Following the events of the Dubai WOC, Mare Terra embarked on a 10-day trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with our new friends from Kofeo to conduct a series of workshops on green coffee.
It was not my first trip to the kingdom, but it was my first in some years, so the progress of the industry and society in general has advanced considerably, while preserving its cultural and historical ties to the beverage we all love.
For those unfamiliar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is nestled in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, and is a land of rich culture, captivating landscapes and an ancient tradition deeply intertwined with Coffee and the modern world.
This beverage has a special significance in the social fabric. Beyond its role as a simple morning stimulant, Coffee occupies a revered place in the social customs and hospitality of the kingdom. You can’t go far without smelling the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the air, and before you know it you find yourself with the locals sharing the ritual of traditional Arabica coffee.
Qahwa (in the local language) is traditionally roasted lightly, very lightly, without reaching the first crunch. Once ground, the Coffee is prepared with an Ibrik and, depending on the area of the country, it is mixed with saffron, cardamom or Cinnamon. The result is a yellowish, opaque liquid that looks more like a lemon and honey tea that we might drink when we are sick than a cup of coffee we know from our coffee shops.
While these traditions go back centuries and are still very strong today, alongside them can be found a a remarkable change in the Saudi Arabian coffee scene, with a growing appreciation for specialty coffee. that transforms the way locals and visitors alike take their daily dose of caffeine, this brings us back to the purpose of the trip and the workshops we prepared together with Kofeo.
Our first stop was Dammam in the Eastern Province.
Kofeo and Mare Terras Coffee brought together in its warehouse, among the stocks of green coffee, to more than 20 roasters and industry professionals from the region and the neighboring island kingdom of Bahrain for the first of three workshops dedicated to green coffee and the art of selection.
The workshop was divided into three sections, the first detailing the quantitative and qualitative approach with which Mare Terras works with our partnership model both at origin and at the other roaster’s end of the supply chain. The second part was the roaster’s role in the supply chain, and the management and quality control of their green coffee and the relationships that guide them to origins and suppliers for their choices. And the final, practical part of the workshop focused on sample roasting and physical and sensory analysis of samples, and how to use the data for decision making.
After the days spent in Dammam, we headed to the center of Saudi Arabia, to the capital, Riyadh. Here, the specialty Coffee scene reflects the dynamism, creativity and cosmopolitan spirit of the city. Throughout the year, the city hosts various coffee festivals, contests and events, where coffee enthusiasts gather to celebrate their common passion and exchange ideas. These meetings serve as catalysts for innovation and collaboration, fostering a strong sense of community.
We would like tothank Repository Coffee Roasters for hosting us and lending us their facilities. We spent a good part of the day discussing the challenges we face in the supply chain in terms of quality control, and the importance of a rigorous protocol to ensure we add value to the final product.
The last stop of the trip took us to the Red Sea and the city of Jeddah. This vibrant port city is a melting pot of cultures and traditions, which translates into a unique coffee panorama. With our new friends from Afaq Coffee, we held the last of three workshops for the Jeddawi coffee community. On this occasion, the group steered the discussion towards the challenges they have faced in the industry in relation to communication and accessibility with other stakeholders further up the supply chain. In summary of this session, a win, win, win approach is necessary for all of us to succeed and grow with purpose.
Organize workshops of this type not only is it a great opportunity to add value to any coffee community, but it is also an opportunity to serves to exchange and evaluate the ideas of all those who participate. Each city, region and country are communities at the micro level, but at the macro level we are all connected in this supply chain. Together we move forward.
