Map It Forward Launches Middle East Podcast to Spotlight Coffee Industry Growth and Opportunity Across MENA
A new regional series from Map It Forward will feature business leaders, innovators, and changemakers shaping the future of coffee in the Middle East.
Map It Forward, the global platform for coffee business education and industry insights, is proud to announce the launch of the Map It Forward Middle East Podcast, a regionally focused series designed to explore the realities of building coffee businesses across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Hosted by Map It Forward founder Lee Safar, the podcast will follow the same format as the globally recognized The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, with five 20-minute episodes per series, released Monday to Friday. Each week features a new guest operating in the coffee supply chain in the Middle East region.
“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 series will maintain the same values-driven, unfiltered, and insightful tone as its global counterpart, addressing real challenges and strategies, with a clear eye on transparency, community, and supply chain sustainability. The only distinction is that this podcast will focus exclusively on the dynamics of the Middle East coffee economy, creating a structured platform for dialogue in a region that’s rapidly gaining global attention.
This is the first step in a broader global expansion of the Map It Forward brand, which will roll out new region-specific initiatives over the next 12 months.
Launch Details:
-
Podcast Title: Map It Forward Middle East Podcast
-
Host: Lee Safar
-
First Series Guests: Shireen Muhaisen and James Lynes (Bunni Coffee – Amman, Jordan)
-
Second Series Guests: Kim Thompson and Matt Toogood (Raw Coffee Company – Dubai, UAE)
-
Launch Date: June 2, 2025
-
Available On: All major podcast platforms and Map It Forward’s YouTube channel
For more information, visit: https://www.mapitforward.coffee/middleeastpodcast
