- World of Coffee Dubai returns 18 to 20 January 2026, at DWTC.
- The event will include three UAE Coffee Championships, the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, and the second Dubai Coffee Auction.
- The UAE’s coffee market exceeds US$3.2bn, making Dubai a global hub for the specialty coffee industry.
- Attendees can also participate in afterparties and events, and experience the city’s vibrant café scene.
The fifth edition of World of Coffee (WoC) Dubai will run from 18 to 20 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Home to over 4,000 coffee shops, the city will host thousands of industry professionals during the three-day event.
This year, WoC Dubai will host three UAE Coffee Championships, the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, the second Dubai Coffee Auction, cuppings, workshops, and more.
Exhibitors will also organise their own events and afterparties. Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit some of the city’s best specialty coffee shops and roasters.
Read on to find out what’s happening and how you can take part.
Check out the PDG Events Calendar here. We will continue to update the article as more side events and afterparties are announced.
Which competitions & auctions will take place?
WoC Dubai will be held in Za’abeel halls 1, 4, 5, and 6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road – just outside the World Trade Centre metro station.
The event will feature the 2026 Cezve/Ibrik Championship and the 2026 UAE Barista, Latte Art, and Coffee Roasting Championships. Prior to the event, Greek roaster manufacturer and UAE Coffee Roasting Championship sponsor IRM hosted a full week of training sessions for the 30 competitors.
As with previous editions, the 2026 WoC Dubai will host the Coffee Design Awards and the Best New Product competition.
The second in-person Dubai Coffee Auction, co-hosted by M-Cultivo, will also take place. The inaugural auction broke several world records, including the highest prices ever paid for Hawaiian and Bolivian coffee.
A total of 21 lots from 17 producers, including Hacienda La Esmeralda, Janson Family Coffee, Daterra, and Gesha Village, and a California-grown Gesha from Frinj, will be featured in this year’s edition.
WoC Dubai will also host the Microlot Coffee Auction, where buyers can join cupping sessions to evaluate rare lots ahead of live bidding, and the Exhibitors’ Coffee Auction, where roasters and producers can present their coffees.
Why Dubai is becoming a key location for coffee events
The Middle East is fast becoming one of the world’s most dynamic coffee markets. Data from Project Café Middle East 2025 indicate that the region’s branded coffee shop sector has surpassed 11,160 outlets.
The value of the UAE’s coffee market alone exceeds AED 12bn (approximately US$3.2bn). At the same time, Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a key hub for coffee trade in the MENA region. 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 exchange.
“Attending World of Coffee Dubai is essential for us because it’s where the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) coffee community comes together,” says Mark Zhou, the founder of MTPak Coffee, a leading global supplier of custom-printed coffee packaging. “We work with a growing number of roasters in this region, and the face-to-face connection remains invaluable.”
The combination of rapid market growth and robust trade models makes Dubai a hotspot for coffee events. Other major trade shows hosted in the city include the Dubai Coffee Festival, the Organic Tea & Coffee Expo, the UAE Coffee Innovation Summit, and the Taste of Dubai Food Festival.
“At these events, we expect to see continued interest in sustainability – from recyclable and compostable packaging to low-waste customisation printing methods,” Mark says. “There’s also a strong focus on premiumisation and consumer experience. Specialty coffee is evolving rapidly in the Middle East, and we’re seeing a rising demand for packaging that both protects quality and expresses brand identity.
“We’re excited to showcase our fully-customisable packaging solutions at booth no. ZC4-10,” he adds. “Expect to see cutting-edge designs and sustainable materials, and our team will be on hand to guide visitors through our full range of services.”
Afterparties & activities
Numerous companies will host their own events and activities:
- Fri, 16 Jan – the 2025 World Barista Champion Jack Simpson will lead a guest service at Julith Coffee from 5-8 pm.
- Fri, 16 & Sat, 17 Jan – Apax Labs will host the Impact of Ions on Coffee Flavour workshop at Archers Coffee, an omakase-style filter coffee experience at Benchmark Coffee, and a bar takeover at Julith Coffee, where the BoP-winning Nido Gesha will be served.
- Sat, 17 Jan – Nucleus Coffee Tools will host the Green to Cup journey at Julith Coffee from 5-7 pm, featuring seven Panama Geshas.
- Sat, 17 Jan – Café Doan bar takeover at Cypher Urban Roaster, featuring 2025 Korean Brewers Champion Sung Duk Kim, from 11 am-2 pm.
- Mon, 19 Jan – WoC 5K run, meeting at 6:30 am at Salt Kite Beach.
- Wed, 21 Jan – The Roasterum Global: Inside Best of Panama 2025 roasting and cupping event will take place at The Espresso Lab Roastery from 9:30-11:00 am. Co-founder of Monogram Coffee and seven-time Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put will roast BoP-winning lots using Stronghold machines.
- Wed, 21 Jan – Grandmother Coffee will host a Brazilian cupping from 2 pm onwards.
- Thu, 22 Jan – Gold Mountain Coffee Growers will host a cupping at Earth Roastery at 1 pm. The event will feature over 25 washed, honey, natural, carbonic macerated, and co-fermented coffees from Nicaragua.
Anacafé, the Guatemalan coffee association, will host a brew bar featuring roasters including Paradigma Coffee and Cypher Urban Roaster.
Colombian producer and exporter Lohas Beans will also host cuppings and Q&A sessions with Jack Simpson in the lead-up to the event.
This list will be updated as more events are announced.
Dubai coffee shop tour
Dubai is one of the world’s most café-dense cities. Local and international chains such as Coffee Planet, Café Bateel, Tim Hortons, and Peet’s operate alongside a growing number of specialty coffee shops.
It’s also one of the most exclusive coffee cities in the world. In October 2025, Roasters Specialty Coffee House sold a Best of Panama (BoP) Gesha for US$680. Less than a month later, homegrown roaster Julith Coffee, founded by Turkish Barista and Coffee Roasting Champion Serkan Sagsoz, sold cups of Nido (a 98-point washed coffee that fetched US$30,204/kg at the 2025 BoP auction) for roughly US$980.
Founder of UAE’s Coffee Architecture and Section Coffee Roaster and two-time UAE Barista Champion, Nooran Albannay, shares her Dubai coffee shop recommendations:
Where to eat in Dubai
Dubai’s food scene is a globally influenced, constantly evolving melting pot – the result of its 90% migrant population. Visitors can experience everything from world-class fine dining to traditional Arabic cuisine, European-Asian fusion, afternoon tea, and classic French dishes.
Time Out’s list of the 85 best restaurants in Dubai includes:
- La Petite Maison Dubai, which Time Out Dubai named Restaurant of the Decade.
- FZN, offering a 12-course tasting menu that blends modern Nordic cuisine with Japanese influences.
- Fusión Ceviche, considered one of the best Latin American restaurants in Dubai and the go-to place for authentic Peruvian food.
- Casual dining spot Lila Wood-Fired Taqueria.
- Al Safadi, serving classic Lebanese dishes.
- San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles, serving Northern Chinese food that has earned it the title of the best budget restaurant in Dubai.
Dubai’s position as a key regional trade hub makes World of Coffee Dubai one of the most important coffee events in the Middle East. Over the last five years, the event has grown to include thousands of visitors and is expected to attract more than 450 international exhibitors this year.
If you are participating in the event in any capacity, make sure to register and book any activities in advance of your attendance.
To learn more about World of Coffee Dubai, visit the website.
Photo credits: Specialty Coffee Association, DXB Live
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