Brewing new ideas is just Dubai’s cuppa
dubai — Dubai will soon have its very own high-end tea brand, called Shay Dubai, officials at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) have disclosed.
Shay Dubai is not going to be competing with Lipton, and is strictly an exercise in learning what consumers prefer from the beverage, Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman of DMCC, said in an interview at the Global Dubai Tea Forum on Wednesday. The tea will be marketed under three flavours, including the Khaliji Blend, Dubai Spirit and Arabic Breakfast.
Bin Sulayem said DMCC has no plans to market other commodities traded at the free zone, and that Shay Dubai will be DMCC’s very own signature high-end tea brand.
“We’re excited to share a first look of this new product here,” bin Sulayem said. “We look forward to revealing more later this year.”
Hosted by the DMCC Tea Centre, the sixth Global Dubai Tea Forum brought together over 370 delegates, representing over 30 tea-producing and consuming countries. Panel experts at the conference covered a range of topics from the effect of climate change, production and consumer trends to what the future holds for the tea trade with a focus on digitalisation.
Speaking on how the tea trade can be further improved, bin Sulayem offered three key points for consideration: “First, digitalisation, the application of new Internet-based technologies to your businesses. This will help you exploit the once-in-a-lifetime op-
Ahmed bin Sulayem announces Dubai’s new luxury tea brand, Shay Dubai, at the Global Tea Forum.
portunity of the future. Second, diversification into new products and markets in the tea industry. This is the essence of commerce in every sphere, but especially in a consumer product like tea.”
“And finally, delivery, Dubai is at the centre of the tea trading world, uniquely positioned between the growers to its east, and the big markets to its west. It has shown how important it is to implement and act upon strategies for long-term growth. In short, to deliver results,” he told delegates.
Manuja Peiris, chief executive and statistician at the Londonbased International Tea Commit-
— Supplied photo tee, said global tea production last year was about 5.2 million metric tonnes, exceeding demand of about 4.99 million tonnes. China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Indonesia account for around 77 per cent of the world’s production, and approximately 80 per cent of global exports.
In 2015, the DMCC Tea Centre handled 41 million kilos of tea through its centre in Dubai, with a growth rate of 208 per cent over the past three years. It processes teas from 13 different countries, including Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Vietnam, Japan, Uganda and China.