The history of coffee is deeply-rooted in the Arab world and specifically within the Arabian Peninsula. There are many arguments that the origins of coffee started from either Yemen or Ethiopia. Both countries are with great coffee heritage yet the Arabs have played an important role in the development of coffee from the moment it was first discovered in Yemen up to this day. It is well noted that Arabs were the first to roast and boil coffee, making way for the beverage that is enjoyed by billions of people around the world.



This tradition of enjoying coffee among the Arabs and in the Muslim world continued to develop and grow throughout the 13th century. Ever since, Arabs understood the values of coffee though its stimulating effects and awakening characteristics through which they have been enjoying ever since.



Coffee shops – or coffee houses, ‘Qahwa’ – or ‘MaQha,’ began spreading and have become part of a social experience where people went to relax and enjoy conversations. It has gone beyond just a place to enjoy a beverage but a place to exchange knowledge, wisdom, and information; which is not too different from today’s world. The Q lab is a testament to the history of ‘Qahwa,’ or Coffee, as it is known today in the Arab world in bringing some of the world’s most exclusive coffees for people to experience and understand the history and complexity of this unique beverage.