Starbucks has announced its participation in the Khawlani Coffee Festival 2022, held from January 22 – 29 in at the Al-Dayer Governorate, as the brand continues to champion local coffee culture across the Kingdom.
Back for a ninth edition, the festival will celebrate all things coffee with a variety of activities including masterclasses, special exhibitions, live entertainment, and shopping opportunities reflecting the culture and heritage of Saudi Arabia. Sharing its own mastery of the beverage, Starbucks will showcase the talents of its Saudi baristas/ partners through brewing demonstrations on best techniques and coffee making mastery led by the highly-skilled Saudi coffee masters. The presentations which will include brewing techniques, Clemex and French Press will be held twice daily at 5pm and 9pm throughout the eight-day festival to explore and share the intricate art of coffee making. Starbucks has a presence in Jazan with its core store in Rashed Mall.
As an industry pioneer, Starbucks participation in the Saudi Khawlani Coffee Festival 2022 is a testament to the global brand’s commitment to exceptional coffee at a local scale. Towards this goal, Starbucks’ success in developing local talent supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ‘Quality of Life Program’, which aims to empower Saudi professionals through training and skills building.
“The coffee culture in Saudi Arabia holds a significant importance to Starbucks given the Kingdom’s evident support to developing this industry and maintaining the heritage” commented Andy Holmes – President Starbucks MENA. “In this year, designated by the Ministry of Culture as the ‘Year of Saudi Coffee’, we’re excited to be the first international coffee brand to be welcomed into the Khawlani Coffee Festival, where we look forward to having our Saudi Baristas demonstrate their coffee mastery and share our coffee brewing methods alongside others within the Saudi community.”
Launched in 2013, the Saudi Khawlani festival has increasingly gained momentum as a key event to preserve a vital aspect of the Kingdom’s ancient past, while offering an opportunity to explore different beans, aromas and tastes that appeal to the modern palette.
Over its many editions, the festival has contributed to the growing interest in coffee cultivation for local farmers by shining a light on the achievements of Saudi men and women who work to cultivate coffee plants. Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region is a major coffee producing locations globally, with the locally grown Khalwani coffee considered one of the finest beans in the world.
