RIYADH: Saudi Coffee Co. has been given approval to begin operations in Jazan, marking the establishment of the first production facility for the product in the Kingdom. This came as Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Salem, president of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, issued the license to the Public Investment Fund firm, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The factory, which will be built on an area of 30,000 sq. m., seeks to produce and export Saudi coffee, strengthen local and global supply chains in line with the goals of Vision 2030, and contribute to the sustainability of the sector. This move came as part of the city’s signing of various investment agreements and capital contracts. Saudi Coffee Co. initially signed an investment deal with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to construct the warehouse in November 2022. According to a statement released at the time, the new facility is expected to raise Saudi coffee output from the current 300 tonnes per year to 2,500 tonnes by 2032 while further developing a more sustainable and localized value chain. Speaking at an event in February, Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti, vice minister of environment, water, and agriculture, highlighted the “significant improvement” in the quality of Saudi coffee over the last decade. He asserted how Saudi coffee has come to be recognized as “the world’s finest.” Saudi Coffee Co. prioritizes supporting local coffee products and raising its profile to global standards. Additionally, it plays a major role in enhancing efforts to develop sustainable agriculture in the Jazan region, known as a major homeland for fine Saudi coffee. Moreover, the PIF-owned firm also contributes to enhancing the Kingdom’s capabilities to export high-quality coffee beans for international markets. As part of Vision 2030’s aim to diversify the economy, with a focus on sustainability, PIF launched Saudi Coffee Co. to localize coffee-related industries and enrich their contribution to the Kingdom’s domestic product through sustainable agriculture development efforts in the Jazan region. The company aims to plant 10 million coffee trees in the Jazan region, known as the home of world-famous Arabica coffee.