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UAE most developed coffee market in region

Dubai - Emirati Coffee, the first home-grown specialty coffee roastery, revealed a record-breaking growth of 3,135% on online purchases in 2020.

The UAE is recognised as the prominent and most developed coffee market in the region, which has drawn the attention of global food and beverage chains, said Mohamed Ali AlMadfai, CEO, Emirati Coffee.

The country is host to a rapidly growing expatriate population with an increasing appetite for western culture and brands that have led to higher demand for branded coffee in the emirate in recent years.
 “The rising demand for specialty brands is rapidly growing so we will see an increase in the number of coffee houses and cafes offering innovative coffee products, thus we are confident that the coffee industry will be growing and will be healthy in the coming years,” said AlMadfai.

“2021 will be a very exciting year for Emirati Coffee as we have enormous expansion plans. We are opening our flagship coffee boutique experience in Yas Mall Abu Dhabi in the third quarter and are expanding into Saudi Arabia with our distribution partner Hessa Trading Company also commercially known as Knowhere,” said AlMadfai.

The Saudi market is a key market for Emirati Coffee and a roastery is also planned for 2022 to open in Riyadh to be called Emirati Coffee Roastery.

Emirati Coffee, the first Emirati home-grown specialty coffee roastery, revealed a record-breaking growth of 3,135 per cent on online purchases in 2020, spurred by robust demand from consumers for high-quality specialty coffee even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The highest recorded online purchase was registered in the first two months of the pandemic starting March 22, 2020, when the UAE started the sterilisation campaign in an effort to contain Covid-19, when sales rose to a 1,763 per cent increase compared to the previous months recorded from January 11 to March 21, 2020.

Emirati Coffee supplies specialty coffee to more than 160 outlets internationally and in the UAE. The company sources the highest-scoring specialty coffee from over 30 origins to make it accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone.

“Coffee was already the number one e-commerce grocery product before 2020 but the pandemic boosted the growth due to greater consumption at home. Coffee buyers cut back on trips to the supermarket and coffee drinkers can’t go to the cafés. Consumers resorted to online purchases and with the availability of our own delivery fleet, they were able to get their hands on their cup of coffee,” said AlMadfai.

The brand is in talks with Chinese investors exploring opportunities and planning the introduction of the brand to the Chinese market next year. Having its multiple channels allows Emirati Coffee to cater to the current demand in the UAE which has seen its rise over the past four or so years. The 4,000 square feet roastery located in Al Qouz can process up to 36 tonnes of beans a month. High-grade bean sources from over 30 origins are roasted to offer a wide range of tastes and experiences.

“Our full control over the process from bean to cup allowed us to achieve our customer promise of having the best quality, price, and service in the market. It’s important to us to forge genuine connections with our suppliers, our customers, and our community. We believe in doing our work in a way that is transparent and collaborative. Our thrill lies in the pursuit of mastering the creation of the perfect cup and sharing the knowledge that we’ve picked up along the way,” concludes Al Madfai. — sandhya@khaleejtimes.com