The UAE's Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) announced on Monday that it has been negotiating with multiple coffee trading giants to establish their businesses in the country's recently-opened Coffee Center near Jebel Ali port.
DMCC Executive Chairman, Ahmed bin Sulayem said that global coffee traders will reap a bulk of benefits from business with Dubai since they can take advantage of redistributing orders for a larger margin, Khaleej Times reported.
Aside from big providers and traders, Sulayem said the DMCC is also in search of both "small and medium players" who are interested in growing their business in the luxury-laden country.
It is worth noting that Dubai's Coffee Center is a temperature-controlled facility that offers high-end services for processing and delivering coffee. Traders can use the center as a distribution base for business within the United Arab Emirates.
Home to the only green bean storage and processing lab in the Middle East, the center can hold up to 20,000 tons of coffee on a yearly basis. According to Commodities Executive Director Vaughn Marles, most of the bulk coffee entries that went through the center since its November soft opening came from East Africa, South America, and some Asian countries.
Urdupoint News noted that some of the DMCC's core services are training programs, logistics, warehousing, contract packing, and coffee bean roasting, as well as green coffee cleaning. Commercial office spaces are also available for business owners who want to open their own facilities within the 7,500-square-meter building.
Analysts believe that Dubai's location is both geographically and strategically beneficial for business owners who want to venture into the coffee trade realm. High-value consumer markets in the Middle East and Europe are all accessible through the center.
During the inauguration of the Coffee Center on Monday, Sulayem said, "Today represents a significant milestone and one that places Dubai firmly at the heart of the global coffee trade. First conceptualized in 2016, it is promising to see our vision to serve the market in an entirely different way become a reality."
Before Dubai's Coffee Center was established, the Middle East lacked equipment and expertise in catering to global coffee trade demands. With state-of-the-art facilities such as the Specialty Coffee Association and a Premier Training campus, Middle Eastern businesses can have a more reliable means of exploring international trade.
The DMCC continues to venture into partnerships with other countries as it seeks to establish exposure in international markets. Just last week, the center signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.
According to The National, the joint venture is part of the West Bengal government's efforts to improve economic development and trade. The agreement also saw both parties agreeing to explore new strategies that would help the Indian business community grow in Dubai by encouraging bilateral trade.
