NESCAFÉ leads the soluble coffee market with 88% market share in the Middle East

Beverage consumption studies* commissioned by Nestlé Middle East in the GCC States and the Levant, threw up interesting facts: instant soluble coffee's share of throat ** has grown five times from what it was in 2000. The category is lead by NESCAFÉ - 88% market share leader in the GCC and the world's Number One coffee.

"Nestlé has been promoting the consumption of coffee - as consumers know it today - in the Middle East since the 1950s. When we formally introduced NESCAFÉ to the region, the consumption of tea and the ubiquitous cardamom-infused 'qahwah' was prevalent. Today, we can proudly say that NESCAFÉ is in the heart of Middle Eastern life, touching all senses, making every mood and every occasion better. NESCAFÉ soluble coffee is indeed becoming a hot beverage of choice for the young Middle Eastern generations," said Assaad Bou-Jawdeh, Senior Brand & OOH Operations Manager - NESCAFÉ, Nestlé Middle East.

"Coffee's journey has completed a full circle and we are proud to have played and to be playing our part in it. Although coffee originated in the Middle East, NESCAFÉ introduced it to the region as we know it and is enjoyed today. Our consumers use it to kick-start their day, to keep them going or to indulge. Arabic hospitality is also about spending special time with close friends and a cup of NESCAFÉ," elaborated Bou-Jawdeh.

Nestlé had introduced NESCAFÉ, which is 100 per cent pure coffee, in Switzerland, in 1938 for the first time; after almost 7 years of research. Since then innovative, state of the art technologies used in its production have helped to introduce new varieties of the drink. Amongst all existing species of coffee, NESCAFÉ is produced by combining the flavours and aromas of the best Arabica and Robusta beans in different blends.

"Coffee drinking as a culture is getting established in the Middle East. With NESCAFÉ, every cup is the result of the understanding of consumer beverage habits and trends. Procuring & blending the best beans, passionately roasting them, and then extracting the best flavour from these beans to create a stimulating coffee experience is fundamental to the soluble coffee production processes at Nestlé.

'When we create a coffee-taste-profile for a particular region, we ensure that our understanding of local-consumer-preference coupled with our latest proprietary production technologies are suitably harmonized to create a blend which matches our consumers' liking," added Bou-Jawdeh.

In 2002, for instance, NESCAFÉ Red Mug was developed to suit the taste profile of the Middle Eastern consumers; NESCAFÉ My Cup, launched last year, is another custom-developed NESCAFÉ product made for the region.

"Our global network of R&D specialists constantly improves taste & aroma delivery and creates new ways to enjoy coffee. We follow stringent quality control procedures to guarantee product consistency and our global coffee production specialists ensure consumers get their best cup of coffee. We are working on several innovative projects and will launch new NESCAFÉ products specially developed to suit our consumers' taste preferences in the Middle East," added Bou-Jawdeh.