IYWF: Brewing opportunities: Women transforming Saudi Arabia’s coffee value chain
18/05/2026
The International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF) recognizes the essential role women play in strengthening agrifood systems, preserving agricultural heritage and driving rural innovation. Across the world, women farmers are increasingly moving beyond primary production into entrepreneurship, value addition and market leadership. In Saudi Arabia, the coffee sector is becoming one of the spaces where this transformation is taking shape.
Coffee holds deep cultural significance in Saudi Arabia, where traditional Arabic coffee, or Qahwa (قهوة), remains central to hospitality and social life. Yet while the Kingdom is among the world’s highest coffee-consuming countries, opportunities are limited for women as small scale producers for specialty coffee markets or in the modern value-added coffee businesses especially in the rural areas.
To address this gap, the Women Advancement in Rural Food and Agriculture (WARFA) initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), implemented a 10-day expert-led training programme at the Jazan Coffee Cooperative, engaging 25 women involved in coffee farming and related agribusiness activities. The programme combined technical training with entrepreneurship development, equipping participants with the skills and competencies needed to participate in the high earning,-value-added segments of the coffee value chain.
Women participants received hands-on training in coffee harvesting, fermentation, drying, storage and green coffee processing, while also learning about coffee bean anatomy, quality assessment and market dynamics. Practical sessions focused on coffee grading, sensory evaluation and cupping techniques aligned with international specialty coffee standards. Participants also strengthened their skills in roasting fundamentals, barista techniques, customer engagement, branding and business management.
Coffee bean screening, grading and weighing exercises conducted during the hands-on quality assessment training
The intervention was designed to accelerate a transition in women’s roles within the sector. Equipped with knowledge and skills many participants are expanding their roles. They are moving beyond basic post-harvest handling into commercially strategic activities such as quality control, specialty coffee preparation and product differentiation. Women reported increased confidence, stronger professional visibility and greater influence over pricing and marketing decisions. Several participants also expressed plans to launch or expand locally produced coffee-related enterprises.
One of the women whose journey reflects this transformation is Ms. Noura Ahmed Yahya Al-Malki from Bani Malik in Al-Dayer Governorate, Jazan Region. Passionate about Saudi coffee and determined to create opportunities within her community, Noura sought to move beyond traditional farming practices and build a professional coffee business that could connect local products to wider markets across the Kingdom.
Through the WARFA initiative, Noura strengthened both her technical expertise and entrepreneurial skills. She deepened her knowledge of specialty coffee production, quality management, branding and business planning, enabling her to establish her own brand, “Nauhal Specialty Coffee.” What began as a personal ambition evolved into a structured and market-oriented enterprise showcasing the potential of women-led agribusiness in Saudi Arabia.
Today, Noura represents a growing generation of rural women entrepreneurs contributing to the modernization and diversification of the Kingdom’s coffee sector while preserving its cultural identity.
Reflecting on her experience, Noura says:
“With the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, I was able to develop my knowledge of the coffee sector and entrepreneurship and transform my dream into a functioning project that serves my community.”
Beyond individual success stories, the initiative demonstrates how technical training and value-chain integration can strengthen women’s participation in quality-sensitive agricultural markets. By equipping women with practical skills, business knowledge and exposure to specialty coffee standards, the programme is helping rural producers transition from informal activities into structured and competitive enterprises.