World of Coffee Dubai 2026 Draws Record Crowds and Strong Auction Sales

Monte Copey’s Producers Discovery Auction lot led the commercial headlines at World of Coffee Dubai, recording 57 international bids and closing at US$91 per kilogram, the highest price reported at the event, as Costa Rica’s national delegation of six companies promoted origin coffees under PROCOMER and ICAFE. DMCC’s Dubai Coffee Auction concluded its second edition at the show with specialty coffee lots generating over USD 70,000 in total value, and organisers said the auctions included coffees from 13 producing origins.

World of Coffee Dubai ran 18-20 January at the Dubai World Trade Centre as the fifth edition of the regional fair, organised by DXB LIVE in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association. Exhibition organisers and event pages reported more than 2,100 exhibiting companies and brands from 78 countries, nine national pavilions, and trade visits exceeding 20,000 across the three days, with an Instagram post echoing the 20,000-plus figure.

Visitor profiling released after the show highlighted a professional audience: 83% of attendees were industry professionals, more than 70% of participation was international, 63% were first-time visitors, and 68% identified as decision makers or purchasing managers. Organisers and post-show accounts added that 60% of attendees reported concluding deals or entering new agreements during the event, underscoring strong on-site commercial engagement across the exhibition halls, Cupping Rooms, Producers Village and Roasters Village.

The auction programme ran several streams. DMCC’s post described the Dubai Coffee Auction as setting new benchmarks for producer and price discovery and noted a record-setting Bolivian lot and the first-ever international auction of a continental US coffee among the offerings, although DMCC’s posts did not publish individual prices for those lots. The Producers Discovery Auction, where Monte Copey made history as the first Costa Rican coffee to take part in an auction of this format, attracted global buyers and earned a top price that organisers framed as a win for Costa Rican coffee on high-level global stages.

Costa Rica’s ICAFE and PROCOMER framed the trade mission as strategic market opening. Andrés Piedra, Promotion Manager at ICAFE, said, "Costa Rica's participation -led by ICAFE and PROCOMER together with six national coffee companies- in the trade mission and at World of Coffee Dubai 2026 represents a strategic platform to open new markets, consolidate commercial alliances, and reinforce the presence of Costa Rican coffee as a product of excellence in the Middle East, boosting business opportunities and the global visibility of our country brand." Monte Copey CEO Enrique Navarro Porras added, "This result represents not only a win for our company, but also for Costa Rican coffee as a whole, demonstrating the competitive potential of our coffees on high-level global stages."

Equipment and trade-focused auctions were active on the show floor as well. DXB LIVE and DMCC ran a Dubai Coffee Equipment Auction curated with M-Cultivo on day one that presented pre-qualified specialised equipment through live demonstrations and inspections, followed by a lot-by-lot auction designed to connect manufacturers with serious buyers. Teaandcoffee coverage highlighted that the show schedule also included a Microlot Coffee Auction, an Exhibitors’ Coffee Auction, championship finals and workshops through 20 January.

Organisers released a post-show results package in mid-February summarising attendance and commercial outcomes, and event coverage described this edition as the largest in the World of Coffee exhibition series to date. DMCC’s auction posts emphasized strong international participation, but full per-lot breakdowns for the DMCC USD 70,000 aggregate and the exact sale price for the Bolivian lot were not published in the excerpts available from event posts.