Today's Edition
MAITHAM AlANBARI (DUBAI)
Following the success of its first and second editions, World of Coffee Dubai 2024 is engaging an audience from the UAE and beyond. Designed to connect coffee producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, and the broader industry, the event is tailored to the UAE’s coffee businesses and those who wish to break into Middle East’s emerging coffee industry.
Exploring the busy trade show floor, visitors can enjoy popular show features such as the Roaster Village, UAE National Championships, SCA Community Lounge, Best New Product Competition & Display, Lectures, and much more. The global event, organised by DXB Live, the integrated event management and organisation services arm of the Dubai World Trade Centre, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association, also features a series of informative lectures presented by seasoned professionals.
During the expo, Aletihad spoke to Khalid Al Mulla, the National Coordinator for the Specialty Coffee Association – UAE Chapter, who offered his insight into the critical industry event. Al Mulla noted that the third edition of the event has witnessed unprecedented demand from local and international exhibitors. He explained that during the conference, visitors, coffee lovers, and industry professionals can attend workshops, seminars, and lectures featuring representatives of coffee boards around the globe, as well as manufacturers, distributors, and grocery and coffee owners, “all under one roof”.
“It’s a perfect platform to conduct all business or start a business,” he remarked.
Why Dubai?
Explaining the choice of the UAE as the event venue, Al Mulla said: “I always emphasise and say the mother of all industries is Dubai. We have major trade shows happening here in Dubai, with most of the deals happening in Dubai, and it also serves neighbouring markets… The position Dubai strategically provides is the perfect platform to be a hub for coffee.”
Al Mulla also noted the presence of the DMCC coffee centre, which boasts 8,000 metric tonnes of coffee storage. “I consider it a major platform, connecting the East and West. We have producers from Latin America, Africa, and Asia who all store their coffee over there,” he added. According to Al Mulla, January is a critical time to host a coffee trade show, particularly one at this scale, as it marks the time right after the coffee harvest season.
“All the auctions, all the coffee pricing, and all the bidding are happening in this room,” he said.
Event Features
Delving into the event’s various features, Al Mulla detailed the expo’s “Cupping Room”, where companies can book a slot, bring a sample from the coffee farmers, and make a cup of their brand’s coffee. If the coffee is well liked, it is common to see large bulk orders, he noted.
“And, of course, most of the roasters rush in to get the best quality coffee, which is presented in this exhibition. So, Dubai has proven to be a hub for coffee in many ways,” Al Mulla said.
The “Brewer” section of the event offers small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to take a three-hour time slot to test their products on various machines, from grinding machines to brewing methods, sponsored by different companies, he added.
“The company only has to bring its own roasted coffee and its employees, and prepare the coffee. The idea is that the visitors can try coffee from different companies as well,” Al Mulla said. The expo also hosts the “Roasters Village”, as well as the National Barista and Latte Art Championship, along with many other features. In terms of the competition, Al Mulla explained that there are eight barista competitors and eleven latte art competitors who will present their creations to a panel of local and international judges. “Whoever wins the championship will represent the UAE at the global level,” he added.
High Turnout
Al Mulla remarked that this edition of the expo has garnered wide participation since the first edition from brands and visitors alike. “The number of exhibitors is up more than 300% than the first edition, so 1,600 exhibitors and brands. 63% are international exhibitors,” he noted. “
We had very high footfall yesterday, and exceeded 5,000 visitors on the first day of the show,” he said, adding that he expects a similar number of visitors in the conference’s final two days. “I hope we can reach 20 ,000 plus visitors by the end of the show,” Al Mulla added.
