Shaheen Coffee & There Is Still Some Passion

Ahmed Samir Ragab, Food Marketer, Founder & MD of Food-Xperts

This month, we had the opportunity to attend the Food & Beverage Exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — a growing event that will soon be positioned among the region’s most important trade shows.

But what truly captivated us was a full hall dedicated entirely to coffee. A whole hall. Activations, workshops, tastings. Why coffee? How did this industry earn that much presence and passion?

The answer this time isn’t just in the global market size or trade volumes. The answer… is in the details. In the sips. In the recipes. In the mysterious love it holds. In what it awakens inside you — and how you’re perceived while drinking it.

Coffee… A Present Continuous Verb

Coffee is a process — From where it’s grown and at what altitude, To the grind size, brewing pressure, temperature, water ratio, flavor hints, aftertastes, and the emotions they stir. And we go into this upward spiral cycle.

Coffee lovers don’t just drink. They think coffee. Constantly, all day long.

It’s a conversation — With yourself, with others, with the coffee itself. A real, wordless dialogue.

And like music, it’s a language with no middle ground. You either feel it completely… or you miss the meaning.

Shaheen Coffee: Passion in Every Bean

We were lucky to work for two years on a special project with Shaheen. It’s more than a coffee company. It’s an institution. A philosophy. It reflects on people, communities, and cultures.

Every meeting with Dr. Ahmed Shaheen starts with a bean and ends with discussions on harvests, history, psychology, and mood. He lives coffee — he doesn’t just sell it.

And I can say with no exaggeration: coffee has turned him into a philosopher.

I must also mention Alya Rouhaim, with her professional work style like a Brazilian football team — agile, creative, and open-game — which made the whole journey feel like freestyle football: simple in appearance, complex in depth.

We came to understand their core belief: “For every mood, there’s a recipe. And for every recipe, a mood.”

That’s why they have over 80,000 unique client profiles — each with its own personalized blend. Coffee, tailored to taste “ MAZAJ METFASAL”

We Went to the Streets — As Always

We didn’t rely solely on reports and data. That was just the starting point.

We hit the streets. Talked to real people. Sat in cafés and homes. Listened to black coffee drinkers. To those who experiment with add-ons. To the adventurous palates.

Everyone had a story. And every story had a mood.

The project is still under wraps, so I can’t reveal the next phase… But it will surprise many — and, inshallah, succeed.

Specialty Coffee — Simply Explained

In our journey, we met many who talk about “specialty coffee”. But surprisingly, even globally, few truly understand what it means.

Simply put: It’s coffee crafted to perfection.

Evaluated through a meticulous process called Cupping, where it’s analyzed from every angle — Appearance, aroma, taste, and lab tests.

If it scores 8 out of 10 or higher, it earns the title: Specialty Coffee.

That’s where terms like single origin and nano lots come in — extremely small batches from specific farms, not just countries.

Each batch carries a story, a source, and a mood.

That’s what today’s picky consumer seeks: Not just quality… But an exceptional vibe.

When Two Wills Align

The industry wants to grow. To innovate while staying profitable.

The consumer wants to be seen. To be offered something uniquely theirs. Not another mass-market clone.

And here… The two wills meet.

The grower and the drinker. The thinker and the feeler. The producer and the coffee lover.

Something is happening in coffee… It’s evolving like fine wine — and may soon surpass it.

In Conclusion…

This is an industry overflowing with nuances. It can’t be captured in a single article, nor understood from a single source.

But one thing stands out —What coffee still holds that many other industries have lost:

The continuity of passion and joy at every step.