DMCC has announced the launch of its new Cocoa Centre, a dedicated trading platform designed to support cocoa trade, processing, and innovation, while reinforcing Dubai’s growing role in the global cocoa market.

The new centre forms part of DMCC’s wider strategy to expand its successful commodity ecosystem model, which has already helped strengthen Dubai’s position in sectors such as coffee and tea. With 88 companies already operating within DMCC across cocoa trading, chocolate manufacturing, and confectionery, the Cocoa Centre builds on an established base and brings these activities together within a more connected and specialized platform.

The aim is to create an integrated ecosystem that supports the cocoa value chain from sourcing and storage to processing, branding, distribution, and financing. This reflects a broader shift in global commodity trade, where value is increasingly created through specialized hubs that combine infrastructure, logistics, services, and capital in one place.

The Cocoa Centre is being developed in partnership with Kumbi Cocoa and Ribezzi Group. Together, the three parties will explore the feasibility of building fully integrated infrastructure in Dubai for the storage, trading, and transformation of cocoa beans into semi-processed products such as cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. This approach is expected to improve efficiency, increase transparency, and create greater value across the supply chain while serving international markets more effectively.

In addition to physical infrastructure, the new centre will offer a wide range of specialized services, including grading, warehousing, blending, packaging, and brand development. These capabilities will be directly linked to DMCC’s FinX platform, giving cocoa boards, cooperatives, farmers, traders, and processors access to trade finance, capital solutions, and wealth services through a unified platform. This financial support is particularly important in a market often shaped by price volatility and liquidity pressures.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, said the cocoa trade today is no longer defined only by production, but also by how value is built, financed, and distributed across the supply chain. He noted that the new Cocoa Centre is a natural extension of DMCC’s cluster-based model and a step that further strengthens Dubai’s position within global food and commodity flows.

Kwabena Boateng-Agyemang, Founder and CEO of Kumbi Cocoa, said the company’s mission has always been to build fair and transparent supply chains that connect farmers directly to international markets. He added that the partnership with DMCC will help support infrastructure that benefits producers while delivering high-quality, traceable cocoa to buyers around the world.

Mauro Ribezzi, Founder of Ribezzi Group, said the global cocoa market is evolving rapidly and that the initiative represents a forward-looking model for commodity trade infrastructure. By integrating sourcing, logistics, trading, and processing across regions, he said the Cocoa Centre has the potential to become an important reference point for the industry.

Globally, the cocoa market was valued at around $16.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $26.2 billion by 2035. At the same time, the premium chocolate segment is also expected to grow, rising from $31.9 billion in 2024 to $40.6 billion by 2030, driven by demand for single-origin products, artisan offerings, and healthier options. These trends underline the importance of specialized platforms that can support both trade and value-added production.

Dubai’s presence in the cocoa sector is also showing clear momentum. In 2023, the UAE imported $17.3 million worth of raw cocoa beans and $65.3 million worth of processed cocoa and chocolate products. Exports of raw cocoa beans reached $16.4 million, placing the UAE among the world’s leading exporters in this segment. These figures highlight Dubai’s expanding role in cocoa-related trade, both in raw materials and in finished and semi-finished products.

The launch of the Cocoa Centre also comes at a time when the global cocoa industry is looking for stronger links between producers, buyers, financing sources, and value-added services. By bringing these elements together in Dubai, DMCC is aiming to support a more connected and efficient trading environment. Backed by the emirate’s strengths in logistics, blending, storage, and structured trade finance, the centre is expected to contribute to a more resilient and streamlined cocoa trade ecosystem.

With this initiative, DMCC continues to develop specialized platforms that support international trade through Dubai. By combining infrastructure, services, and access to capital within one ecosystem, the new Cocoa Centre is set to create fresh opportunities for the cocoa sector and strengthen Dubai’s relevance in global trade.