Saudi coffee or Arab coffee: A storm in a coffee cup

The Consumer Protection Association in Saudi Arabia issued a decision last week which defined referring to Saudi coffee with the name “Arabic coffee” as a “violation” of the law. In the same context The Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Federation of Saudi Chambers also issued calls to all restaurants, cafes and patents in the kingdom to adopt the name “Saudi coffee” instead of “Arabic coffee” while describing the popular hot drink.

This news made much noise in Saudi Arabia and across social media platforms, while many users on social media expressed their thoughts.

Some users responded in a cynical or negative way. Such was one user, who wrote that the decision was “absurd, stupid, and ridiculous.”

Zakaria Al-Sharabi, a Yemeni blogger, slammed the Saudi authority, claiming: “Everyone knows that you are searching for a history by stealing the history of others.” He also demanded to know: “What does consumer protection have to do with the name? I mean, if its name is not Saudi coffee, will the consumer get food poisoning?”

A third user wrote: “Apparently, the Consumer Protection Association doesn’t have much to do, and they want to harass and make problems and that’s all.”

While a fourth user wrote: “Where are you, consumer protection, when it comes to the high prices?”

Some users replied in a more humoristic manner. One Saudi commenter wrote sympathetically: “I like this megalomania that we have,” adding many laughing emojis.

Finally, many Saudi loyalists replied in a more positive way, some commenting with clapping or saluting emojis and posting pictures of Saudi royal family members, including King Salman and crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman, drinking coffee from a small cup.

Another user added: “Arab coffee or Saudi coffee, they are all one. The important thing is that it's Arab and we are all one”

Finally, one Bahraini user wrote: “In my opinion, changing the name ‘Arabic coffee’ to ‘Saudi coffee’ should be applied generally in all Arab countries, because this name is more accurate in description and preparation. In our house, we prepare coffee using the Najdi method, which is characterized by its blonde color.”

‘Unique art of coffee making’

The art of making coffee In Saudi Arabia holds much cultural importance, and it was even granted UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2015. The Saudi traditional process involves lightly roasting the coffee beans in a shallow pan over an open fire. Then, once roasted, the beans are transferred to a mortar and ground with a pestle, usually made of copper.

The immense importance Saudis hold for coffee was also represented by The Saudi Ministry of Culture’s initiative in 2022 to name the year “Year of Saudi Coffee.”

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) claimed in 2023 that more than 80,000 tonnes of coffee are consumed annually in the Kingdom, making the country rank among the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of consumption per capita.

Also according to the Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi market imports approximately 70,000-90,000 tonnes of coffee every year, adding that Saudis spend more than 1 billion Rials on coffee (approximately $266 million) yearly.

According to Africa News, by the end of 2021, the kingdom boasted 400,000 coffee trees in 600 farms across the country, while domestic reports said that Saudi Arabia plans to plant 1.2 million coffee trees by 2025.