“Gahwa”, the Saudi coffee in search of international recognition

For Farah Al Malki, growing coffee trees is more than a job, it is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation, which the Saudi government and professionals increasingly seek to promote.

“My father inherited (this trade) from his grandparents, I took over and passed it on to my children, and then to my grandchildren,” says the old man, watching them prune trees.

In Jizan, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the 90-year-old patriarch has – like his country – a long history with coffee, spreading from Ethiopia to Yemen and then to the rest of the Middle East by the 15th century.

Jizan is known for its red “khawlani” coffee beans, often mixed with cardamom and saffron to give the coffee a yellowish tint, known locally as “gahwa”.

Its aroma, different from the bitter beverage that is drunk in other parts of the world, remains an important part of the local culture, which is why the government designated 2022 as the year of Saudi coffee.

Served with dates both at home and in royal palaces, “gahwa” is considered a symbol of hospitality and generosity.

Dressed in the traditional attire of coffee farmers, a dark shirt and long skirt (wizrah), a dagger on his belt, Farah Al Malki always tends the fields, despite his age. “The biggest problem we had was the lack of water and support,” he explains.

But with the desire to diversify the economy of the rich oil monarchy, the government launched a coffee promotion campaign in January.

The authorities asked all restaurants and cafes to use the designation “Saudi coffee” instead of “Arabic coffee.”

And the national oil giant Aramco announced a project to establish a dedicated coffee center in Jizan, using “advanced irrigation techniques to improve agricultural production.”

attract investors

By the end of 2021, the kingdom had 400,000 coffee trees in 600 farms across the country, producing 800 tons of coffee a year, a drop in water compared to the production of the behemoths of the sector, such as Brazil and Ethiopia.

However, according to local media, Saudi Arabia plans to plant 1.2 million khawlani trees by 2025.

All nine of Farah’s children are involved in this industry, whether at the growing, packing, transporting or marketing stage.

Among them, Ahmed, 42, is dressed like his father in traditional farmer’s clothing, as well as a flower headdress. “All the farms are organic,” he says, adding that he has a deep understanding of “khawlani” coffee beans.

The family produces about 2.5 tons of ground coffee a year, priced between US$26.3 and US$40 per kilo.

According to historian Yahya Al Malki, who is associated with this family, the “secret” of khawlani beans lies in their cultivation in the Jizan region, which is hot, humid and rainy.

Saudi Arabia hopes that the khawlani coffee culture will be included in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. “This will help support farmers and preserve coffee plantations, while attracting foreign investors to the region,” explains Ahmed, evoking a dream that would come true.

Today he wants to pass this knowledge on to his own children and grandchildren and prays that it will continue to be “a source of income for them”.