World of Coffee Dubai 2026 Poised for Most International Edition Yet
The upcoming World of Coffee Dubai 2026 promises to be the event’s most internationally diverse edition, with an expanded line-up of origins, national pavilions, and producer organisations spanning Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Scheduled from 18th to 20th January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the fifth edition is organised by DXB LIVE in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), further enhancing Dubai’s reputation as the leading specialty coffee hub in the region.
This year, the event will see participation from eight national pavilions, including Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Brazil, with Kenya and Peru joining the event for the first time. Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, and Rwanda return with larger delegations, a testament to the event’s growing role as a global platform for coffee origins.
A new milestone will be set with over 76 producers taking part—a record for the event—highlighting the rising significance of Middle Eastern markets in the global coffee trade.
The Producers Village will offer 14 curated spaces designed for direct engagement among farmers, buyers, roasters, and importers. Here, attendees can explore the rich diversity of terroirs and processing methods, while three daily auctions will give buyers rare access to micro-lots and unique coffees making their regional debut.
The exhibition will also feature esteemed national coffee boards and export bodies such as Associação Brasileira de Cafés Especiais, Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, PROMPERÚ, Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, Kenya Coffee Directorate, and Saudi Coffee Company, deepening the representation of origins and reflecting growing international interest in the GCC’s specialty coffee market.
Recent export trends underline this shift: Kenya saw a 12% rise in coffee exports in 2024, driven by demand from Gulf-based roasters. Ethiopia generated US$2.65 billion (around AED10 billion) in 2024/2025 exports, bolstered by the UAE and Saudi markets. Meanwhile, Africa’s overall coffee exports rose 8% year-on-year in late 2024, signifying a surge in international demand for specialty-grade coffees.
This expansion reflects the region’s evolving specialty coffee ecosystem. Roasters are gravitating towards lighter roasts and innovative flavour profiles, and more producers now prioritize Dubai as a strategic entry point into the Middle East, marking the event as vital for relationship-building and direct trade.
Shouq Bin Redha, Exhibition Manager – World of Coffee Dubai, remarked:
“The scale and diversity of origin participation this year reflects a fundamental shift in the global coffee movement. Producers are no longer viewing the Middle East as a peripheral market; they are actively shaping their export strategies around it. The presence of first-time pavilions from Kenya and Peru and the expansion of delegations from long-established origins show the extent to which Dubai has become a true crossroads for global coffee trade, a place where quality, sourcing strategy, and business opportunity converge.”
Khalid Al Mulla, CEO – Specialty Coffee Association UAE Chapter, added:
“The specialty coffee community in the region has grown more sophisticated, more curious, and far more quality-driven. Roasters are looking for meaningful, long-term relationships with origin. Consumers are seeking diversity in flavour and story. Producers are responding with a level of engagement and investment we have never seen before. World of Coffee Dubai 2026 captures this moment, where global origin culture and regional demand are aligning in a way that is reshaping the future of the specialty market across the Middle East.”
Team V.4-EM-UAE
