The Saudi Ministry of Culture has awarded grants for twenty coffee research projects from the Kingdom and abroad. The initiative, launched in collaboration with Saudi Coffee Co, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, aims to encourage research focusing on Saudi coffee as part of the Kingdom's cultural heritage.
The grants covered three main areas
- focusing on coffee in the Arabian Peninsula, exploring its historical origins, manufacturing processes and proliferation within the Kingdom ;
- Exploring the intangible cultural heritage around Saudi coffee, examining the associated knowledge, skills, social traditions, practices and cultural crafts;
- strengthening local content by supporting Saudi coffee production, improving its competitiveness and contributing to the transformation of the Saudi economy towards a sustainable model.
The initiative is part of the Year of Saudi Coffee 2022, launched by the Ministry of Culture with the support of the Quality of Life programme, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 programmes.