• World of Espresso Dubai returns 18 to twenty January 2026, at DWTC.
• The occasion will embrace three UAE Espresso Championships, the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, and the second Dubai Espresso Public sale.
• The UAE’s espresso market exceeds US$3.2bn, making Dubai a world hub for the specialty espresso business.
• Attendees may take part in afterparties and occasions, and expertise the town’s vibrant café scene.

The fifth version of World of Espresso (WoC) Dubai will run from 18 to twenty January 2026 on the Dubai World Commerce Centre. Residence to over 4,000 espresso outlets, the town will host 1000’s of business professionals in the course of the three-day occasion.

This 12 months, WoC Dubai will host three UAE Espresso Championships, the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, the second Dubai Espresso Public sale, cuppings, workshops, and extra.

Exhibitors may even organise their very own occasions and afterparties. Attendees may even have the chance to go to a few of the metropolis’s finest specialty espresso outlets and roasters.

Learn on to seek out out what’s taking place and how one can participate.

Take a look at the PDG Occasions Calendar right here. We’ll proceed to replace the article as extra facet occasions and afterparties are introduced.

Which competitions & auctions will happen?

WoC Dubai can be held in Za’abeel halls 1, 4, 5, and 6 on the Dubai World Commerce Centre on Sheikh Zayed Highway – simply outdoors the World Commerce Centre metro station.

The occasion will characteristic the 2026 Cezve/Ibrik Championship and the 2026 UAE Barista, Latte Artwork, and Espresso Roasting Championships. Previous to the occasion, Greek roaster producer and UAE Espresso Roasting Championship sponsor IRM hosted a full week of coaching classes for the 30 opponents.

As with earlier editions, the 2026 WoC Dubai will host the Espresso Design Awards and the Greatest New Product competitors.

The second in-person Dubai Espresso Public sale, co-hosted by M-Cultivo, may even happen. The inaugural public sale broke a number of world data, together with the very best costs ever paid for Hawaiian and Bolivian espresso. 

A complete of 21 tons from 17 producers, together with Hacienda La Esmeralda, Janson Household Espresso, Daterra, and Gesha Village, and a California-grown Gesha from Frinj, can be featured on this 12 months’s version.

WoC Dubai may even host the Microlot Espresso Public sale, the place patrons can be part of cupping classes to guage uncommon tons forward of stay bidding, and the Exhibitors’ Espresso Public sale, the place roasters and producers can current their coffees.

Why Dubai is changing into a key location for espresso occasions

The Center East is quick changing into one of many world’s most dynamic espresso markets. Knowledge from Undertaking Café Center East 2025 point out that the area’s branded espresso store sector has surpassed 11,160 retailers.

The worth of the UAE’s espresso market alone exceeds AED 12bn (roughly US$3.2bn). On the identical time, Dubai continues to strengthen its place as a key hub for espresso commerce within the MENA area. The 7,500-square-metre Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), opened in 2002, is the UAE’s largest free-trade zone and serves as a commodities trade.

“Attending World of Espresso Dubai is important for us as a result of it’s the place the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) espresso neighborhood comes collectively,” says Mark Zhou, the founding father of MTPak Espresso, a number one international provider of custom-printed espresso packaging. “We work with a rising variety of roasters on this area, and the face-to-face connection stays invaluable.”

The mix of fast market development and sturdy commerce fashions makes Dubai a hotspot for espresso occasions. Different main commerce reveals hosted within the metropolis embrace the Dubai Espresso Competition, the Natural Tea & Espresso Expo, the UAE Espresso Innovation Summit, and the Style of Dubai Meals Competition.

“At these occasions, we anticipate to see continued curiosity in sustainability – from recyclable and compostable packaging to low-waste customisation printing strategies,” Mark says. “There’s additionally a powerful deal with premiumisation and client expertise. Specialty espresso is evolving quickly within the Center East, and we’re seeing a rising demand for packaging that each protects high quality and expresses model id.

“We’re excited to showcase our fully-customisable packaging options at sales space no. ZC4-10,” he provides. “Anticipate to see cutting-edge designs and sustainable supplies, and our staff can be readily available to information guests via our full vary of providers.”

Afterparties & actions

Quite a few firms will host their very own occasions and actions:

• Fri, 16 Jan – the 2025 World Barista Champion Jack Simpson will lead a visitor service at Julith Espresso from 5-8 pm.
• Fri, 16 & Sat, 17 Jan – Apax Labs will host the Influence of Ions on Espresso Flavour workshop at Archers Espresso, an omakase-style filter espresso expertise at Benchmark Espresso, and a bar takeover at Julith Espresso, the place the BoP-winning Nido Gesha can be served.
• Sat, 17 Jan – Nucleus Espresso Instruments will host the Inexperienced to Cup journey at Julith Espresso from 5-7 pm, that includes seven Panama Geshas.
• Sat, 17 Jan – Café Doan bar takeover at Cypher City Roaster, that includes 2025 Korean Brewers Champion Sung Duk Kim, from 11 am-2 pm.
• Mon, 19 Jan – WoC 5K run, assembly at 6:30 am at Salt Kite Seaside.
• Wed, 21 Jan – The Roasterum International: Inside Better of Panama 2025 roasting and cupping occasion will happen at The Espresso Lab Roastery from 9:30-11:00 am. Co-founder of Monogram Espresso and seven-time Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put will roast BoP-winning tons utilizing Stronghold machines.
• Wed, 21 Jan – Grandmother Espresso will host a Brazilian cupping from 2 pm onwards.
• Thu, 22 Jan – Gold Mountain Espresso Growers will host a cupping at Earth Roastery at 1 pm. The occasion will characteristic over 25 washed, honey, pure, carbonic macerated, and co-fermented coffees from Nicaragua.

Anacafé, the Guatemalan espresso affiliation, will host a brew bar that includes roasters together with Paradigma Espresso and Cypher City Roaster.

Colombian producer and exporter Lohas Beans may even host cuppings and Q&A classes with Jack Simpson within the lead-up to the occasion.

This checklist can be up to date as extra occasions are introduced.

Dubai espresso store tour

Dubai is likely one of the world’s most café-dense cities. Native and worldwide chains akin to Espresso Planet, Café Bateel, Tim Hortons, and Peet’s function alongside a rising variety of specialty espresso outlets.

It’s additionally one of the unique espresso cities on the planet. In October 2025, Roasters Specialty Espresso Home bought a Better of Panama (BoP) Gesha for US$680. Lower than a month later, homegrown roaster Julith Espresso, based by Turkish Barista and Espresso Roasting Champion Serkan Sagsoz, bought cups of Nido (a 98-point washed espresso that fetched US$30,204/kg on the 2025 BoP public sale) for roughly US$980.

Founding father of UAE’s Espresso Structure and Part Espresso Roaster and two-time UAE Barista Champion, Nooran Albannay, shares her Dubai espresso store suggestions:

The place to eat in Dubai

Dubai’s meals scene is a globally influenced, consistently evolving melting pot – the results of its 90% migrant inhabitants. Guests can expertise every thing from world-class high-quality eating to conventional Arabic delicacies, European-Asian fusion, afternoon tea, and basic French dishes.

Time Out’s checklist of the 85 finest eating places in Dubai contains:

• La Petite Maison Dubai, which Time Out Dubai named Restaurant of the Decade.
• FZN, providing a 12-course tasting menu that blends trendy Nordic delicacies with Japanese influences.
• Fusión Ceviche, thought-about top-of-the-line Latin American eating places in Dubai and the go-to place for genuine Peruvian meals.
• Informal eating spot Lila Wooden-Fired Taqueria.
• Al Safadi, serving basic Lebanese dishes.
• San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles, serving Northern Chinese language meals that has earned it the title of the very best funds restaurant in Dubai.

Dubai’s place as a key regional commerce hub makes World of Espresso Dubai one of the necessary espresso occasions within the Center East. Over the past 5 years, the occasion has grown to incorporate 1000’s of holiday makers and is anticipated to draw greater than 450 worldwide exhibitors this 12 months.

If you’re collaborating within the occasion in any capability, be certain to register and e book any actions prematurely of your attendance.

To study extra about World of Espresso Dubai, go to the web site.

Picture credit: Specialty Espresso Affiliation, DXB Reside

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