News DeskDubai, UAE – World of Coffee Dubai 2026 will present its most diverse and internationally representative edition to date, as producers and national coffee bodies from across Africa, Latin America and Asia converge in the UAE this January.
Taking place from January 18 to 20, 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre, the fifth edition of the event will feature eight national pavilions, including Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama and Brazil, with Kenya and Peru participating for the first time. Returning origins such as Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico and Rwanda will also take part with expanded delegations, reinforcing the event’s status as one of the world’s most comprehensive showcases of specialty coffee origins.
Organised by DXB LIVE, the event management arm of DWTC, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the exhibition underlines Dubai’s growing role as the Middle East’s leading specialty coffee hub and a strategic gateway for global coffee trade.
The 2026 edition will welcome more than 76 producers, the highest number in the event’s history, reflecting the rising importance of Gulf markets in shaping global sourcing strategies. A central highlight will be the Producers Village, a dedicated networking platform hosting 14 curated spaces where farmers, roasters, importers and buyers can connect directly. Selected producers will also participate in three daily coffee auctions, offering access to rare micro-lots, experimental processing methods and exclusive coffees new to the region.
In addition, several national coffee boards and export authorities will be represented, 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, further strengthening the depth of origin participation.
Recent export data highlights the growing alignment between producing countries and Middle Eastern market preferences. Kenya recorded a 12 per cent increase in coffee exports in 2024, with exporters citing stronger demand from Gulf-based roasters. Ethiopia generated $2.65 billion (around Dh10 billion) in coffee export revenues during the 2024–2025 fiscal year, driven in part by rising demand in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Across Africa, coffee exports rose 8 per cent year-on-year in late 2024, reflecting growing international interest in specialty-grade coffees from the continent.
Commenting on the expansion, Shouq Bin Redha, Exhibition Manager of World of Coffee Dubai, said the scale of origin participation signals a shift in global trade dynamics. “Producers are no longer viewing the Middle East as a peripheral market. Dubai has become a crossroads where quality, sourcing strategy and business opportunity converge,” she said.
Khalid Al Mulla, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association UAE Chapter, noted that regional consumers and roasters are increasingly quality-driven and focused on long-term relationships with origin. “World of Coffee Dubai 2026 reflects a moment where global origin culture and regional demand are aligning and reshaping the specialty coffee market across the Middle East,” he said.
With record producer participation and strengthened global representation, World of Coffee Dubai 2026 is set to be a defining edition, reinforcing the emirate’s position as one of the world’s most influential destinations for specialty coffee.
Exhibitor registrations and early-bird visitor tickets are now available through the official World of Coffee Dubai website https://dubai.worldofcoffee.org/home
