- A Record-Breaking 76 Producers Confirmed for 2026, Marking the Largest Participation in the Event’s History
- Eight National Pavilions to Lead the Most Internationally Diverse Edition of World of Coffee Dubai to Date
- Export Growth Gains Momentum, With Kenya Up 12% and Ethiopia Reaching USD 2.65 Billion, as Middle East Demand Strengthens
United Arab Emirates, December 2025: World of Coffee Dubai 2026 is set to present its most diverse and internationally representative edition to date, welcoming an expanded roster of origins, national pavilions, and producer organisations from across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Taking place from 18–20 January 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre, the fifth edition – organised by DXB LIVE, the integrated event management and experiential agency of DWTC, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), reinforces Dubai’s position as the MENA region’s leading specialty coffee hub.
This year’s event will host eight national pavilions, including Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama and Brazil, with Kenya and Peru joining the show for the first time. Returning origins such as Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, and Rwanda will also participate with strengthened delegations, underscoring the event’s reputation as one of the world’s most comprehensive showcases of global coffee origins.
The 2026 edition will welcome over 76 producers, the highest in the event’s history and a reflection of the growing importance of Middle Eastern markets in shaping global coffee trade. The Producers Village, a dedicated meeting hub where farmers, buyers, roasters, and importers connect directly, will host 14 curated spaces highlighting a wide range of terroirs, processing methods, and farm-level perspectives from across the coffee belt. Several of these producers will also be featured in three daily coffee auctions, giving buyers access to rare micro-lots, experimental processes, and distinctive coffees not previously available in the region.
Complementing this producer presence, the wider exhibition will also welcome participation from respected national coffee boards and export bodies, including the Associação Brasileira de Cafés Especiais, Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, PROMPERÚ, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, the Kenya Coffee Directorate, and the Saudi Coffee Company. Their involvement enriches the show’s depth of origin representation and reflects growing global interest in the GCC’s specialty coffee landscape.
Across several producing nations, recent export trends show increasing alignment with Middle Eastern buyer preferences. Kenya recorded a 12% rise in coffee export volumes in 2024, one of its strongest-performing seasons in recent years, with exporters reporting greater demand from Gulf-based roasters for washed and naturally processed Kenyan coffees. Ethiopia, the largest coffee producer in Africa, generated revenues of USD 2.65 billion (approximately AED 10 billion) from coffee exports during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, driven by growing demand for naturally processed and honey-processed coffees in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while Africa as a whole saw an 8% year-on-year increase in coffee export volumes in late 2024, reflecting broader international momentum behind the continent’s specialty-grade offerings.
These developments mirror the maturation of the region’s specialty ecosystem, where roasters increasingly embrace lighter roasting styles, seasonal single origins, and fermentation-led profiles. This evolution has encouraged producers to prioritise Dubai as a long-term entry point into the Middle East, reinforcing the event’s role as a strategic platform where relationships, discovery, and direct trade meaningfully intersect.
Shouq Bin Redha, Exhibition Manager – World of Coffee Dubai, said: “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.“
With strengthened origin representation, a record number of producers, and rising interest from both heritage and emerging producing regions, World of Coffee Dubai 2026 stands as a defining edition in the Middle East’s growing influence on the global specialty coffee landscape. The event continues to advance a more interconnected future for producers, buyers, and roasters across the value chain, reinforcing Dubai’s position as one of the most significant destinations for specialty coffee worldwide.
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.
