Cairo: A Saudi company, a subsidiary of the kingdom’s investment arm PIF, plans to launch soon an academy for training in the coffee industry amid marked efforts to further promote the national drink.
The academy, planned by the Saudi Coffee Company, aims to support the production of Saudi coffee and localise related industries as well as provide training opportunities in various relevant disciplines.
“The firm will announce the establishment of the academy in the coming period. It will comprise branches in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to support the coffee product, which is linked to the Saudi society’s culture and Identity,” the Saudi Coffee Company’s marking head Mohammed Zeiny.
He told the Saudi news website Akhbar24 that the first course of the academy got underway last month when 70 farmers in southern Saudi Arabia were trained to develop proper coffee bean cultivation methods and boost productivity quality.
The official did not give a specific date for unveiling the academy but said its official launch will be soon.
He noted that the training courses at the academy will boost local coffee output and help the company, which was launched in May 2022, to fulfil its objective of producing 2,500 tons of coffee by the year 2032.
Serving coffee to guests is part of the hospitality heritage in the Arabian Peninsula.
Saudi Arabia designated 2022 as the “Year of Saudi Coffee”, a national initiative that celebrated Saudi coffee through a wide array of events and competitions.
The Ministry of Culture has renamed Arabic coffee to Saudi coffee at all restaurants and coffee shops in the kingdom.
