Australia’s ONA Coffee presses ahead with Dubai launch as Iran conflict looms

The Australian specialty coffee group is optimistic for a return to normality in one of the world’s most important F&B markets

In normal times, Dubai is a thriving hub for premium hospitality operators and often the first port of call for international F&B brands seeking growth in the Middle East.

However, these are not normal times and hospitality businesses in this wealthy city are up against an exodus of tourists and expats – which have left in their tens of thousands since the US-Israel airstrikes on Iran in February 2026.

Having first announced plans to launch in Dubai in January 2025, Australia’s ONA Coffee arrives in a hospitality market markedly different from the one it expected 16 months ago.