MIDDLE EAST COFFEE CONFERENCE · 2026
Two days bringing together the world's coffee experts.
3 – 4 December 2026
Venue Plus · Riyadh
Arabic · English (live interpretation)
- 6
- Key themes
- 8
- Sessions
- 45
- Speakers
From the product… to the impact
Coffee, as never understood before
Surface the overlooked economic and operational realities of the industry
Empower cafés and brands to build distinctive, scalable identities
Anchor the Saudi coffee story within the global industry conversation
Create bold discussions that generate media interest and attract investment
- Position AI as a practical, accessible tool for every layer of the coffee industry
- Surface the overlooked economic and operational realities of the industry
- Empower cafés and brands to build distinctive, scalable identities
- Anchor the Saudi coffee story within the global industry conversation
- Create bold discussions that generate media interest and attract investment
Six themes
Themes of the fifth edition
Artificial Intelligence in Coffee
How AI is reshaping roasting, supply chains, customer experience, and the future of coffee service.
Coffee as a Cultural and Media Product
How coffee became part of content, influence, a lifestyle symbol, and a media phenomenon.
The Economics of a Single Cup
Breaking down pricing, profitability, and value chains.
Flavor Science and Sensory Innovation
Fermentation breakthroughs and what AI-assisted analysis reveals about taste.
The Saudi Coffee Opportunity
Local production, the rise of Saudi-born brands, and the investment landscape ahead.
Redefining the Café Experience
From serving coffee… to designing the moment.
Two days · eight sessions
Session programme
16:00
Coffee as a Cultural and Media Force
From Gahwa to global trend: how Arabic coffee became a content industry, a lifestyle symbol, and a media phenomenon — and how algorithms are amplifying coffee culture in ways the industry is only beginning to understand.
17:15
The Science of Flavor and AI
Flavor chemistry, fermentation breakthroughs, and what AI-assisted sensory analysis is revealing about taste. How data-driven precision is elevating specialty coffee — and changing what quality means.
18:30
Is Coffee Overpriced?
A frank economic dissection of the cup: pricing structures, margin distribution, value chain realities, and the question no one in the room wants to answer honestly.
19:45
Will the Barista Disappear?
Automation, robotics, and AI in coffee service: where the technology is actually headed, what machine-assisted “dialing in” means for consistency, and why human judgment and sensory craft remain the one thing no algorithm has replicated.
16:00
The Saudi Coffee Opportunity
A specialty segment growing 15–20% annually, government-backed cultivation revival in Jazan, and the rise of homegrown brands. What the next decade looks like for operators, investors, and producers in the Kingdom's coffee story.
17:15
Healthy Coffee — Fact or Marketing?
Functional beverages, wellness positioning, ingredient innovation, and the science behind the claims. Where does evidence-based health benefit end and marketing narrative begin?
18:30
Designing the Café Experience
From service space to designed moment: how the best cafés engineer memory, loyalty, and identity — and how to build a café experience that cannot be replicated by a machine or copied by a competitor.
19:45
From Cup to Brand
Building a coffee brand capable of scaling, attracting investment, and creating long-term impact: identity, positioning, digital presence, and the strategic decisions that separate brands that last from those that don't.
Speakers
45 international & local speakers
Experts, baristas, researchers and producers on one stage.
Judith Ganes
President @ J Ganes Consulting | Co-Founder, Taka Insights | Senior Advisor, Asian Coffee…
Timen R. ter Meulen Swijtink
the founder of Collective (which includes the Vietnamese coffee brands Lacàph and BOLD84)…
Ben Lewis
Director of @bluehourcoffee. UK Latte Art Champion 2025 Top 10 World Latte Art
Almut van Casteren
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at eProd Solutions Limited
Damian Burgess
coffee consultant and trainer
Dr. Francisco Velazquez Escobar
biophysical chemist with deep knowledge of the molecular processes in biological systems…
Alessio Vabres
Owner of Caffetteria Vabres. SCA Trainer and Q-Grader
Sylvia Feransia
Certified Q Arabica Grader | Certified World Barista Championship Sensory Judge |…
Mohamed Yakmour
Hospitality Guru | Café Consultant | Operations Expert
Darveris Rivas
Proffesor in science | Coffee quality consultant| Specialized in Coffee Association
Alejandro Patiño
founder of CacaoShares | coffee producers in Venezuela
Emi Fukahori
co-founder of MAME in Zurich
Pinar Demir
Ted Speaker |MSA Coffee instructor | Coffee Specialist |Trainer Consultant
Patrik Rolf
Founder of april Coffee Roaster| Consultant |Silver Medalist in the 2019 World Brewers Cup
Dr. Erika Koss
Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainer, and a PhD candidate at Saint Mary’s University in…
Jean Heylen
Founder Top of the Crop - Green coffee importer
Dr. Anja Rahn
Food Chemist | Coffee Science Expert | Project Manager | Strategic Innovation
Ricardo Ernesto Cucalon Levy
Ambassador of El Salvador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dritan Alsela
Dritan Alsela is one of the most recognized baristas and coffee entrepreneurs worldwide.…
Rani Mayasari
Suistainability Coffee Producer, Indonesia Specialty Coffee Exports
David Parnham
Founder of Café Culture China & Delter Coffee Press; FMCG Specialist and Coffee Industry…
Moath Ali
Coffee specialist, certified trainer, competition judge, consultant and business developer
ENG. Abdulrahman Harafi Al-Qerbi
Founder of the Kims Specialty Coffee
Rami Khurmi
Owner & Founder, Al-Baha Roastery
Moataz Al-Turaif
Coffee culture commentator for Rotana Khalijia TV and Al Arabiya FM
Ibrahim Al-Nuwairah
CEO, Aqahi
Daifallah Ahmed Mishni
Founder, Dal Specialty Coffee Roastery
Tobias Hirschi
Sales Manager at Wipf
Nivia Tioe
Co-Founder, Homemade Indonesia Beans
Hamad Ali Salman Al-Mazrouei
Emirati Coffee — certified Arabic coffee trainer and development consultant
Faisal Al-Humaidan — Nahj Roastery
Owner & CEO, Nahj Specialty Coffee Roastery
Rima Alghanim
Owner, Magic Beans Roastery
Mishal Ahmed Al-Shammari
CEO and founder of Ouden Roastery
Abdulaziz Hayth
Business analyst with 15 years in finance; owner of a marketing agency with 10 years in…
Rayan Al-Rushaidan
Heritage and coffee enthusiast
Mohammed Hoteh
CEO, Coffee City Development
Huda Al-Shuwaier
Brand Activation Manager at Saudi Coffee Company
Dr. Budour Alghamdi
Head of the Research, Development, and Innovation Unit
Fahad Al-Saadoun
Member, Restaurant & Café Owners Association
Ali Al-Diwani
SCA Coffee trainer | Coffee consultant | Q grader | Coffee Marketing advisor
Shaheena Rasool
Saudi Business Links
Dr. Wisdom K. Dogbey
Managing Director, CMC Ghana
Prof. William Coffie
Managing Director, Cocoa Processing Company Ghana Ltd
Turki Alsabbar
Co-Founder & CEO, La Vanoise
Fuad Mohammed Abubakar
Managing Head, Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company UK Ltd