Coffee beans festival turns Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region into a cultural hub

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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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The festival also promotes all manner of local handicrafts and produce.
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)
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Updated 08 February 2020
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Coffee beans festival turns Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region into a cultural hub

  • Nearly 200 Saudi farmers displayed a variety of coffee products at the annual event
  • A cinema played various movies about the importance of local coffee to Jazan’s heritage

JAZAN: For the seventh year in a row, a bustling crowd of farmers and families gathered in Al-Dayer governorate, in the eastern part of the mountainous Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the Coffee Beans Festival, which concluded on Tuesday.

For six days, about 200 farmers — nearly three times the size of previous festivals — displayed a variety of coffee products to visitors eager to try out various coffee beans, aromas and tastes from the surrounding areas.

Although Jazan continues to be known for its most famous Khawlani coffee bean, the increase in visitors, farmers and leisure activities at this year’s festival marked a palpable shift in a region that is increasingly popular for its natural landscape, heritage and economic opportunities.

The event offered an enhanced program for visitors, in the form of a cinema playing films about the importance of coffee, a line of stalls offering home cooked dishes by women from the area, highlights from a local museum that reveal Jazan’s rich history, and numerous boutiques selling local honey, perfumes, garments and jewelry, with the latter incorporating the local coffee bean.

Hussain Hadi Al-Malki, an award-winning coffee farmer and owner of Mefraz, a local coffee brand, told Arab News that this year’s festival was significantly larger than that of 2019.




An elderly vendor beckons visitors to his booth at the Jazan Coffee Beans Festival. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)

“We now have more farmers,” said Al-Malki. “Private businesses have started to invest in coffee. The number of visitors is increasing yearly.”

Al-Malki, who hails from Al-Dayer governorate, added: “Some young farmers are utilizing modern technology in displaying and promoting their coffee.

“They are also now using a special type of packing materials to preserve their products and keep its attractive smell for as long a time as possible.”

The festival featured more than five new coffee brand names, all created by young farmers from Jazan.

“This year nearly 100 women participated in the festival, around 70 percent more than previous years,” said Mohammad Jibran Al-Maliki, chairman of the tourism committee in Al-Salma.

Speaking to Arab News, Suada Al-Aleely, a vendor selling homemade food, pointed to the importance of the festival as a social gathering place for families and friends. “We don’t only sell home-produced dolma and traditional dishes like aseeda, but also meet up friends and spend a good period of time together,” she said.

 

Echoing that view, Al-Malki said the production of coffee beans had transformed both the economy and the society of Jazan.

“The festival has attracted many people other than coffee farmers,” he said. “Families can be seen here displaying and selling their homemade food and people interested in old items are there to show their collectibles. “In the long run this will give a push forward to the region’s economy by attracting more and more tourists.”

Coffee apart, Jazan is the site of a number of mega projects as Saudi Arabia pours billions of dollars into the region’s infrastructure. Saudi Aramco is currently completing the Jazan Refinery and Terminal, a major oil and gas project in the region. Associated terminal facilities are located on the Red Sea.

The government of Jazan is also keen to develop the local tourism industry. In fact, Al-Dayer has already begun to receive tourists from various regions of the world.

On the third day of the Coffee Beans Festival, Mefraz’s booth received 10 non-Arab tourists, according to Al-Malki.

“Four people came from the US and the others are Europeans,” he told Arab News.

“We have prepared programs for the visitors, such as folk dances and live performances, to introduce them to our culture.”

Ahmed Jubran, an expert farmer and owner of a model farm, said Jazan is on course to produce up to 336 tons of coffee beans this year, compared with last year’s 119 tons.

He said Al-Dayer governorate had 65 percent of this, adding that he expected production to double next year.

Meanwhile, farmers in the region have been told by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture that a coffee factory, lab and research center are in the pipeline. “We are planning to be self-sufficient by 2040,” said Jubran. “We have now some 158,000 trees, and by 2030 we will have a million trees that can give us some 5,000 tons.




Jazan’s famous Khawlani coffee beans have changed the economic landscape of the region. (AN photo by Mohammed Albaijan)

“By 2050 we plan to start exporting.” The future may come sooner than expected. Jubran said the government has allocated SR12 billion ($3.2 billion) for rural development programs that would help them achieve their targets ahead of time.

The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, meanwhile, aims to increase production, processing and marketing of fruit, fish, livestock, coffee and cultivation of rain-fed crops. The program will not only boost investment in Jazan’s agriculture but also diversify the sector, improve small farmers’ incomes, create job opportunities and contribute to food security and sustainable development.

As the Coffee Beans Festival concluded, the future looked more promising than ever.

“The future of farming coffee in Jazan is prosperous at all levels,” Prince Badr bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s minister of culture, said via Twitter. “Culturally, planting coffee beans is considered an intangible heritage, inherited for hundreds of years.

“On the economic level, it is a promising investment and development sector. I am really proud of the strong determination of the farmers and the passion of the people of Al-Dayer.”


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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, and his French counterpart, Rachida Dati, held talks in Paris on Wednesday on cultural cooperation.

They discussed cultural exchanges between their countries and cooperation relating to museums, libraries, theater, the arts, cuisine, heritage and film production.

Riyadh and Paris are looking to strengthen partnerships, nurture talent through training programs for workers in cultural sectors, and exchange expertise, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Kingdom’s assistant culture minister, Rakan Al-Touq, also took part in the meeting.


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Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar received Ambassador of Albania to the Kingdom Saimir Bala in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They discussed various topics of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

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  • The Kingdom and MENA region represent an emerging market for organic food, says organizing official

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is among the Gulf Cooperation Council nations taking significant steps to invest in developing its organic food and beverage sector, which has experienced a growth surge in recent years.

The three-day Biofach Saudi Arabia, which was held alongside Saudi Organic Food Day and concluded on Wednesday, is a key platform showcasing the Kingdom’s commitment to developing its agricultural future.

Biofach was organized by 1st Arabia Tradeshows and Conferences in collaboration with NurnbergMesse, with support from the Saudi Ministry for Energy, Water and Agriculture and the Saudi Organic Farming Association.

Christian Beyer, manager of international events at NurnbergMesse, highlighted the potential of the Middle East and North Africa region: “The MENA region, especially Saudi Arabia, represents an emerging market for organic food that was estimated at USD 7 billion in 2022 and can expect ongoing growth.”

Recognizing the importance of organic farming for food security and environmental sustainability, Saudi authorities are focusing on enhancing rural production and improving supply chains to ensure organic products reach consumers efficiently.

The exhibition’s knowledge-exchange platform addressed local challenges, including effective water and fertilizer management, which are crucial for the region’s arid climate.

Among the exhibitors was the Saudi company Aamal Al-Andalus, which provides organic fertilizers to address soil degradation and declining fertility. Their products are said to help treat and reduce environmental stress, increase agricultural production, and improve the quality of crops to enhance export opportunities.

Youssif Abdulqader, sales manager and engineer at Aamal Al-Andalus, told Arab News: “Food around the world is increasingly going organic, particularly when all inputs in the plants come from organic and safe sources.”

He noted that this shift is largely driven by the health issues linked to consuming fruits and vegetables produced through conventional farming methods, which are often less beneficial or even harmful to human well-being.

Abdulqader explained: “Conventional farming practices are generally well-structured and effective; however, they face challenges such as the excessive use of pesticides and their persistence in the soil.”

Farmers often encounter bacterial issues within their crops that need to be addressed cost-effectively to maximize profitability.

“This is where organic alternatives can be prohibitively expensive, prompting conventional farmers to seek cheaper, often internationally banned options,” he added.

He added that the use of pesticides results in chemical residues that can remain in the plant’s environment.

These residues pose significant health risks when consumers ingest vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes.

“There is a concern that these chemicals may contain heavy metals that the human body cannot process, leading to serious health issues such as cancer, kidney failure, and liver diseases, which are frequently associated with traditional farming practices,” he explained.


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  • More than 50,000 Muslims attended the event, which was broadcast on several media platforms and garnered more than 4 million views

RIYADH: The imam and khatib of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Baijan, took part in a peace conference themed “Islam is the Religion of Humanity and Peace” during his recent visit to India

More than 50,000 Muslims attended the event, which was broadcast on several media platforms and garnered more than 4 million views, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

As guest of honor, Al-Baijan delivered a speech in which he said that Islam was a religion of security and peace. He warned against divisions among Muslims and said that such discord threatened national unity, led to chaos and could incite wars.

Minister for Wakf and Haj in the government of Kerala Shri. V. Abdurahiman also spoke at the event, praising Saudi Arabia for its efforts in promoting Islam, peace and moderation.

Al-Baijan also joined the 35th All India Ahle Hadith Conference in New Delhi, where he commended Saudi Arabia’s efforts, led by its leadership, to promote security, peace, stability and the safeguarding of human dignity globally.


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  • The event is a comprehensive program aimed at developing Arabic language curricula

RIYADH: King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has launched Arabic Language Month in Thailand, in cooperation with Krirk University in Bangkok and Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai, southern Thailand.

The event is a comprehensive program aimed at developing Arabic language curricula, improving teacher performance, promoting Arabic and highlighting Saudi Arabia’s initiatives in this field, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Running until Nov. 29, the event features a variety of activities, including a scientific symposium, two panel discussions and four courses designed to enhance the teaching skills of Arabic teachers for non-native speakers, focusing on modern teaching methods.

The King Salman academy has hosted Arabic Language Month programs in a number of countries, including Indonesia, China, India, France and Brazil.

Last month, the academy hosted Arabic Language Month in France, featuring educational activities aimed at developing Arabic curricula.

The program included visits and meetings with French educational institutions offering Arabic programs and centers focused on teaching and promoting the Arabic language.