Fragrance of Arabic Coffee, Popular Saudi Cuisine at Davos

The cafe attracted the attention of Davos participants because of the quality of its Arabic drinks and popular Saudi food
The cafe attracted the attention of Davos participants because of the quality of its Arabic drinks and popular Saudi food
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Fragrance of Arabic Coffee, Popular Saudi Cuisine at Davos

The cafe attracted the attention of Davos participants because of the quality of its Arabic drinks and popular Saudi food
The cafe attracted the attention of Davos participants because of the quality of its Arabic drinks and popular Saudi food

With the Davos meetings coming to an end, the scent of Arabic coffee and popular Saudi food still lingers there.

The MiSK Foundation serves hot drinks and local food to the attendees at the most prominent event and forum in the world, to showcase Saudi Arabia’s culture of generosity and hospitality.

The Foundation succeeded in collaborating with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage in designing a cafe adjacent to where the event is taking place, close to the most significant leaders, officials, ministers and leaders of the private sector in the world, making it a headquarters for spreading a culture of generosity and hospitality with a variety of drinks, at the front of which was the pure saffron-flavored Arabic coffee to support the spread of Saudi culture and enhance national tourism.

The elegant cafe has the logo of a Saudi woman carrying bouquets of flower and basil against a green background designed by Saudi youth. The woman is actually taken from a real photograph captured by the photographer Mohammad al-Jaribi and was designed by designer Mariam Bawazir at a time where hundreds of visitors attracted by the fragrance of Arabic coffee and the scent of popular food is prepared fresh every morning.

According to one of the cafe supervisors, Sarah al-Khadiri, the point of these efforts is to introduce part of Saudi civilization and culture, and its exquisite taste in hospitality through hot local drinks such as Arabic coffee and tea, prepared every day at 7 am during the forum.

She says the ingredients are all Saudi and food is prepared by a Saudi chef.

Expert designers have designed the cups, inspired by Saudi heritage. Screens also display high-quality tourist films produced by creative Saudis, against a background of popular music that adds to the local Saudi feel.

The cafe is attended by prominent ministers, high-ranking officials and CEOs of well-known international companies visibly impressed by how professional the presentation of the cuisine is, expressing their admiration and astonishment with the quality of the experience.

Khadiri points out how proud she is working on the marketing of national heritage and enhancing local tourism in the Kingdom.



Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours 

A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Scientists in Japan Develop Plastic that Dissolves in Seawater within Hours 

A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A researcher shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at the Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) of Japanese research institution Riken in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, Japan May 27, 2025. (Reuters) 

Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife.

While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace.

At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour.

While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector.

Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day taking place on June 5.

Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year.

"Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said.

Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics, but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimeters (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added.

The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.