Global Humanitarian & American NBA Hall of Famer Dikeme Mutombo joins the DMCC Coffee Centre
DMCC – the world’s flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – has welcomed Cajary Majlis, an international trader and distributor of food products and wholesale food commodities, to its state-of-the-art Coffee Centre.
Chaired by global humanitarian and American National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, the company is set to further boost trade ties with the African continent with a particular focus on specialty coffee.
Cajary Majlis will make use of the DMCC Coffee Centre, a 15,000 sq/m temperature-controlled facility, to bring coffee from Mutombo’s home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and across Africa, to Dubai and beyond. In the fall of 2020, Cajary Majlis launched and distributed a limited-quantity #55 Champion’s Edition Barrel Aged Coffee, with beans sourced from the DRC to consumers in the U.S.
Speaking on the occasion, Dikembe Mutombo, Chairman, Cajary Majlis, said,
“We are thrilled to become a member of a world-class coffee trading hub that provides us direct access to trade opportunities in Dubai, across the UAE, and also the world’s key commodities markets. Dubai lies at the centre of global business and trade, and we are excited to join a vibrant community where Cajary Majlis can grow and thrive.
We plan to take full advantage of DMCC’s established trade connections, innovative infrastructure and world-class services to support the DRC’s agriculture and commodities community, introducing the world to the best that the Congo has to offer, including Congolese coffee,” he added.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said:
“It is an honour for us to welcome Dikembe and the rest of the Cajary Majlis team to our world-leading business district as they link coffee producing nations in Africa to the emirate and beyond. DMCC places great emphasis on driving trade through Dubai in a sustainable and responsible way so that we, and our 18,000 member companies, have a positive impact on the commodity-producing communities across the globe. This view is shared by Cajary Majlis, making them a perfect fit for our free zone and for the DMCC Coffee Centre.
Cajary Majlis’ decision to set up at the DMCC Coffee Centre demonstrates its international appeal and reflects the growth that the Centre has seen since its opening. We look forward to carrying on this growth journey alongside Dikembe and his team,” he added.
Mutombo, who is also CEO of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, has leveraged his celebrity status as an NBA player to become a well-known spokesperson for the underserved communities throughout the DRC and Africa. Mutombo’s DMCC licence number will be 55, his jersey number throughout his career at teams including the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.
Robert C. Bush Jr., President & CEO, Cajary Majlis, said:
“Our mission is to responsibly source and deliver agricultural products from undervalued communities to fast growing markets across various regions. Having a positive impact on the communities across our supply chain is central to our philosophy, so we are proud to be joining DMCC, a free zone that takes ESG and CSR seriously. Together, we will seek greater transparency, accountability, and integration between coffee producers and consumers.”
On 3 February, Bin Sulayem and coffee industry experts will join Mutombo and Angela Yee, founder of Coffee Uplifts People and co-host of the U.S. nationally syndicated radio show, The Breakfast Club, for a virtual media invite only event: “The Real Price of Coffee in Your Cup”. Industry participants will shed light on the dynamic intricacies of the African coffee industry, from “crop to cup”, as well as the challenges and opportunities for many African coffee farmers, importers and distributors, and retailers.
The DMCC Coffee Centre continues to attract international businesses by connecting the fast-growing consumer markets in the Middle East and Europe to some of the world’s major coffee producing nations. The Coffee Centre supports the entire coffee industry from crop to cup by offering cost-efficient logistical support as well as warehousing, roasting and packaging services. In July 2020, DMCC announced plans to expand the Coffee and Tea Centres to triple output, increase services and boost capacity.
More information on Cajary Majlis can be found online at www.cajarymajlis.com.
Mutombo’s coffee can be purchased at www.mutombocoffee.com.
Visit http://dmcc.ae/coffee to learn more about the DMCC Coffee Centre.