Tag: UAE Coffee Championship

Dubai to Host the 2026 UAE National Brewers Cup Championship

Posted on by Qahwa World

Dubai – Qahwa World

Dubai will host the 2026 UAE National Brewers Cup Championship from 13 to 15 February 2026 at Karam Coffee in the Al Quoz area, bringing together some of the country’s top competitors in specialty coffee.

The Specialty Coffee Association–UAE Chapter, the event organizer, has set participation requirements for residents: competitors must have lived in the UAE for at least two years, hold a valid UAE residence visa, be a member of the association, and pay a registration fee of AED 1,000.

The association also invited the UAE coffee community to get involved through volunteering or sponsorship. Three sponsorship tiers are available:

Gold: AED 15,000

Silver: AED 10,000

Bronze: AED 5,000

Through this championship, the association aims to strengthen the specialty coffee sector in the UAE and support related educational and research initiatives.

Nizam Pasha Lolowang Crowned UAE Roaster of the Year 2026

Posted on by Qahwa World

Dubai – Qahwa World

Nizam Pasha Lolowang of Espressi has been crowned Roaster of the Year after winning first place in the UAE National Roasting Championship, held as part of World of Coffee Dubai 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The title was awarded in recognition of Luwang’s outstanding performance in roast development, flavour profiling, and consistency, assessed under internationally recognised Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standards. The championship highlighted technical excellence, precision, and quality across all stages of the roasting process.

Luwang secured first place ahead of Ajeyudu Pathuri of Brewing Gadgets, who finished second, while Raha Shahsavar of Crack Coffee Roastery claimed third place.

The UAE National Roasting Championship was one of four major local and international competitions concluded during the fifth edition of World of Coffee Dubai, which welcomed more than 20,000 visits from specialty coffee professionals representing over 80 countries, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for specialty coffee.

The championship forms part of World of Coffee Dubai’s commitment to advancing professional standards and celebrating excellence within the specialty coffee industry, providing a competitive platform for emerging and established roasting talent in the region.

World of Coffee Dubai 2026 concluded its most internationally diverse edition to date and will return to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 26–28 January 2027.

Intense Competition at the 2025 UAE National Cup Tasters Championship

Posted on by Qahwa World

Abu Dhabi – Qahwa World

The 2025 UAE National Cup Tasters Championship continued for the second consecutive day as part of Global Food Week, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The event brought together 84 experts, including some of the country’s finest baristas, tasters, and coffee professionals representing leading cafés and roasteries across the UAE. The competition witnessed fierce rivalry and sharp fluctuations in contestant rankings based on performance.

Organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of the UAE (SCA UAE), the championship is one of the country’s most prominent coffee competitions, bringing together top professionals and coffee enthusiasts to test their ability to identify flavors and subtle distinctions among different coffee profiles, in line with international standards set by World Coffee Events.

Saeed Al Balushi, Board Member of the Specialty Coffee Association of the UAE, said that the competition is far from easy, noting that participants undergo rigorous sensory tests to evaluate coffee based on flavor, aroma, and consistency, with the goal of determining the most accurate and professional taster.

He added that winning the title is no simple task; even highly skilled participants must demonstrate exceptional professionalism and deep expertise in coffee tasting and sensory analysis. The challenge lies in identifying the best cup among 16 coffees sourced from different countries, with varying roast levels and processing methods — a task that demands extraordinary precision and focus.

Al Balushi emphasized that victory requires not only knowledge and experience but also strong emotional control, heightened sensory awareness, and total concentration, without distractions that could affect performance.

He concluded by confirming that the championship winner, to be announced tomorrow at the closing ceremony, will represent the UAE at the World Cup Tasters Championship, scheduled to take place in Thailand in May 2026.

48 Competitors Announced for the 2025 UAE National Cup Tasters Championship

Posted on by Qahwa World

Abu Dhabi – Qahwa World

The Specialty Coffee Association – UAE Chapter (SCA UAE) has officially announced the 48 competitors who will take part in the 2025 UAE National Cup Tasters Championship, to be held during Global Food Week in Abu Dhabi from 21 to 23 October 2025.

This highly anticipated national competition brings together some of the UAE’s most skilled coffee professionals and sensory experts, offering them a platform to demonstrate their ability to identify coffee flavors and profiles with exceptional accuracy under globally recognized standards sanctioned by World Coffee Events (WCE).

According to SCA UAE, this year’s competition has attracted remarkable talent representing leading roasteries, cafés, and coffee institutions across the country. Among the confirmed participants are:

1. Sulaiman Alalawi – The QC Roastery

2. Pratama Rakhmatullah – Encounter Coffee Roasters

3. Amritha Varsha – Cartel Coffee Roasters

4. Neil Golez – Form Roastery

5. Edwar Andres Salinas – Wala Coffee Roasting and Packaging LLC

6. Brian Cunanan – AST Coffee

7. Christian John Ileto – Alico Fine Coffee Roasters

8. Earven Air Marabiles – Emirati Coffee Co

9. Ricky Mendoza Arquero – Emirati Coffee Company

10. Mohammad Yousefi – Taste Up Coffee Trading

11. Mark Uy – Ubec Coffee Roasters

12. Bilawal Khan Bilal – Nowbl Speciality Coffee Boutique

13. Salman Kadar Khan – Retro7

14. Daudi Kubona – ROR Coffee Solution

15. Rasam M. Adabi – Coffee Market Innovations L.L.C.

16. Amna Almansoori – Independent

17. Saeed Al Mannaee – S3Cafe

18. Rhyan Velarde – Llama Cafe

19. Sherryl Inocencio Napit – The Ore Coffee

20. Karlo Fulgueras – Doppio Roasters

21. Ahmed Elsayed – Koob Al Qahwah

22. Harmon Nataya – Archers Coffee

23. Alex Bernardo – Toga Cafe

24. Vinay Poonacha – Bevarabia

25. Sagar Ghale – Coterra Coffee Roasters

26. Mira Yunita – Heaf Coffee

27. Amer M. Ayman Mohammad – The Espresso Lab

28. Sunny Kumar – Crack Coffee Roastery

29. Jonathan Wamala – Bevarabia

30. Muhammad Rosyid Ubaidillah – Refill Roastery

31. Audie Sales Jr – The QC Roastery and Academy

32. Husnain Ghulam Nabi – Refill Reserve

33. Julfikly Raymond Ampuan – Coffee Architecture

34. Jimuel Merjilla – Syteo International

35. Mbonisi Mpilenhle Bamala – Rosewood Abu Dhabi

36. Basil Musthafaz – White Mantis

The competition will test participants’ ability to distinguish between different coffee cups based on taste and aroma alone, emphasizing sensory acuity and consistency. Over the course of three days, competitors will undergo multiple rounds of tasting, with the top-performing cup tasters advancing to the national finals. The winner will earn the honor of representing the UAE at the World Cup Tasters Championship on the global stage.

Organized under the banner of the Specialty Coffee Association – UAE Chapter and sanctioned by World Coffee Events, the championship will form part of the Global Food Week program — an event that continues to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional hub for coffee excellence and innovation.

The SCA UAE extended its best wishes to all competitors, encouraging the community to attend, volunteer, and celebrate the spirit of the specialty coffee industry as it continues to grow in the UAE and across the wider region.