World of Coffee Dubai

What World of Coffee Dubai does

World of Coffee Dubai is an annual specialty coffee trade show co-organized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a US nonprofit trade association, and Dubai World Trade Centre LLC (DWTC), a UAE government-owned venue operator. Founded in 2022, the event operates as the Middle East's primary B2B platform for the specialty coffee industry, held at Za'abeel Halls 1, 4, 5 & 6 within the Dubai World Trade Centre. It serves coffee producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, baristas, and industry professionals by convening them in a single multi-hall venue with dedicated zones (Roaster Village, Brew Bar, Cupping Room, Championship Area, SCA Community Lounge) plus competitions (UAE National Barista Championship, National Latte Art Championship, Coffee Design Awards, Best New Product Competition) and education programming. The 5th edition in 2026 expects 17,000+ visitors and 450+ global exhibitors, up from 3,000 visitors at inception.

The revenue model is event-driven and multi-stream: exhibitors rent space-only slots (AED 2,000-2,200 per sqm), X-Wall shell schemes (AED 400 per sqm add-on), or Roaster Village packages (AED 9,000), with minimum area and mandatory insurance terms. Monetized activation zones include Brew Bar rentals (AED 2,500 per 3-hour slot) and Cupping Room rentals (AED 2,000 per 1-hour slot). Visitor ticket sales (starting AED 150), sponsorship packages, competition entry fees, and travel commission via Musafir.com (hotels, visas, excursions) round out the revenue stack. Pricing is transacted in AED with 5% VAT, predominantly on pay-as-you-go or single-event terms, and all bookings are non-refundable.

Operationally, the entity is not a standalone venture-backed company: it has 51-100 employees as joint staff across SCA and DWTC, no external funding, no parent venture investor, and no public disclosures of revenue. The platform is built on the DWTC event-management infrastructure with an online registration portal, exhibitor management system, and digital ticketing, complemented by a self-serve visitor web portal at dubai.worldofcoffee.org. Marketing relies on the SCA global membership network, DWTC event marketing infrastructure, active social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, X), media partnerships, and prior-edition gallery content, with the distribution network spanning SCA's global reach and Musafir.com's travel services for international attendees.

Name

World of Coffee Dubai

Legal name

World of Coffee Dubai (organized by Dubai World Trade Centre LLC and Specialty Coffee Association)

Website

https://dubai.worldofcoffee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

World of Coffee Dubai is an annual specialty coffee trade show co-organized by the Specialty Coffee Association and Dubai World Trade Centre, convening producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, and baristas across the MENA region at a single Dubai venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show & Exhibition Services

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee trade show
• Coffee industry exhibition
• Trade fair services
• B2B event management
• Coffee trade events

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Visitor Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling visitor passes to attend the exhibition, lectures, championships, and event features. Pricing varies by day pass type and SCA membership status.
2. Exhibition Space Rental: Revenue from renting exhibition space including Space Only (custom builds), Shell Scheme (X-Wall), and Roaster Village packages. Space is sold per square meter with minimum area requirements.
3. Brew Bar Bookings: Revenue from renting Brew Bar time slots where exhibitors can demonstrate brewing techniques to attendees during 3-hour sessions.
4. Cupping Room Bookings: Revenue from hiring cupping room space for businesses to present coffees to select customers and tasters during 1-hour sessions.
5. Sponsorship Packages: Revenue from sponsorship opportunities including various tiers and visibility packages for companies wanting to promote their brand at the event.
6. Best New Product Competition Entry: Revenue from product entries submitted by exhibiting companies for the Best New Product competition and display.
7. Travel Package Commission: Partnership with Musafir.com for hotel packages, visa services, and excursions generating referral revenue from attendees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

World of Coffee Dubai is an annual specialty coffee trade show held at the Dubai World Trade Centre that connects coffee producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, and industry leaders across the Middle East. The event combines exhibition floor space rentals, dedicated activation zones (Brew Bar, Cupping Room, Roaster Village), industry competitions (UAE National Barista Championship, Latte Art Championship, Best New Product, Coffee Design Awards), educational lectures, and networking for the specialty coffee community.

Product overview

World of Coffee Dubai is a specialty coffee trade show and event platform offering a unified portfolio of in-person exhibition experiences and competitions for the specialty coffee industry. The core product is the annual exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre featuring exhibition floor space (both raw Space Only and pre-built X-Wall Shell Scheme booths), complemented by specialized activation areas including the Brew Bar for hands-on demonstrations, Cupping Room for hosted coffee tastings, and Roaster Village for micro roaster showcases. The event also includes competitive programming through the Coffee Design Award, Best New Product Competition, UAE National Barista Championship, and National Latte Art Championship. Ticketing is offered through Visitor Passes providing access to exhibition halls, networking sessions, and show features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World of Coffee Dubai Exhibition The annual specialty coffee trade show at Dubai World Trade Centre that connects coffee producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, and industry leaders across the Middle East.
• Exhibition Floor Space (Space Only) Raw exhibition space rental for exhibitors to build their own custom stands at prime (AED 2,200/sqm) or standard (AED 2,000/sqm) locations, with a 24 sqm minimum area.
• X-Wall Shell Scheme Booth Pre-built exhibition booth package at AED 400/sqm including Syma shell scheme structure, counter, spotlights, power socket, basic booth cleaning, and exhibitor badges.
• Roaster Village Package Standard location booth package at AED 9,000 for micro roasters to showcase coffee sourcing, handling, roasting, brewing, and distribution; includes counter, power connection, and drainage.
• Brew Bar Slot Rented 3-hour slot at AED 2,500 where exhibitors can demonstrate V60 brewing techniques to attendees, including brewing equipment and milk options (plant-based and dairy).
• Cupping Room Slot Hireable 1-hour slot at AED 2,000 for businesses to present coffees to customers and tasters, equipped with cupping bowls, spoons, hot water boilers, filter grinders, and scales.
• Visitor Pass Single-day or multi-day admission pass starting from AED 150 (including 5% VAT) providing access to exhibition halls, networking opportunities, and free-to-attend sessions at the show.
• UAE National Barista Championship Annual competition promoting excellence in coffee and advancing the barista profession, where competitors prepare espressos, milk drinks, and signature drinks in 15-minute performances.
• National Latte Art Championship Championship challenging baristas' artistic skills, judged on visual attributes, creativity, identical patterns in pairs, contrast in patterns, and overall performance.
• Best New Product Competition & Display Competition recognizing new products judged on quality and value to the specialty coffee and tea industry across categories including Coffee Accessories, Commercial Equipment, Consumer Equipment, and Open Class.
• Coffee Design Awards Awards program celebrating inspirational design in the coffee industry across Vessels, Spaces, Packaging, and Branding categories, with all entries published on SCA's design platform.
• Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship opportunities offering brand visibility packages for companies wanting to promote their brand at the World of Coffee Dubai event.

Quantifiable outcome

• Event attendance has grown from 3,000 to 17,000+ visitors over 5 editions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Musafir.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Travel partner providing hotel packages, UAE visa services, and excursion bookings exclusively for WOC Dubai attendees. Offers preferential rates on 3, 4, and 5-star hotels and various Dubai experiences to enhance attendee travel experience.
• Dubai Metro (RTA)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Public transport partner providing dedicated metro station access to Dubai World Trade Centre venue. Trains run every few minutes from 5am to 11pm using Nol Card system.
• Media PartnersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Various media partners supporting event promotion and coverage for World of Coffee Dubai, listed on the website under Our Media Partners section.
• Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SCA is co-organizer of World of Coffee Dubai, providing industry credibility, global network access, championship sanctioning (Barista and Latte Art Championships), and standards for the specialty coffee community. The partnership leverages SCA's membership spanning coffee farmers to baristas and roasters worldwide.
• DXB Live (Dubai World Trade Centre LLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023DXB LIVE is co-organizer and primary event solutions provider, delivering end-to-end exhibition services, venue management, stand construction (X-Wall Shell Scheme), and operational support. DWTC provides the venue at Za'abeel Halls 1, 4, 5 & 6 with extensive infrastructure including parking and transport links.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE): Asia-Pacific specialty coffee trade show held in Melbourne. Direct peer by format, content, and B2B specialty coffee audience, with regional overlap into Asian coffee markets WOC Dubai also targets.
• Café Show Seoul: Major Korean coffee trade show with strong pan-Asian exhibitor reach. Direct peer by trade show format and coffee industry focus, though primarily serving the East Asian market.
• Coffee Fest: Long-running US coffee trade show covering specialty coffee, tea, and beverages. Direct peer by trade show format and B2B specialty coffee audience, though anchored in the North American market.
• SCA Expo (Specialty Coffee Association Expo): The flagship US specialty coffee trade show organized by the Specialty Coffee Association. Most directly comparable peer because WOC Dubai is co-organized by SCA and targets a similar exhibitor/attendee mix (specialty coffee producers, manufacturers, retailers, traders, baristas), though it operates in North America rather than MENA.
• World of Coffee Europe (Warsaw / Athens editions): Same World of Coffee brand family organized by SCA in European cities (most recently Warsaw and Athens). Direct peer by format, content, organizer relationship, and audience, though serving a different geography.
• World Coffee Events (WCE): SCA's competition and events arm that sanctions the World Barista Championship, World Latte Art Championship, and other global coffee competitions. Direct peer via shared championship programming and the same SCA affiliation that co-organizes WOC Dubai.

Broad incumbents

• HostMilano: Major biennial global hospitality and foodservice trade show held in Milan. Broad incumbent in the foodservice space with coffee as one segment, competing for exhibitor marketing budgets from equipment manufacturers serving the same B2B audience.
• SIGEP: Italian international trade show for gelato, pastry, bakery, and the coffee world. Broad incumbent in adjacent foodservice categories that competes for similar B2B exhibitor audiences in the European market.

Regional players

• Speciality Food Festival Dubai: Dubai-based specialty food and beverage trade show also organized by DWTC. Regional peer with similar audience overlap and venue infrastructure, though focused on broader specialty F&B rather than coffee specifically.
• Gulfood: Massive Dubai-based food and beverage trade show, also organized by Dubai World Trade Centre at the same venue. Regional peer sharing organizer and venue infrastructure, with a broader F&B focus that overlaps WOC Dubai's audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/worldofcoffee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@worldofcoffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorldofCoffeeDXB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-of-coffee
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldofcoffee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World of Coffee Dubai