UAE coffee culture to keep booming

Costa's new store is located in Hili Mall in Al Ain

Coffee enthusiasts in the UAE will soon have even more reason to celebrate as local and international brands seek to expand their reach and offerings within the country.
According to F&B online resource Zagat, the UAE's coffee market is expected to grow by over 30 per cent in the next three years.
Costa, one of the country's most popular destinations for coffee seekers, is capitalising on the boom by launching a new store in Hili Mall in Al Ain. Costa Coffee at Hili Mall spans across 1,033 square feet and is their second store to open in Al Ain. The brand already has 150 outlets nationwide and plans to add 20 more by end of this year.
"People in the UAE are coffee drinkers. It is safe to say that coffee is more than just a drink in this part of the world," said Saeed Sultan Al Dhaheri, CEO of Hili Mall.
"Aside from being an inherent part of the Arab culture, a leisure past time and a business pre-requisite, coffee nowadays is being appreciated as more of an experience within a beverage rather than just a daily caffeine fix. The upward surge in the domestic demand for it is very evident in the growing presence of so many brands across the country. We strongly believe that the addition of Costa Coffee to our pool of superb F&B outlets will not only increase our footfall but will also offer our visitors prime spot to relax and unwind at their own pace," he added.
With domestic demand continuing an upward surge, evidenced by over 4,000 tea and coffee houses now operating in the country and 82 per cent of the population saying they drink coffee each day, the UAE is increasingly seen as both a growing consumer and re-export market for coffee beans and refined finished product. The country has also emerged as a trading hub and a key supply cog in the global coffee supply chain.
-business@khaleejtimes.com