The DMCC Tea Centre, the World's Largest Tea Re-export Hub, and the Middle East's First Coffee Centre

Opened in 2005 in Jebel Ali, the DMCC Tea Centre handles tea storage, blending, packaging and trading under one roof.

• As the world's largest tea re-export hub, it accounts for around 60% of the global share.
• It processes tea from the world's top 13 tea-producing origins.
• It exports around 48,000 tonnes a year, worth approximately USD 184 million.
• In 2025 it handled 15,214 tonnes, including 4,201 tonnes of premium blends and 7,686 tonnes of packaged tea.
• DMCC also hosts the Global Dubai Tea Forum, an annual gathering of the international tea industry.

Opened in 2019, the Coffee Centre was the first facility dedicated to coffee in the Middle East.

• A 15,000 m² temperature-controlled facility
• Green coffee storage, roasting and packaging handled end to end
• An SCA-accredited training campus, a quality laboratory and a cupping lab on site
• Annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes, with more than 8,200 tonnes handled in 2025
• More than 300 member companies and over 100 coffee varieties traded, making it one of the world's leading coffee trading hubs

For both tea and coffee, what sets DMCC apart from other free zones is that it offers not just import and export, but an ecosystem covering storage, blending, quality control and training.

• Use DMCC as a hub to re-export tea from Africa and South Asia to Japan and other Asian markets.
• Complete everything from green coffee sourcing to roasting and blending locally, and use DMCC as a supply base for Middle East and African markets.
• Build a quality control framework through SCA training.

For food trading companies with existing supply chains, these are concrete starting points when considering expansion into the Middle East and Africa.

Biz Easy does not stop at company formation. We are an advisory firm whose strength is seeing the work through — from strategy and company setup to visas, bank account opening and day-to-day operations. We offer Big Four-level expertise at a more accessible cost.

Since our founding in 2021, we have supported more than 200 companies expanding into the Middle East and Africa. Please feel free to contact us about setting up in DMCC as a food trading company. If you would like to compare other free zones first, see our free zone comparison.