Half Million
Half Million is a Saudi specialty coffee and F&B brand founded in 2018, operating 90+ owned retail branches across Saudi Arabia's five regions plus its first international branch in London. It serves mass-market Saudi coffee consumers through vertically integrated in-house roasting and central bakeries, supported by a proprietary mobile app.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Half Million does
Half Million is a Saudi Arabian specialty coffee and food & beverage brand founded in 2018 in Riyadh by Abdullah Mohammed Al Rajhi and a co-founder, initially capitalized with 500,000 SAR (from which the company name is derived). The company operates a vertically integrated retail model: an in-house coffee roastery with a 2 tons/day capacity sourcing specialty beans from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Brazil, packaged using nitrogen technology for shelf life, plus central bakery factories in Riyadh and Jeddah supplying all branches. As of 2026, Half Million runs 90+ owned retail branches distributed across all five Saudi regions (Central: 53+, Western: 22, Southern: 9, Eastern: 6, Northern: 3+) and has expanded internationally with its first branch in London, opening at an annual expansion rate of approximately 25 branches.
The business is monetized primarily through direct-to-consumer retail coffee and F&B sales at owned branches, supplemented by an in-app E-Store for branded merchandise and a loyalty program within the proprietary Half Million mobile app (available on iOS and Android). Customer segmentation is horizontal, targeting the broad Saudi coffee consumer base with a stated value proposition of affordability alongside quality and culturally distinctive offerings such as Taif Rose Ice Cream and a Sonic Branding launched for Saudi National Day in 2025. CEO Eng. Suhaib Al Balushi, appointed in 2020, leads an organization of 1,001-5,000 employees. The company is privately held by its founder with no institutional investors disclosed, and has built strategic partnerships across sports (Al-Shabab FC, Saudi Pro League), e-sports (Power Clan), social responsibility (Ensan Association — 28,000+ orphans sponsored since 2018), and healthcare awareness (Saudi Cancer Society, Zahra Association).
Half Million firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Half Million
- Legal name
- Half Million Company
- Website
- https://halfm.sa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Half Million is a Saudi specialty coffee and F&B brand founded in 2018, operating 90+ owned retail branches across Saudi Arabia's five regions plus its first international branch in London. It serves mass-market Saudi coffee consumers through vertically integrated in-house roasting and central bakeries, supported by a proprietary mobile app.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Half Million industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Shops
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Beverage Logistics, Warehousing & Cold-Chain Distribution (AFAIAGAM)
Keywords
Where Half Million is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riyadh
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices3 records
Markets served
Half Million business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Coffee & F&B Sales: Revenue generated from owned café/branch locations selling coffee, beverages, and food items to consumers. The company operates 90+ branches across Saudi Arabia and internationally.
- E-Store (Merchandise): Online merchandise sales through the Half Million application, delivering branded merchandise to customers.
- Loyalty Program: Customer retention mechanism embedded in the mobile application that drives repeat purchases across branches.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Half Million product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Half Million operates a chain of specialty coffeehouse branches selling hot and cold coffee beverages, food items, and branded merchandise. The company runs 90+ owned branches across Saudi Arabia's five regions plus a London international branch, and is supported by an in-house roastery (2 tons/day capacity) using nitrogen packaging and central bakery factories in Riyadh and Jeddah. Customers can also order via the proprietary Half Million mobile application, which includes pre-ordering, a loyalty program, and an in-app E-Store.
Product overview
Half Million is a Saudi F&B brand founded in 2018 offering specialty coffee and food & beverage products. The portfolio centers on Half Million Café (90+ branches across Saudi Arabia), the Half Million Roastery (specialty coffee beans sourced from Colombia, Ethiopia, Brazil with 2-ton daily capacity), and a Half Million App (mobile platform for pre-ordering, loyalty program, and E-Store). The company also operates central bakery factories in Riyadh and Jeddah to supply all branches. Recent product launches include seasonal beverages like Passion Fruit Iced Tea and Strawberry Matcha, plus regional specialty items like Taif Rose Ice Cream.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Half Million Roastery: Coffee bean roastery established to roast specialty coffee beans sourced from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Brazil. Uses Nitrogen packaging technology. Has production capacity of up to 2 tons per day.
Products and services
- Half Million Café Specialty coffeehouse retail chain serving hot and cold coffee beverages and bakery items to individual consumers at 90+ owned branches across Saudi Arabia and a flagship London location.
- Half Million Roastery In-house specialty coffee bean roastery sourcing beans from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Brazil, with up to 2 tons/day production capacity and nitrogen packaging for freshness; supports the Half Million café chain and is positioned as a stand-alone business.
- Half Million Mobile Application Proprietary mobile app for iOS and Android allowing customers to pre-order from any Half Million branch, earn loyalty rewards, and access the E-Store for merchandise orders with delivery.
- Half Million E-Store (Branded Merchandise) Online merchandise store integrated within the Half Million app, offering branded merchandise ordered and delivered to customers.
- Taif Rose Ice Cream Culturally inspired ice cream product featuring the iconic Taif Rose flavor, sold through Half Million café branches as a regionally distinctive dessert offering.
- Strawberry Matcha Cold beverage blending matcha with strawberry, launched as the latest addition to Half Million's cold beverages category and served at café branches.
- Passion Fruit Iced Tea Seasonal summer iced tea beverage combining tropical passion fruit with mint-infused green tea, sold through Half Million café branches.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90+ branches across Saudi Arabia with 25-branch annual expansion rate
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Half Million
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Half Million technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Half Million partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Saudi Cancer SocietyminorPartnership with the Saudi Cancer Society in the Eastern Province since October 2024 to raise awareness of early breast cancer screening, reflecting commitment to supporting community initiatives across the Kingdom.
- SALcoreCooperation agreement signed on August 18, 2024, aimed at expanding operations within the Kingdom and internationally.
- Power ClanminorPartnership with Power Clan began in March 2023 as part of the brand's strategy to build partnerships that strengthen its presence in the field of e-sport, reaching various segments of customers and engaging with their interests.
- Ensan AssociationcorePartnership with Ensan Association since 2018 aimed at supporting and caring for orphans in line with social responsibility. Since the beginning of this initiative, Half Million has sponsored more than 28,000 orphans.
- Al-Shabab Saudi FCcorePartnership with Al-Shabab Saudi FC for three sports seasons, reflecting the company's belief in the strength of the sports sector in the Kingdom and its commitment to reaching and interacting with the sports audience.
- Zahra AssociationminorStrategic partnership with Zahra Association in raising awareness of early detection of breast cancer, stemming from social responsibility towards various segments of society.
- Entertainment AuthoritycorePartnership with the Entertainment Authority to sponsor the Riyadh Season for the year 2021–2022, contributing to achieving the Kingdom's goals and keeping pace with its future aspirations.
- Saudi Pro League (Roshn League)coreStrategic partnership with the Saudi Pro League to sponsor the Saudi Roshn League for two seasons, supporting the growth of the sports sector in the Kingdom.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Half Million competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Costa Coffee: Costa Coffee, operated in Saudi Arabia by Alshaya, is a major international coffee chain with significant branch presence in the Kingdom, competing head-to-head with Half Million in malls, high streets, and roadside locations.
- Tim Hortons (Saudi): Tim Hortons has aggressively expanded across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf at value-price points similar to Half Million, targeting the same mass-market coffee-and-bakery customer with high-frequency branches.
- Dunkin' (Saudi): Dunkin' operates a sizeable Saudi footprint focused on coffee-plus-donut/bakery at affordable prices, making it a structurally similar value-tier coffee and snack competitor to Half Million.
- Starbucks Saudi (Alshaya): Starbucks, operated in Saudi Arabia by M.H. Alshaya Co., is the dominant global coffee chain with deep local penetration; Half Million directly competes for the same daily-commute and social-café occasions at similar price points in major Saudi cities.
Direct peers
- Yadawee Coffee: Yadawee is a Saudi coffee brand with a growing café and roastery presence, pursuing a similar specialty-coffee-plus-cultural-identity proposition aimed at the same Saudi consumer base as Half Million.
- Caffe Bene: Caffe Bene is a Korean-origin specialty coffee chain with established MENA presence; its café-and-dessert positioning, bakery integration, and per-branch economics are directly comparable to Half Million's café/bakery model.
- Barn's Coffee: Barn's is the leading Saudi-born specialty coffee chain and Half Million's closest domestic competitor, operating a similarly large café footprint across the Kingdom with comparable affordability-plus-quality positioning and Saudi cultural identity.
- % Arabica: % Arabica is a globally expanding specialty coffee chain with notable MENA presence and a minimalist, design-led café experience that overlaps Half Million's specialty-coffee, Instagram-friendly positioning.
Regional players
- Dr. Cafe & Bites: Dr. Cafe is a Saudi-focused coffee chain with multi-branch operations across the Kingdom offering specialty coffee and light F&B, providing another domestic benchmark for Half Million's store-level economics and brand strategy.
Emerging players
- Caribou Coffee: Caribou Coffee has expanded selectively in the Middle East and competes in the premium-affordable specialty coffee segment; its MENA store footprint and brand positioning overlap with Half Million's growth narrative.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Half Million social profiles
Digital presenceHalf Million financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Half Million leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Half Million funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Half Million M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Half Million
What does Half Million do?
Half Million operates a chain of specialty coffeehouse branches selling hot and cold coffee beverages, food items, and branded merchandise. The company runs 90+ owned branches across Saudi Arabia's five regions plus a London international branch, and is supported by an in-house roastery (2 tons/day capacity) using nitrogen packaging and central bakery factories in Riyadh and Jeddah. Customers can also order via the proprietary Half Million mobile application, which includes pre-ordering, a loyalty program, and an in-app E-Store.
Is Half Million a public or private company?
Half Million is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Half Million founded?
Half Million was founded in 2018. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Half Million based?
Half Million is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does Half Million make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Coffee & F&B Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-Store (Merchandise) and loyalty Program.
Who are Half Million's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons (Saudi), Dunkin' (Saudi) and Starbucks Saudi (Alshaya). Direct peers are Yadawee Coffee, Caffe Bene, Barn's Coffee and % Arabica. Dr. Cafe & Bites is listed as a regional player. Caribou Coffee is listed as an emerging player.
Does Half Million have an API?
No public API is recorded for Half Million.
What industry is Half Million in?
Half Million's product category is Specialty Coffee Shops. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes, with a secondary code of AFAIAKAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.