Investment Contract for Saudi Arabia’s First Coffee-Growing City Signed

A veiled woman makes coffee as she works at a coffee shop in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Reuters
A veiled woman makes coffee as she works at a coffee shop in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Reuters
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Investment Contract for Saudi Arabia’s First Coffee-Growing City Signed

A veiled woman makes coffee as she works at a coffee shop in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Reuters
A veiled woman makes coffee as she works at a coffee shop in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Reuters

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has signed an investment contract for the first “coffee city” in the Kingdom.

The deal with the Agricultural Cooperative Society in Baljurashi, which lasts for 15 years, was signed under the patronage of Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and in the presence of Undersecretary for Agriculture Ahmed Al-Ayada.

The ministry said that the agreement aims to achieve sustainability of agricultural products and crops, encourage agricultural investment, develop vegetation cover, create local job opportunities, and enhance the role of cooperative societies in the Kingdom.

The agreement includes the cultivation of 300,000 coffee arabica seedlings and pomegranate trees on a 1,662,373-square-meter site in the village of Mashuqa, in Al-Qura governorate, Al-Baha.

It will include a model farm, an integrated nursery for cultivating coffee seedlings, and an industrial center that includes workshops, warehouses, a business center, on-site accommodation, a training center, and a mosque.



Saudi Arabia Sees 656% Surge in Leisure Tourism in 2024

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia Sees 656% Surge in Leisure Tourism in 2024

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism said its sector, particularly the leisure and holiday segments, witnessed substantial growth, due in no small part to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 directives.
In a statement marking World Tourism Day, observed every year on September 27, the ministry said that the Kingdom welcomed 17.5 million international tourists between January and July 2024, a 10% increase over the same period in 2023 and a 73% increase compared to the 2019 figures, SPA reported.
Most striking is the 656% increase in the number of tourists arriving specifically for entertainment and holiday purpose. The ministry said that 4.2 million tourists arrived for these purposes in the first seven months of 2024, a 25% increase over the previous year and an enormous leap over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
These impressive results highlight the success of the Kingdom's long-term tourism strategy, under Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Saudi Arabia into a global tourism destination. The Kingdom had set the goal of 100 million tourists by 2030, but achieved this milestone in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule.
Saudi Arabia was acknowledged as the fastest-growing G20 country in the latest UN World Tourism Barometer report. According to September report, Saudi Arabia leads both in the growth of international tourist numbers and in tourism revenues.
These figures underscore the Kingdom's strategic focus on developing a sustainable tourism sector, improving infrastructure, and promoting Saudi Arabia as a premier global destination.
The ministry's achievements reflect the effectiveness of these efforts and position the Kingdom as a key player in the field of global tourism.