Premier Training Campus Spotlight: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
Throughout the Middle East, coffee is a symbol for warm hospitality with a central role in the history of the region.
Premier Training Campuses (PTC) are Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) member companies or organizations whose facilities have been inspected and certified by the SCA. The program recognizes that these facilities offer an exceptional education setting for coffee education.
This week, Sanjeev Dutta, Executive Director of Commodities and Financial Services, told us about the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) located in Dubai, UAE.
The DMCC Coffee Centre is a world facility established in 2018 to provide a wide range of services to the entire coffee value chain, from crop to cup. The first of its kind in the Middle East, DMCC Coffee Centre is situated in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area (JAFZA) and is a centrally accessible meeting point for global producers and buyers.
The DMCC Coffee Center is quite big, and that’s perhaps due to the nature of all the activities the center facilitates. Covering the same amount of floor space as a cricket pitch (or baseball field), the 15,000 sq. m. temperature-controlled facility offers a wide range of services including inbound/outbound logistics support, warehousing, roasting, packaging and distribution services, with the added value of a commercial space and green bean storage. And, of course, they also offer the SCA Education Coffee Skills Program courses for baristas and consumers alike. Comfortably accommodating 12 learners per module in its most popular course, Barista Skills, DMCC’s offerings also include Sensory Skills, Green Coffee, and Roasting. The facility and labs are available to rent by accredited Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainers (ASTs) who wish to run independent courses. They will also be offering social impact programs and modules to birth new “coffeepreneurs.” The DMCC Coffee Centre intends to train and induct new entrepreneurs in the coffee industry through a series of tailor-made courses. The need has been established based on the growth of new coffee businesses as well as subsequent closure of some at their infancy.
The team of eight employees at DMCC Coffee Centre share a passion for growing the centre. Sanjeev Dutta, Executive Director of Commodities and Financial Services, says, “With a vision to transform Dubai into the new global hub for coffee, DMCC Coffee Centre benefits a wide range of stakeholders including coffee farmers, exporters, traders, roasters, retailers and connects them with global trade opportunities in key markets.”
The DMCC Coffee Centre became certified as a PTC in 2019 to ensure world class coffee education would be delivered through the centre as well as to support the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in its efforts to become a major coffee and commodities hub.
Sanjeev remarks that the work he and his team carry out is exceptionally rewarding. “By being the Middle East Premier Training Campus of choice, we help nurture and groom talent with new skills and help the regional market uphold high coffee quality standards by the SCA.” The team is motivated “to promote world-class and standardised coffee education in the region through the SCA guidelines.”
According to Sanjeev, providing facilities and educational courses to the local coffee community supports market growth: “Independent coffee shops running under the specialty coffee category make up 40% - 45% of the total coffee shop market. Overall, the UAE coffee market size is around US$100M annually and the market is expected to grow 8-15% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in the next 10 years”, Sanjeev explains.
Like so many others around the world due to COVID-19, companies and facilities have had to make changes and implement new guidelines to ensure the safety of their staff, learners, and visitors. Sanjeev tells us, “We reduced the frequencies of training and attendance. We installed thermal imaging across the facility and have also adopted the new coffee cupping standard.”
Achieving SCA Campus certification offers global recognition of a company’s dedication to make coffee better. Learn more about how to get your own training facility certified here.
If you want to find a Campus near you, visit our Campus Map.
Photos from DMCC Premier Training Campus in Dubai, UAE