Youth in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region dive into the world of roasting, selling coffee

JAZAN: Coffee shops are one of the fastest-growing businesses in Jazan as more than 400 shops are brewing lattes, cappuccino, espressos and more across the region.

The coffee industry’s sudden spike may be attributed to the Saudi youth, who have delved into the world of specialized coffee as consumers, employees and startup entrepreneurs.
The recent surge in coffee shops has created jobs for young people in Jazan who, despite their age, have transformed into barista coffee makers and providers.
According to Adeeb Madkhali, who owns a coffee shop in Jazan, the success of investment projects, including coffee shops, depends on conducting a feasibility study, preparing for the project, respecting the clientele, and raising the quality level of the product.
“Each project has an additional value that makes it easy for it to emerge and reach success because people have high expectations,” he said. “Our customers have a knowledge of everything new and there is always a new idea worth investing in.”
Madkhali has found success by tapping into the Saudi youth to fill out his workforce. His shop employs 21 Saudi youths, which makes up about 90 percent of his entire staff.

Saudi citizen Abdul Aziz Hattan said he started out working as a cashier in a coffee shop after high school but before joining university. As he climbed the chain of hierarchy within the shop, his professional ambition also grew.
Now at the age of 20, Hattan became a co-owner of the shop with one of his friends.
Ambition and passion are the most important reasons for his success, as the coffee shop enables him to balance his investment project with his university studies.
Like Madkhali, Hattan said his younger Saudi employees have proven to be highly qualified. They engage with customers, bring a creative attitude to work and welcome new training opportunities.
“Most of the coffee makers in the shop are young university students who realized the value of working early in their lives,” Hattan said.
Khawla Johali, the owner of another coffee shop, said the demand for young men and women in Jazan to work as baristas is “huge.” Hiring youthful employees has been a catalyst for the success of these projects.
Majed Al-Gohary, secretary-general of the Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the commercial activity of the modern cafe houses is one of the most developed commercial activities in the Jazan region over the past three years.
“This growth was driven by the state’s encouragement to support entrepreneurs,” he said. “There have been so many innovations, in terms of coffee itself, roasting methods, and flavors. Designing distinctive decorations for shops has also provided many opportunities.”