- Gulf and North African markets among the fastest-growing globally
- Significant expansion in cafés and record growth in consumption
United Arab Emirates, December 2025: Coffee consumption across the Middle East continues to accelerate, reinforcing the region’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic and advanced specialty coffee markets. This momentum comes as World of Coffee Dubai prepares to launch its fifth edition at Dubai World Trade Centre from 18–20 January 2026. The surge reflects a broader regional transformation reshaping coffee consumption patterns, supply chains, and trade mechanisms.
The exhibition is organised by DXB LIVE, in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The event has expanded significantly, growing from 5,000 square metres in 2022 to more than 20,000 square metres in 2026, underscoring the rising demand for specialty coffee across the Middle East and North Africa. This growth is being driven by the expansion of café culture, increased interest in coffee origins, and the rise of premium consumption.
The United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continue to lead this transformation. The UAE’s coffee market exceeds AED 12 billion (approximately USD 3.2 billion), while Dubai continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most café-dense and diverse cities. This is supported by a marked increase in out-of-home coffee consumption, particularly in cafés and restaurants, which accounts for approximately 93% of total coffee spending, which is one of the highest rates globally.
In Saudi Arabia, the market includes more than 5,100 branded cafés, representing nearly half of all branded cafés across the region. Daily consumption exceeds 36 million cups of coffee, while the total number of registered cafés has surpassed 61,000, ranging from specialty cafés to traditional coffee majlis.
Meanwhile, North African and Levant markets, particularly Egypt and Morocco, are experiencing notable growth. Coffee consumption in Egypt has doubled over the past five years, while Morocco recorded a 23% increase in coffee imports in 2024. Across the region, the branded café sector has grown by more than 11%, driven by a young population, with over 60% under the age of 35, who increasingly view coffee as a lifestyle, cultural experience, and form of personal expression.
The expansion of World of Coffee Dubai reflects a new phase of maturity for the region’s coffee ecosystem, which is now operating on a greater scale and within a more integrated framework. From wholesalers and tech-driven startups to fully integrated roasteries, the Middle East coffee sector is rapidly evolving toward a more sustainable and interconnected network that brings together producers, buyers, and innovators within a unified ecosystem.
Khalid Al Mulla, Chairman of the Specialty Coffee Association – UAE Chapter, said: “The pace of growth we are witnessing in the region is not reflected solely in the proliferation of cafés or consumption figures, but also in the infrastructure being developed across the entire value chain. World of Coffee Dubai embodies the accelerated trajectory of the coffee movement in the Middle East, advancing today with greater depth and global connectivity than ever before.”
Shouq Bin Redha, Director of World of Coffee Dubai, added: “We are seeing the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs, producers, and importers who are driving innovation, sustainability, and long-term growth across the sector. World of Coffee serves as a key meeting point for this ecosystem, and the scale of its expansion reflects the region’s growing influence within the global coffee trade.”
While café culture continues to draw the most attention, the supporting infrastructure behind the sector is evolving at a rapid pace. Green coffee imports across the GCC have increased significantly, with Dubai emerging as a regional re-export hub, where re-export values exceeded AED 3.5 billion in 2024, supported by investments in warehousing facilities, cupping laboratories, quality control centres, and specialised trading platforms.
At the same time, the third-wave coffee movement is gaining momentum across the region, driven by the growth of local roasteries, specialised importers, independent cafés, female-led concepts, and mobile coffee formats. This expansion is further supported by latte art competitions, coffee festivals, and barista training academies, helping independent brands build strong market presence and loyal customer bases.
World of Coffee Dubai 2026 continues to play a pivotal role in driving this growth, with its upcoming edition set to attract leading coffee companies and brands from around the world. The event will feature three coffee auctions, local and international championships, as well as accredited workshops and educational programmes, while exhibitors will showcase the latest innovations and advanced technologies across every stage of the coffee value chain.
Exhibitors can now secure their spaces for World of Coffee Dubai 2026, while early bird tickets for visitors are also available through the official website: https://dubai.worldofcoffee.org/home
About World of Coffee Dubai
World of Coffee Dubai (WOC Dubai) is the premier coffee trade show for exhibitors and visitors looking to break into the Middle East’s burgeoning coffee industry. The event showcases popular features like the Roaster Village, engaging lectures, the Cupping Room, the SCA UAE National Championships, the Coffee Design Awards, the Best New Display Product Competition, Brew Bar, and the SCA Community Lounge, where buyers and sellers come together to reconnect and establish new business relationships. The exhibition welcomes local, regional, and global professionals in the coffee industry including producers, manufacturers, traders, farmers, international experts, distributors, small and medium companies, coffee shops, roasters, hotels, and coffee enthusiasts from around the world.
About SCA
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the world’s largest nonprofit, membership-based trade association in the coffee industry. Representing thousands of coffee professionals globally from producers to baristas, the organization is built on foundations of openness, inclusivity, and the power of shared knowledge, fostering an international coffee community to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable activity for the entire value chain. From coffee farmers to baristas and roasters, our membership spans the globe, encompassing every element of the coffee value chain. The SCA acts as a unifying force within the specialty coffee industry and works to make coffee better by raising standards worldwide through a collaborative and progressive approach.
About DXB LIVE:
DXB LIVE is the integrated event management and experiential agency of Dubai World Trade Centre. With its creative, technical, and operational expertise, DXB LIVE delivers world-class events of all types, including exhibitions, conferences, festivals, recreational activities, national occasions, major corporate events, as well as high-end and private weddings.
The agency provides services for more than 100 major events annually, designing and building over 500,000 square feet of exhibition stands and delivering complex live events and conference solutions. DXB LIVE also offers strategic consultancy to associations and international organizations, while organizing large-scale trade exhibitions and public events.
Rapidly expanding its footprint, DXB LIVE is strengthening its position among the world’s leading event companies through strong alliances with top international event organizations. Its combined services create exceptional experiences that connect brands with their audiences across the UAE, GCC, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.