Saudi Coffee Company is responsible for developing Saudi Arabia’s national coffee industry | Photo credit: Saudi Coffee Company

The Saudi Coffee Company has launched a bespoke coffee brand, JAZEAN, which it said will transform Saudi coffee from ‘local favourite’ to ‘global phenomenon’.  
 

Formed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in May 2022, the Saudi Coffee Company is responsible for developing the Kingdom’s national coffee industry and boosting coffee production from 300 to 2,500 tons annually by 2028. 

Backed by SAR 1.2bn ($320m) investment, the launch of a packaged retail coffee brand forms part of the Saudi Coffee Company’s strategy to raise public awareness of coffee grown in the Kingdom. 

The range of eight packaged JAZEAN coffees, comprising both specialty and traditional Saudi coffee variations, is being sold online direct-to-consumer (DTC) and via Saudi Coffee Company’s existing business-to-business (B2B) channels. Prices range from SAR 48 ($12.80) to SAR 92 ($25) for a 250g bag. 

“JAZEAN is a symbol of our aspiration to develop a coffee industry that is rooted in sustainable production, from cultivation through to packaging. By developing JAZEAN, we are putting our local farmers on the map and giving them a platform to contribute to a national brand, which will take our homegrown product global,” said Mohammed Zainy, Marketing Director, Saudi Coffee Company. 

“Our ambition is to create a product that is a cultural ambassador – one that is deeply Saudi in flavour but global in appeal,” he added. 

JAZEAN is sourced from Jazan, a southwest region of Saudi Arabia with approximately 200,000 coffee trees across more than 1,500 coffee farms. 

In March 2023, the Saudi Coffee Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Jazan Mountains Development Authority to boost the capacity of its farms, the quality of its output and the reach of its produce. 

The agreement sees the Jazan Mountains Development Authority commit to a ‘robust supply of coffee seedlings’ to the Saudi Coffee Company and a joint commitment to introduce training academies and programmes in the region. 

The Saudi Coffee Company said training will focus on helping farmers select better quality seeds, refine their farming methods, manage their resources more efficiently, and pilot new techniques to increase quality yield.