Revolutionizing industry
The establishment of the Saudi Coffee Development Center in Jazan in 2024 marked a notable moment in supporting the coffee industry in the region.
The Center supports the entire coffee value chain, offering farmers access to high-quality seedlings, modern agricultural techniques, and guidance on brand development.
Equipped with advanced processing machines capable of handling up to 14,000 tons of coffee cherries annually, the Center also features a highly efficient drying oven that reduces the traditional three-week drying process to just eight hours.
For small-scale farmers, specialized equipment allows for processing smaller quantities while maintaining the highest standards, and a dedicated quality and tasting laboratory aims to ensure that the Saudi coffee meets international benchmarks for flavor and aroma.
Modern approach
Through these facilities, farmers now have the tools to help elevate their production and embrace a more scientific, modern approach to coffee farming.
By combining traditional knowledge with modern technology, the Saudi Coffee Development Center has not only enhanced production and quality, but has also instilled a sense of pride and empowerment in local farming communities.
Staying true to one of Aramco's objective to support local communities through providing farmers with training, resources, and support, the Saudi Coffee Company now takes the reins.
Aramco's support has also extended to sponsoring numerous festivals and events dedicated to Saudi coffee, helping strengthen the presence of the national product both locally and internationally. One of the most recent of these initiatives is the sponsorship of the International Saudi Coffee Exhibition, reflecting Aramco's enducring commitment to nurturing this growing sector while paving the way for its continuous growth under national stewardship.
Through its citizenship efforts, Aramco has supported the coffee sector and has built a now-thriving economic bulwark for farming communities to contribute to the wider Saudi economy.
