In a move set to elevate regional coffee dialogue, Map It Forward, the global platform for coffee business education and insights, has officially announced the launch of the Map It Forward Middle East Podcast. This new podcast series will focus exclusively on the dynamic and fast-growing coffee landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Hosted by Lee Safar, founder of Map It Forward and host of the globally recognized The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast, the Middle East edition will follow the same five-part weekly format, releasing one 20-minute episode each day from Monday to Friday. Each week will feature a new guest from within the MENA coffee supply chain, offering valuable insights into the region’s business environment, challenges, and innovation.
“The coffee industry in the Middle East is having a full circle moment of sorts,” says Safar. “The Arabs were the first to roast and brew coffee. The coffee boom in this region today is creating a powerful intersection between coffee as a cultural drink and as a commercial endeavor. This new direction we’re taking with the podcast is about documenting the history that’s unfolding in the world’s oldest coffee-drinking regions while also supporting the industry here with conversations that inspire success and don’t shy away from the obvious challenges the region is facing.”
The new series aims to maintain the same values-based, unfiltered, and in-depth tone that has defined Map It Forward’s global podcasting presence. With an emphasis on transparency, community, and sustainability across the supply chain, the podcast offers a structured platform for meaningful dialogue in a region that’s increasingly attracting international attention for its coffee entrepreneurship.
The first episode of the Map It Forward Middle East Podcast will go live on June 2, 2025. The initial guest lineup includes Shireen Muhaisen and James Lynes of Bunni Coffee in Amman, Jordan, followed by Kim Thompson and Matt Toogood of RAW Coffee Company in Dubai, UAE.
This launch marks the beginning of a broader regional rollout for Map It Forward, which plans to introduce additional localized initiatives over the next year to further support coffee professionals around the world.
The podcast will be available on all major streaming platforms, as well as on Map It Forward’s YouTube channel.
For more information, visit: www.mapitforward.coffee
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