The price of tea in the UAE has risen by almost 50 per cent in the UAE over the past couple of years in response to growing consumption, which has reached 19,000 kg per day.

In the Emirates, tea ranks second only to water as the most consumed drink among residents. There are now over 4,000 coffee and tea houses catering to the local thirst for tea in the country, and cafes continue to emerge as lucrative businesses worth almost Dh300 million ($82 million) a year.

High tea uptake coupled with a projected 70 per cent rise in coffee purchases by 2014 makes the UAE one of the region’s leading coffee and tea markets.

Prime business opportunities here and across the region will be spotlighted at the upcoming International Coffee and Tea Festival which will run from November 6 to 9 at the Meydan Imax Gallery in Dubai. The festival serves as a one-stop event showcasing all facets of coffee, tea, bar and café products, equipment and services.

Some of the show’s features that coffee and tea enthusiasts are watching out for include the Taste Tea Zone, an area where tea companies, suppliers and herbalists will showcase their products and tap into niche markets for their brands, along with the widely popular Espresso + Brew Bar, where innovative brewing methods, top-of-the-line equipment and high-grade coffee will be presented and demonstrated to visitors.

“Tea drinking is part and parcel of the authentic Arab experience, and is something that the residents and visitors of the UAE have really gravitated towards,” said Ryan Godinho, event director of the International Coffee & Tea Festival and a Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Education Partner.

“There are so many great opportunities to further expand and improve this buoyant market locally and regionally, and the International Coffee and Tea Festival is the right place to explore them. This event is also an ideal place to rally the industry towards better standards and practices that can benefit all businesses in the long term,” he added.

The 2012 edition of the show welcomed more than 80 international companies and received almost 8,000 foreign guests.

Participants and visitors can look forward to a host of café-themed activities at the event, such as trainings and workshops which are certified and recognised by SCAA.

The show will also host the fifth UAE Barista Championship and the second National UAE Latte Art Championship. – TradeArabia News Service