RIYADH: As Saudi coffee earns growing international recognition as a symbol of the Kingdom’s culture, hospitality and heritage, the Asir region is leading efforts to ensure its expansion is built on sustainability.
The strategy combines mountain ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and rural development. Authorities aim to plant 1 million coffee trees across Asir between 2026 and 2028, building on more than 634,000 trees planted between 2022 and 2025.
Asir’s coffee owes its distinctive character to the region’s unique geography and climate, where organic acids, seasonal rainfall and persistent mountain fog create a flavor profile that is increasingly competitive on the global stage.
Protecting those natural advantages is a priority for the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The region currently produces an estimated 1,500 tonnes of coffee cherries and 500 tonnes of green beans annually.
Speaking to Arab News about the long-term strategy underpinning the sector’s growth, Fawaz Al-Shahrani, manager of Environmental Studies at Aseer Development Authority, highlighted the collaboration driving Asir’s coffee industry.
Asir’s coffee owes its distinctive character to the region’s unique geography and climate. (SPA)
“These associations work in complete harmony as executive and awareness-raising arms in the field. They have actively contributed to organizing the sector through close and continuous cooperation with government entities, research institutions, and strategic partners, while focusing their efforts on intensive training programs and workshops to qualify farmers and train them in the latest agricultural practices and advanced harvesting and processing methods to ensure crop quality.”
He added that these efforts have also opened new marketing channels, helping farmers secure funding by linking agricultural heritage with national identity and rural tourism.
As production targets rise over the next two years, maintaining quality has become a central priority.
Aishah Al-Ghamdi, researcher and PhD candidate at the King Fahd Medical Research Center at King Abdulaziz University, told Arab News that preserving authentic local coffee varieties through trusted local seedlings is essential to safeguarding Saudi coffee’s distinctive genetic characteristics and flavor as production expands. She added that good agricultural practices, particularly in fertilization and irrigation, are critical to ensuring healthy, consistent crop development.
“Developing harvesting and processing practices by focusing on the selective picking of only ripe red cherries and providing modern, shaded drying stations to prevent flavor defects.”
Sustainable development is helping position Asir as a destination for agriculture and rural tourism. (SPA)
She said sustainable cultivation relies on multiple practices, from rainwater harvesting and soil conservation to responsible irrigation.
Al-Ghamdi identified four key pillars supporting the sector’s long-term growth: “Empowering farmers with knowledge in harvesting and advanced processing methods; governance to protect the product’s identity and document local origins; digitalization to build accurate databases for tracking supply chains; and investment by increasing the number of trees and connecting producers with specialty coffee markets to raise the product’s market value and support rural community development.”
She added that strategies include rehabilitating mountain terraces to capture rainwater and expanding drip irrigation systems to reduce water consumption. Farmers are also encouraged to adopt good agricultural practices, including the use of organic and bio-fertilizers that protect soil and groundwater, alongside integrated pest management that reduces reliance on chemical pesticides.
Al-Ghamdi explained that pruning waste is recycled into natural fertilizers, while plant residues are reused to retain soil moisture and reduce erosion.
Beyond improving coffee production, these practices are increasing vegetation cover and helping preserve mountain ecosystems across Asir.
Asir’s sustainable coffee farms are creating habitats for wildlife in the highlands. (SPA)
“This contribution is reflected in a green belt against desertification by transforming barren slopes and abandoned terraces into sustainable vegetation cover, effectively helping to purify the atmosphere, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the local climate.”
She emphasized two additional benefits: protecting soil and reviving traditional rainwater harvesting systems. Coffee tree roots stabilize slopes and reduce erosion caused by heavy rainfall, while capturing and redirecting rainwater minimizes waste and supports healthier vegetation.
The environmental benefits also extend to biodiversity. Asir’s sustainable coffee farms are creating habitats for wildlife in the highlands.
“These green spaces also become welcoming habitats and ideal food sources for birds and natural pollinators such as bees, thereby achieving ecological balance and biodiversity in the region.”
Al-Shahrani said expanding the sector also promises significant economic gains for local communities.
DID YOU KNOW?
• More than 634,000 coffee trees were planted between 2022 and 2025.
• Coffee is cultivated across more than 7,000 hectares in 14 governorates.
• Asir produces around 1,500 tonnes of coffee cherries and 500 tonnes of green beans annually.
“It first establishes a strong foundation for economic security by diversifying income sources and increasing the profitability of rural households through transforming small agricultural holdings into investment projects with rewarding returns, directly contributing to the creation of high-quality and sustainable job opportunities for young men and women in agriculture, processing, and specialty coffee.”
He added that sustainable development is also helping position Asir as a destination for agriculture and rural tourism, improving quality of life across the region.
Asir’s coffee ambitions represent more than the growth of one of the Kingdom’s signature products. They reflect a broader model of sustainable development that seeks to strengthen rural communities while restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and preserving the region’s natural heritage.
