Sa'dah

Sa'dah, located in the northern highlands of Yemen near the Saudi border, is an emerging high-altitude coffee region known for its remote terrain and distinctive terroir. Sitting between 1,600 and 2,300 meters, the area is defined by rugged mountains, isolated villages, and extremely limited water resources, conditions that shape the traditional, low-input farming systems practiced by smallholder producers. Coffee trees here grow slowly under harsh climatic constraints, which help concentrate sugars and develop refined, high-elevation flavour profiles

Though Sa'dah’s coffee sector is smaller and less prominent than those of central and western highland regions, its specialty output has steadily improved as farmers adopt better sorting and drying techniques. The cup profile is typically elegant and aromatic, with floral notes, bright and clean acidity, and flavours reminiscent of stone fruit—qualities that reflect the region’s high elevation, cool nights, and slow cherry maturation. As infrastructure and market access gradually expand, Sa'dah is increasingly recognized for producing coffees with remarkable clarity and a unique northern Yemeni character.