Saudi Coffee Company, Culinary Arts Commission Sign Agreement to Preserve Heritage

The Saudi Coffee Company signs a cooperation agreement with the Culinary Arts Commission to promote and preserve Saudi Arabia’s unique and diverse culinary heritage. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Coffee Company signs a cooperation agreement with the Culinary Arts Commission to promote and preserve Saudi Arabia’s unique and diverse culinary heritage. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Coffee Company, Culinary Arts Commission Sign Agreement to Preserve Heritage

The Saudi Coffee Company signs a cooperation agreement with the Culinary Arts Commission to promote and preserve Saudi Arabia’s unique and diverse culinary heritage. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Coffee Company signs a cooperation agreement with the Culinary Arts Commission to promote and preserve Saudi Arabia’s unique and diverse culinary heritage. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Coffee Company announced Thursday the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Culinary Arts Commission to promote and preserve Saudi Arabia’s unique and diverse culinary heritage.

The agreement will help promote Saudi Arabia’s coffee product as one rooted in the past, present and future of Saudi society.

It will celebrate Saudi Arabia’s coffee heritage, support the development of the national coffee industry and empower local talents.

The company is a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund established to transform Saudi Arabia’s Coffea Arabica into a global product.

“The Saudi Coffee Company is ramping up efforts to be a pioneer in developing the coffee industry in Saudi and celebrating coffee heritage with the Culinary Arts Commission,” Saudi Coffee Company CEO Raja al-Harbi said.

He stressed that the agreement is a major step that will help the company communicate its values and message to the public.

Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission, said: “Our cooperation agreement with Saudi Coffee Company aligns with our mission to share the richness of our culinary arts and traditions with the world. “

This agreement will further enhance the Kingdom’s long-standing legacy of coffee growing, underscoring the Company’s distinctive product, Badr added.

The terms of the agreement include plans to work across multiple platforms including content creation, sponsorship, marketing and merchandising opportunities to market Saudi Arabia’s coffee beans more widely.

It provides for collaborative work between the commission and the company in several areas, such as a program to develop a media library and local culinary arts stories and the designing and marketing of tourism routes for coffee plantations.

It will support Saudi coffee events and festivals, issue licenses to Saudi coffee experts, encourage local production, promote the company’s products in digital shops specializing in Saudi culinary arts, and set standards for the processing of coffee beans.

The Saudi Coffee Company’s vision is to ensure that the national coffee industry is enabled along its entire value chain, from bean to cup.

It will play a vital role in developing sustainable coffee production in Saudi Arabia’s southern region, home to the world-famous Coffea Arabica.



Meet the Baby Koala Hiding in Its Mom’s Pouch at a Florida Zoo’s New Outback Habitat

This photo provided by the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society Clearance shows a koala named Ellin and her newborn joey in a habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (John Towey/Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society via AP)
This photo provided by the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society Clearance shows a koala named Ellin and her newborn joey in a habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (John Towey/Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society via AP)
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Meet the Baby Koala Hiding in Its Mom’s Pouch at a Florida Zoo’s New Outback Habitat

This photo provided by the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society Clearance shows a koala named Ellin and her newborn joey in a habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (John Towey/Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society via AP)
This photo provided by the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society Clearance shows a koala named Ellin and her newborn joey in a habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (John Towey/Palm Beach Zoo Conservation Society via AP)

A zoo in Florida has two reasons to celebrate — the first birth of a koala and a newly renovated habitat for the cuddly creatures is opening to the public on Saturday.

“For the zoo and for us here, it’s the very big deal,” said Amarylis Celestina, who oversees carnivores and koalas at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida. "We are trying the best that we can to help with a lot of the genetic diversity within the population that we have here in the United States. So that’s why it’s important that we do have a joey and that we were successful this year.”

The joey, born to Ellin and Sydney last fall, remains in its mother's pouch and has just recently started to become visible to zoo officials.

They continue to monitor Ellin's weight, and are providing extra food as she cares for the baby.

Meanwhile, the koala population is enjoying a renovated habitat, which includes more greenery, new perching for exercising, and solar tubes to bring in more natural light.

The changes bring a bit of the Australian outback to the zoo for koalas, which are an endangered species. They are able to move between their climate-controlled indoor exhibit and the expanded outdoor area.

“This new habitat is a milestone for our koalas,” Margo McKnight, the zoo's CEO and president said in a news release. “The deliberate design supports the voluntary, cooperative care our zoologists and koalas have developed together.”

Koalas in the US are on loan from the Australian federal government to help with conservation practices.

Koalas are generally peaceful, have a calm nature and enjoy a “slow” lifestyle. They like to climb and hop between the trees in the habitat.

The renovations are designed to help koalas express their natural behaviors, zoo officials said.


Melania Trump Is Growing the White House Honey Program with a New Beehive

 First lady Melania Trump smiles during the 113th Annual First Lady's Luncheon, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP)
First lady Melania Trump smiles during the 113th Annual First Lady's Luncheon, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP)
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Melania Trump Is Growing the White House Honey Program with a New Beehive

 First lady Melania Trump smiles during the 113th Annual First Lady's Luncheon, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP)
First lady Melania Trump smiles during the 113th Annual First Lady's Luncheon, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP)

What's all the buzz about?

Melania Trump on Friday announced that she is expanding the White House honey program by adding a beehive in the shape of the White House to two other beehives that have been on the south grounds since 2009.

The existing hives can swell to about 70,000 bees during peak summer months and produce 200 to 225 pounds of honey in a year, the White House said. The new hive could increase honey production by about 30 pounds, according to the White House.

The White House uses the clover honey to prepare meals, as official gifts from the president and first lady, and in donations to food kitchens.

The bees help pollinate a nearby produce garden that then-first lady Michelle Obama started in 2009 and a nearby flower cutting garden, along with vegetation on the National Mall.

The beekeeping program began in 2009 after a White House carpenter started beekeeping as a hobby on the complex.

The new hive was funded through the Trust for the National Mall, the White House said.

The hive and the base were designed by White House residence staff and hand-made by a Virginia artisan.


AlUla Manara Team Hosts Lyrid Meteor Shower Observation

The event utilized AlUla’s exceptionally clear skies and low light pollution - SPA
The event utilized AlUla’s exceptionally clear skies and low light pollution - SPA
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AlUla Manara Team Hosts Lyrid Meteor Shower Observation

The event utilized AlUla’s exceptionally clear skies and low light pollution - SPA
The event utilized AlUla’s exceptionally clear skies and low light pollution - SPA

AlUla Manara team hosted an educational astronomy evening yesterday near the iconic Arch Rock, aimed at promoting astrotourism and scientific awareness. The event utilized AlUla’s exceptionally clear skies and low light pollution to provide residents and visitors with an immersive celestial experience, SPA reported.

The evening featured the Lyrid meteor shower, an annual phenomenon caused by debris from Comet Thatcher entering Earth's atmosphere. Under expert guidance, attendees observed the shower and used advanced telescopes to explore the cosmos.

The program included interactive scientific discussions on the historical role of astronomy in navigation and timekeeping, as well as its contributions to modern science.

This initiative is part of AlUla’s strategic effort to become a premier global destination for astrotourism. By blending education with entertainment, AlUla Manara continues to showcase the governorate’s unique natural landscape and foster a deeper connection between the community and the universe.