Our mission is to bring you premium honey in ways that benefit Yemeni beekeepers, create safe spaces for native bees, and strengthen beekeeping communities.
Our Story
Sheba Bees was conceived in 2023 and launched in New York City in 2024 as a socially responsible business venture. We are a team of Yemenis confident that, with support, traditional Yemeni beekeepers and their communities can not only survive the manmade and natural challenges they face but also find new ways to build resilience and prosper.
During field visits to apiaries and honey markets around Yemen, we have found beekeepers committed to producing premium honey, but struggling with increasingly volatile weather and insufficient resources to maintain bee-feeding areas. Their eagerness to strengthen Yemeni apiculture, and to reach new markets abroad, isn’t surprising. Yemeni honey, venerated in Arabian folklore as one of God’s blessings to humanity, has been valued as a powerful and nutritious natural healing supplement since ancient times. For the people of Yemen’s remote mountain villages, producing it is their heritage as well as their livelihood.
Our name hearkens back to the legendary Queen of Sheba, a seeker of wisdom whose empire included a wide swath of Yemen where trade in incense and spices flourished. Legend tells of camel caravans of spices, gold and precious gems sent by the queen to King Solomon, known for his prosperous kingdom and divine wisdom. At Sheba Bees, we are committed to acting wisely, consulting with beekeepers, local officials and community members about their priorities, and then reinvesting in those where our support is needed. Whether planting new Sidr trees, assisting with ecologically sound agricultural practices, adapting water systems or meeting other community-identified needs, we want to help the communities of Sheba today to flourish.
Our Values
Empowering beekeepers by providing the resources, support, and market opportunities to make premium honey production a sustainable livelihood.
Modeling social and environmental responsibility while creating safe spaces for bees by promoting healthy feeding practices and pesticide awareness.
Supporting locally led projects that address community priorities, such as planting Sidr trees.
Building resilience in Yemeni apiculture to the ill effects of climate change by studying how climate change is affecting trees, soil, and bees in beekeeping areas.
Our Goals
Provide premium quality Yemeni honey.
Implement healthy practices for the environment.
Support economic sustainability by empowering beekeepers.
Encourage a culture of giving back.