From UAE To Berlin: Emirati Pop-Up Cafe Brews A Hot Cuppa In Germany

At a tech and startup event in Germany, in the 'Emirates' pavilion, a lone Emirati was hurriedly grinding down coffee beans, scooping up just the right amount, and brewing it with all the care and precision in the world, to serve for free to passersby.

Mohammed Al Saman, a security officer by day and barista by night, set up shop temporarily after the Ministry of Economy invited him to bring his coffee brand to Berlin. The Emirati-born coffee business was set up in Berlin for the recently concluded three-day GITEX EUROPE, which Al Saman said was a“proud moment” for him.

“We finished up 5kg of coffee beans, around 300 cups, per day,” Al Saman said. He added that the event was a big success for his business, with many people dropping by to praise his work.“When Germans or Emiratis come to the pop-up, I feel it's a beautiful thing,” he said.“And this inspires me to be known not only in the UAE, but around the world as well.”

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GITEX EUROPE, which is Europe's largest tech event, was buzzing with startups, investors, exhibitors, and visitors. Dubai made its presence known, with government bodies involved such as Dubai Future Foundation, Digital Dubai, Dubai Police, and 13 other entities, along with the Ministry of Economy.

Al Saman's coffee brand, KLÜ Coffee, started off as a side hustle during the pandemic. Al Saman was still in university at the time, and the pop-up first appeared in Qasr Al Hosn, in his native Abu Dhabi. The pop-up model - temporarily setting up shop at events or festivals - became a recurring format for KLÜ Coffee. Over the years, KLÜ Coffee has popped up in several locations for different festivals and events in the UAE, and now, for the first time, KLÜ Coffee was in Berlin.

His coffee blends modernity with heritage, with spices familiar to the Emirati tongue, like cardamom and fennel seeds, dropped into the mashup of drinks. Usually, he serves the coffee with the help of his friends, but for GITEX, Al Saman had to whip up the recipes all on his own.

His reasoning behind keeping the coffee shop as a mobile pop-up rather than a brick-and-mortar is the allure and liberty of moving from place to place, in turn reaching more customers.

Al Saman only graduated from university a year ago and said that opening a permanent location would be too much for now.“I don't want to pressure myself, I want to learn until I am able to comfortably own a coffee shop,” he said.

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