London Cask Traders at MaltLive 2025: the future of Whisky in the Middle East

London Cask Traders were amongst leading names in the industry exhibiting at this year's prestigious MaltLive Dubai 2025 exhibition. Offering a unique platform for industry professionals, investors and enthusiasts from across the globe to connect and be part of the evolution of this exciting market, MaltLive 2025 showcased over 50 leading whisky brands, with more than 3,000 expected visitors, highlighting an ever-expanding enthusiasm for whisky in the Middle East.

'The first MaltLive in 2024, was an eye-opener,'

confirms Oliver Court, managing director of London Cask Traders.

'This year it was fantastic to see the growing number of whisky investors who flew over for the event, particularly from places like India, Israel and Lebanon. MaltLive 2025 was a real testament to the Middle East region's increasing appetite for whisky.'

The Rising Whisky Market in the UAE: Key Statistics and Trends

As the whisky market in the Middle East continues to grow and flourish, serious investors are becoming more visible. According to GlobalData's in-depth analysis from 2022, including a market forecast up to 2027, the UAE market registered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.1% during 2017-22, and 14% growth over 2021. In 2023, according to Virtue Market Research, Scotch whisky represented more than 35.5% of the Middle East and Africa whisky market (virtuemarketresearch.com). Combined with the success and impact of MaltLive Dubai 2025, it's obvious the emerging UAE whisky market is on a rapid upward trajectory that's likely to carry on growing significantly over the next few years.

In addition to all this growth, as Oliver Court from London Cask Traders points out,

‘Saudi Arabia is in the process of relaxing their alcohol laws, having lifted the longstanding ban on alcohol in 2024 last year. This could potentially open the market for investment and be a huge news for us.'

MaltLive 2025: A Bigger and Better Event for Whisky Lovers and Investors

The MaltLive festival is presented by the Malt Society Arabia (MSA), in partnership with the globally renowned Whisky Live brand of festivals. Malt Society Arabia is a membership-based organisation founded by whisky enthusiasts, including Sujeet Mitra and Puneet Sud, who spearheaded the first MaltLive Dubai in 2024. 'Maltlive 2024 is testament to Dubai's stubborn desire to be there first, all the time, every time,' stated Puneet at the time. Mitra added he believed the 'event will doubtlessly prove to be a game-changer for the local industry.'

Let Our Experts Guide You

The whisky experts at London Cask Traders are here to help you every step of the way. Our experienced team will hand-select the most promising casks and bottles to help drive maximum returns and enhance your collection’s value. We’ll use our expertise and industry knowledge to help ensure you make savvy choices you can raise a dram to.

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