Matcha Takes a Visible—If Still Niche—Spotlight at World of Coffee Dubai 2026

What the region’s leading coffee event revealed about matcha’s role in GCC beverage culture

By T Hospitality

A visit to World of Coffee Dubai 2026 typically comes with a clear expectation: coffee dominates the conversation. Yet even within a show built around espresso, roasting, and specialty coffee innovation, one category managed to capture attention beyond its footprint—matcha.

Out of approximately 330 exhibitors, only a dozen featured matcha brands as part of their offering. In other words, matcha was not widespread across the exhibition floor—however, its presence was interestingly visible, both in terms of visitor interest and the way brands presented it as a contemporary, high-demand beverage option.

Across those matcha-focused stands, formats ranged from classic preparations to more experimental interpretations such as hojicha and “blue matcha” variations. Suppliers came from a diverse set of markets—from Europe and Australia to the UK, Dubai, China, and Thailand—at least on the show floor, the matcha trend being celebrated in Dubai was not led by Japan in a direct brand sense—it was driven by global players and local creativity.

Strong attention despite limited presence

Even with a relatively small number of matcha exhibitors, visitor engagement was clear. Some of the longest queues observed at the show were linked to highly visual matcha beverages, including coconut milk-based blends designed to deliver both flavour and shareability.

For GCC operators, this matters: matcha may still represent a niche within a coffee-first ecosystem, but it is increasingly a high-performing niche—one that attracts curiosity, drives trials, and converts into repeat consumption through lifestyle appeal.

International and local brands have adapted matcha to fit the regional palate through sweetness, milk, texture, and flavour layering. These recipes—often far removed from Japanese ceremonial standards—are what perform best at scale.

In this sense, the show also reflected a clear segmentation currently shaping matcha demand:

• Top-grade matcha, curated for connoisseurs and specialty venues focused on origin, purity, and preparation standards.

• Lifestyle-led matcha beverages, built around accessibility, visual appeal, and indulgent flavour profiles designed for broad market adoption.

Both approaches have a place, but they appeal to different customer groups and require different strategies in sourcing, pricing, staff training, and menu design.

For hospitality operators, the opportunity lies in recognizing matcha not simply as another tea SKU, but as a beverage category shaped by the same forces driving modern café growth in the GCC: wellness positioning, creativity, and experience-led consumption.