Dubai’s freezone DMCC expects the global tea market to grow from USD 282 billion to nearly USD 300 billion by the end of 2025, fuelled by increasing demand for premium, organic and ready-to-drink teas, as well as advancements in climate-smart production and digital traceability.
The projection was announced at the ninth Global Dubai Tea Forum (GDTF), where DMCC introduced its latest Future of Trade: Tea special-edition report.
The report examines the evolution of an industry generating USD 18 billion in annual production and USD 9.8 billion in global trade, supporting millions of smallholder farmers worldwide.
According to DMCC, the findings present a roadmap for a more resilient, inclusive and innovative tea economy, highlighting how global trade hubs such as Dubai are transforming the industry’s value chain.
Long recognised as a logistics and re-export powerhouse, the UAE now accounts for over half of the world’s tea re-exports.
The nation continues to move up the value chain through enhanced blending, packaging, flavour profiling, storage, tax optimisation and financial services, all supported by the DMCC Tea Centre.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC, said global tea consumption is nearing USD 300 billion annually, led by premium, organic and ready-to-drink segments, positioning the UAE at the centre of this global transformation.
He added that since the DMCC Tea Centre’s establishment two decades ago, Dubai has evolved from a logistics gateway into a global hub for value creation, where the highest margins now lie in blending, branding and verified provenance, making traceability and climate resilience essential commercial factors.
Bin Sulayem noted that this year’s Global Dubai Tea Forum set a clear path for the industry — to develop a tea economy that is climate-smart, digitally traceable and commercially investable — reaffirming DMCC’s commitment to convening industry leaders and expanding platforms that translate these principles into competitive advantages.
Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Entrepreneurship and the Economic Affairs Regulatory Sector at the UAE Ministry of Economy, said Dubai’s standing as a leading global tea re-export hub exemplifies the UAE’s success in creating a trade ecosystem defined by stability, innovation and openness.
