Growing market for coffee in the Middle East

The Middle East currently accounts for $6.5 billion of the $85 billion spent on the drink globally, according to a report in arabianbusiness.com. As an example, UAE’s spending on coffee grew 10 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year to reach $544.5 million, the article quoted Euromonitor.  Over 19,000 tonnes of coffee was sold in 2015, a rise of 7 percent compared to the year before.

The firm also said that the specialty coffee segment will see more growth, led by independent coffee merchants that provide serving single origin coffee – focusing instead on quality instead of volume.

More cafes with speciality business models are becoming another option for consumers, although traditional franchised cafes are here to stay.