The Coffee

Coffee prices in the UAE and across the GCC have been a source of real pain for F&B operators, hospitality managers, and procurement teams over the past eighteen months. Arabica hit an all-time record of USD 4.41 per pound in February 2025 — more than double its price from January 2024. Robusta reached levels not seen in five decades. If you manage coffee procurement for a hotel, restaurant group, catering company, or café in the UAE, your cost base shifted significantly. This article explains exactly what happened, what is now changing in the global coffee supply chain, and what hospitality operators in the UAE and GCC should be doing about it right now.