Record producer turnout confirmed for World of Coffee Dubai 2026

World of Coffee Dubai 2026 will host its largest and most internationally representative line-up to date, with organisers confirming a record 76 producers for the fifth edition of the event.

The three-day exhibition will take place from 18 to 20 January 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Organised by DXB LIVE, the integrated event management agency of Dubai World Trade Centre, in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association, the event continues to position Dubai as a central hub for the Middle East and North Africa’s specialty coffee sector.

Eight national pavilions will take part in the 2026 edition, including Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama and Brazil. Kenya and Peru will participate for the first time, while returning origins such as Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico and Rwanda will appear with expanded delegations.

A focal point of the exhibition will be the Producers Village, a dedicated space designed to connect farmers directly with buyers, roasters and importers. Fourteen curated areas will showcase a broad range of terroirs, processing techniques and production approaches from across the global coffee belt. Selected producers will also participate in three daily coffee auctions, offering buyers access to rare micro-lots and experimental coffees not previously available in the regional market.

Record participation fuels global exchange

The wider exhibition will also feature participation from national coffee boards and export bodies, including the Associação Brasileira de Cafés Especiais, Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, PROMPERÚ, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, the Kenya Coffee Directorate and the Saudi Coffee Company.

Export trends among key producing nations underline the growing importance of Middle Eastern markets. Kenya recorded a 12 per cent increase in coffee export volumes in 2024, while Ethiopia generated US$2.65 billion in coffee export revenues during the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year. Africa overall saw an 8 per cent year-on-year increase in coffee export volumes in late 2024, reflecting rising international demand for specialty-grade coffees.

Shouq Bin Redha, Exhibition Manager for 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.”

Khalid Al Mulla, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association UAE Chapter, said the region’s specialty coffee community had become more quality-driven and engaged with origin. He added: “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.”

Organisers said the expanded participation and record producer turnout reinforce Dubai’s growing influence on the global specialty coffee landscape and its role as a meeting point for producers, buyers and roasters.