starting "Coffee World Exhibition" In Dubai, with wide international participation

DUBAI, 18 JANUARY / WAM / The activities of the fifth edition of the World of Coffee Dubai exhibition kicked off today at the Dubai World Trade Centre, marking a milestone in the journey of the specialty coffee sector in the Middle East.

This year’s exhibition sees the participation of more than 2,100 exhibiting companies and brands from 78 countries, and is the largest and most diverse international edition to date.

The event is organized by DXB Live, the integrated event planning and management services arm of Dubai World Trade Centre, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).

The first day witnessed the signing of a five-year partnership memorandum between the Dubai Coffee World Exhibition and the Specialty Coffee Association, extending the partnership until 2031 and establishing long-term cooperation to support specialty coffee championships, educational programs, and professional standards within the exhibition’s activities.

The memorandum was signed by Khaled Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of DXB Live, and Yiannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association, strengthening the position of World of Coffee Dubai as a stable and internationally compatible platform within the global specialty coffee agenda.

Following the opening programme, activities continued across the exhibition halls, which extend over an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters in Zabeel Halls 1, 4, 5 and 6.

Participants from production countries and consumption markets reviewed green coffee beans, roasting and preparation techniques, equipment, packaging solutions, and café innovations, covering all stages of the specialty coffee value chain.

The first day witnessed the launch of accompanying activities, including the Roasters Village and the Producers Village, where roasters and producers of countries of origin communicated directly with buyers, importers and sector professionals.

The brewing area and tasting rooms hosted tasting sessions and sensory experiences throughout the day, while the SCA community area served as a hub for networking and knowledge exchange, and live competitions on the tournament platforms attracted wide interest from visitors.

The opening day highlighted the level of innovation and cooperation within the exhibition, through an exclusive cooperation for the World of Coffee exhibition between “Oatly” and “Yaba”, a modern Iraqi restaurant located in the Al Wasl area in Dubai, where a new approach was presented in creating coffee drinks by applying steeping techniques inspired by the culinary arts to extract flavors, along with distinctive elements such as nut cream and saffron-infused bubbles.

Equipment innovations were evident and Coffee Desk, the exclusive distributor in the Middle East for leading brands including Fellow, unveiled the world premiere of the advanced Fellow Espresso Series 1, ahead of its commercial launch later this year.

This launch reflects the growing demand for high-performance, accessible equipment in the specialty coffee sector.

Business activities kicked off on the first day with the Dubai Coffee Equipment Auction, organized by DXB Live in collaboration with the Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC), a one-day auction highlighting specialized and customized coffee equipment provided by World of Coffee Dubai exhibitors.

The auction included equipment that underwent a pre-qualification stage, which was presented through live demonstrations and direct inspections in the exhibition halls, followed by live bidding on each piece, managed and coordinated by M-Cultivo, a company specializing in auctions.

The auction is designed to connect equipment manufacturers with serious buyers, providing a platform for innovation, craftsmanship and price discovery in the regional specialty coffee market.

Khaled Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President at DXB Live, said that the Dubai Coffee World Exhibition continues to grow in size, diversity and international importance. Perhaps the strong participation witnessed on the first day, and the signing of a five-year partnership agreement with the Specialty Coffee Association, reflects the maturity of the event and its importance as a global platform for trade, education and professional exchange.

Al Hammadi confirmed in statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the events that the World of Coffee Exhibition contributed to significantly accelerating the pace of growth of the coffee sector, explaining that expectations indicate that the size of the coffee market in the country by 2029 will reach about 16.5 billion dirhams, after exceeding 12 billion dirhams in 2025.

He expected that the exhibition, in its current session, would constitute one of the main tributaries supporting the sector at the level of the country and the region, noting that the exhibition was launched in 2022 as an exhibition accompanying the Expo activities, and since its first edition, the organizers noticed a growing demand for the coffee sector, in addition to the need for a specialized exhibition at the level of the Emirate of Dubai.

He explained that a number of fundamental factors contributed to the success of the exhibition and its rapid development, foremost of which is the advanced infrastructure that the UAE enjoys, including ports, airports, industrial zones and free zones.

He added that this integration contributed to consolidating the position of Dubai and the UAE as a global platform that brings together specialists and those interested in the coffee sector from various parts of the world, which was reflected in the continuous growth in the number of exhibitors and visitors, pointing out that the current fifth edition of the exhibition witnesses the participation of about 78 countries, and the number of brands and exhibitors is approximately 2,100, in addition to the participation of about 76 coffee farmers and producers, which is the largest number participating in this session.

He stated that an integrated pavilion was allocated to farmers within the exhibition, with special facilities provided to them due to their coming from distant regions. He explained that a “Farmer Village” was allocated in Zabeel Hall 1, to provide the opportunity to participate for farmers whose farms represent a small size or limited production.

In an additional stop within the coffee events portfolio, Khaled Al Hammadi also signed a partnership memorandum to organize the Coffee Festival in Bahrain for the next 3 years, which is a selected experience that combines commercial and consumer events and includes workshops, live coffee preparations, tournaments, and interactive activities.

The festival aims to engage the broader community of coffee lovers, families and the general public, while highlighting local and international brands.

During the first day, DXB Live also announced plans to expand its portfolio of coffee events by launching specialty coffee festivals in Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Morocco. These festivals will be developed as independent intellectual property of DXB Live, based on the growing momentum of specialty coffee in the GCC countries, and in a way that complements the role of the World of Coffee Dubai exhibition as a leading international trade platform.

Exhibitors praised the value the event provides in terms of international reach and a specialized professional audience.

The World of Coffee Dubai 2026 exhibition continues until January 20, with a busy program over the coming days that includes a microlot auction, an exhibitor coffee auction, tournament finals, and workshops, in addition to more sector-specific announcements.

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