The United Arab Emirates is a global hub in the tea export market, with total exports of about $33 million (Dh1.2 billion) in 2020, according to a report by Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center (FCSC), Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.
The figures place the UAE among the top five tea exporting countries in the world, according to the report.
The UAE comes after China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and India and that the UAE exported tea to 154 countries in 2021, said the report, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).
FCSC added that the UAE tea trade last year stood at around Dh1.859 billion, including exports worth Dh 968 million, re-exports of Dh 128 million, and Dh 763 million of imports.
The tea trade volume reached Dh 586 million in first quarter this year, including exports worth Dh 310 million, re-exports of Dh 51 million and around Dh 224 million in imports.
The annual household spending on tea in the UAE hit around Dh 290 million, according to the 2019 data, based on a household income and expenditure survey. The data shows that the number of coffee and tea kiosks in the UAE reached 14,567 until May 19.