Retracing the Origins of Coffee in the Sarawat Mountains

SAUDI ARABIA | DECEMBER 2021

Khawlani coffee is grown in the craggy Sarawat Mountains between southwestern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen. In fact, roasted coffee as a beverage was first documented to have originated in this region in the 15th century. It’s not a stretch to call these mountains the birthplace of coffee as we know it. 

Today, around 700 farming families on the Saudi side of the border continue harvesting coffee on an artisanal scale. According to them, coffee was first consumed by their ancestors as an energy drink to help labourers work the steep mountain fields, but it gradually transitioned to becoming a drink to be served to guests. Over time coffee transformed into a necessity of mountain tribal hospitality, which has always played a central role in Bedouin societies. For locals, coffee is not simply a drink; it is a piece of their heritage.