9 December 2022 | 34 mins

Episode 53: The Saudi coffee shop boom

On the podcast this week, we're exploring the remarkable growth of cafés and hospitality in Saudi Arabia and why the kingdom is becoming a powerhouse in the Middle East coffee shop market.

In conversations with Abdullah Al Harazi, Technical Training Manager, Barn's, Sara Alali, Founder, THAT Boutique Café, and Fadi Hamoud, COO and Ali Alkhabbaz, Head of Coffee, Nejoud Restaurant Management Company, we discuss Saudi's historical coffee culture, the trends that are shaping the market today, and the growth opportunities for homegrown and international coffee businesses.

Credits music: "All I know" by Norman Alexander in collaboration with The Coffee Music Project

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Guests

Abdullah Al Harazi

Technical Training Manager, Barn's

Abdullah Al Harazi is the Technical Training Manager at Barn’s - a local Saudi Arabian coffee coffee shop chain. Part of the Alamjaad Group, Barn’s was founded in 1992 and now boasts over 400 cafes across KSA. Al Harazi is a SCA authorized certified trainer and has over 20 years in the coffee inudstry with previous roles at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Sara Alali

Founder, THAT Café

Sara Alali is a licensed Q-Grader, coffee competition judge and the Founder of THAT Cafe - a boutique specialty coffee concept in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Alali is also a coach at Barista Hustle and is the host of the Map it Forward - Middle East podcast, providing content for the specialty coffee industry in MENA.

Fadi Hamoud

COO, Nejoud Restaurant Management Group

Fadi Hamoud is the Chief Commercial Officer at Nejoud Restaurant Management Group, the local operator in the Middle East for Japanese specialty coffee business % Arabica. Nejoud operate 12 % Arabica outlets in Kuwait, two in Qatar, and two in Saudi, including the recently opened 1,400 square metre roasting plant in Riyadh.