2,100 companies and brands are exhibiting from 78 countries at the “World of Coffee Exhibition” in Dubai

Yesterday, the activities of the fifth edition of the “World of Coffee Dubai” exhibition kicked off at the Dubai World Trade Center, marking a milestone in the journey of the specialty coffee sector in the Middle East.

This year’s exhibition session witnesses the participation of more than 2,100 exhibiting companies and brands from 78 countries, and it is the largest and most diverse edition at the international level to date. The event is organized by “DXB Live”, the arm for providing integrated event organization and management services at the Dubai World Trade Center, in cooperation 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 the Executive Vice President of DXB Live, Khaled Al Hammadi, and the CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association, Yiannis Apostolopoulos, which strengthens 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 through 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 events, 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 formed a center for communication and knowledge exchange, attracted live competitions on tournament platforms, and received wide attention 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 bubbles infused with saffron.

Khaled Al Hammadi said, “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 will reach about 16.5 billion dirhams by 2029, after exceeding 12 billion dirhams in 2025.

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