Coffee trends from Dubai: What buyers want now

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At World of Coffee Dubai, the message from the market was clear: buyers are seeking distinctive flavour experiences, stronger brand presentation and closer connections to origin. For small African coffee brands, these signals point to opportunity, and readiness to compete. 

January 2026, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Cupping sessions with a blind test, with Bernadete Camilo, the ITC national coordinator in Mozambique, and Luaba Diba from Ets DiBA in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Photo by ITC

The International Trade Centre (ITC) participated in the event under the EU–OACPS Business Friendly project, together with partners and small businesses from across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Togo. Across tastings, meetings and buyer conversations, several clear trends emerged.

Discovering African origins in one space

One of the strongest trends was buyer appetite for ‘origin discovery’ in a single space. ITC’s booth brought together multiple African origins, allowing buyers to compare coffees side by side. Well-known origins such as Oromia (Ethiopia) sat alongside emerging and niche offerings like Zangibare (Mozambique) and Banditoum (Cameroon).

This format transformed the booth into a practical discovery hub. For roasters and distributors, the ability to evaluate diversity, consistency, and differentiation in one place made it easier to explore new supply relationships and assess how different origins could fit into their portfolios.

Flavour-led engagement drives interest

Tasting remained central to buyer engagement. Participating companies offered daily tastings, while ITC teams actively facilitated buyer visits and conversations – ensuring that tastings translated into meaningful dialogue.

A clear preference emerged for natural and anaerobic fermented robusta, which attracted strong interest across markets.  

The event provided a powerful platform to showcase Liberia’s emerging coffee potential while engaging with industry leaders shaping the future of specialty coffee.

Samuel BN Martor

Board Chairman/Managing Director, T for Trees Liberia Ltd

The insights we gathered at the event will be translated into concrete follow-up actions, including targeted technical support, enhanced capacity-building activities, and more market-aligned interventions for producers.

Bernardette Camilo

Mozambique National Coordinator, ITCPreviousNext

Packaging and branding matter more than ever

Dubai also underscored that competitiveness does not stop at cup quality. Buyers consistently highlighted the importance of packaging and presentation. In response, ITC supported new exporters by connecting them with service providers at the show to refine packaging and branding – a practical step to improve export readiness and shelf appeal in premium and specialty markets.

This hands-on approach reflects ITC’s broader focus on market linkage and competitiveness, helping smaller brands meet export standards while strengthening their commercial positioning.

Accessing new markets and more credibility

Beyond the Gulf region, the event opened doors to conversations with buyers from Russia, Bulgaria and Iran, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a gateway to diverse markets. At the same time, discussions around quality recognition and sustainability – including meetings with Ethiopia’s Coffee and Tea Authority on the Cup of Excellence and Fairtrade support – highlighted that credibility frameworks remain integral to building trust.

The key trend from World of Coffee Dubai was a market shift toward distinctiveness backed by proof: compelling origins, flavour-forward coffees, strong presentation, and credible sustainability. For African coffee brands, this combination is translating interest into opportunity.

ITC and participating exporters are now pursuing promising leads for the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea, alongside discussions on a potential partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Ethiopia. As global coffee markets evolve, ITC’s work is helping African businesses move beyond visibility and towards competitiveness and lasting trade relationships. 

read more: https://www.intracen.org/news-and-events/news/coffee-trends-from-dubai-what-buyers-want-now