Meet the Coffeehouse Inspiring Youth in Eastern Saudi Arabia
Last year, Wamda contributor Oubei Elkerdi asked whether
coffeehouses could boost creativity in the Arab World. He
argued that coffeehouses in Europe in the 19th century
were “the hub for scientific and artistic conversation,” which
allowed artists, scientists, thinkers, visionaries, and writers to
connect and exchange ideas about projects in a diverse array of
disciplines. One example he offers is Berta
Zuckerkandl, an influential salonnière whose literary salon in
Vienna at the end of the 19th century hosted such
artists and thinkers such as Max Reinhardt, Arthur Schnitzler,
Gustav Mahler, and Anton Kolig.
Yet, as he points out, the popularity of coffee and coffeehouses
did not originate in Europe. In fact, coffeehouses originated in
the Middle East and were popular there as early as the late
15th century. As the Ottoman chronicler İbrahim
Peçevi wrote about the opening of the first coffeehouse in
Istanbul: “Until the year 962 [1555], in the High, God-Guarded city
of Constantinople, as well as in Ottoman lands generally, coffee
and coffee-houses did not exist. About that year, a fellow called
Hakam from Aleppo and a wag called Shams from Damascus came to the
city; they each opened a large shop in the district called
Tahtakale, and began to purvey coffee.” By the dawn of the
17th century, coffeehouses were present in Damascus,
Cairo, and Mecca.
The violent transformation of the Middle East, and the dawn of
colonization, wars, and political conflict indelibly altered
discourse in the Arab world, in some regions causing thriving
creative cultures, in others leading to a lack of public arenas for
fostering innovation. This is most evident in places like Saudi
Arabia, a place where there is no lack of human talent and
ingenuity, yet there is an indisputable lack of venues to foster
this human potential and boost creativity among youth. The problem
here is not a lack of coffeehouses, as the country is awash with
global chains and massive corporate coffee shops– the problem is a
lack of the proper kind of coffeehouses.
As Elkerdi wrote in his 2012 article, “This age-of-enlightenment
feel is lacking in most Arabic cafés where the free exchange
culture is muffled by loud pop music and glaring televisions… what
is true of many western coffee shops is not true of enough
Arabic cafés, and if we want to see an age of innovation in the
Arab world, then coffeehouses are a good place to start.”
Caféa Arab
on King Abdullah Street in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, is a good place to
start. Founded in 2008, the café is hosted within the Desert Designs
complex, a 23-year-old veteran lifestyle store that specializes
in selling Islamic art, local handcrafts, antiques, hand-woven
carpets, and cultural items inspired by Saudi heritage.
On the second floor of the complex, next to the store’s art
gallery, the café offers a colorful, friendly environment,
furnished with local artwork and locally made, Arab-inspired chairs
and cushions. The café’s staff, a small team of Saudi “shabab”, or
youth, give the place a friendly vibe. The café’s management is
actively promoting the concept of part-time jobs among Saudi
students, something that is still on the rise in the Kingdom.
In addition, Caféa Arab constantly hosts intellectual and cultural
events led by established men and women from different disciplines.
Within the past few months, I’ve attended a documentary screening
by an upcoming Saudi filmmaker, an open discussion by an
established artist, and a fundraiser for a young Saudi woman
working on a project to provide clean water for Ghanaian orphans.
All events were hosted in that same modest venue.
The café’s co-founder, Raneen Bukhairi, is a connoisseur of culture
and art. With an insatiable appetite for learning about Islamic and
Middle Eastern art and culture, she’s always on the hunt for new
works to display, new artists to host, and new people to meet. Her
interest in Khaleeji artists and thinkers is evident in the
decorations, the furniture, and the young talented Khaleejis who
tend to congregate there.
Raneen can be compared to a more modest Berta Zuckerkandl, with her
café serving as a modern salon for the region’s young talent. It is
not out of the ordinary to come to Café Arab on a weeknight, and
find yourself surrounded by students, expatriate and local
professionals, a couple of upcoming artists discussing a project,
and perhaps a local internet celebrity.
Caféa Arab is only one small venue; Saudi’s youth will need many
more. Yet it is an excellent example of a place that can catalyze
their creative ideation and hopefully inspire others to follow
suit, in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab World.