I Spent Three Saturdays in Al Qusais and This Is What I Found
Not a review. Not a sponsored post. Just what happened when I kept going back to the same warehouse in an industrial area that nobody talks about for coffee.
The first time I went, I almost turned around. Al Qusais Industrial First does not look like somewhere you go for coffee. Wide roads, low buildings, the kind of neighborhood that feels purposeful in a way most of Dubai does not. No signs for brunch. No valet. Just warehouses doing their thing on a Saturday morning.
A friend had told me to look for Scarab Coffee. She gave me the address and said “you’ll smell it before you see it.” She was right. Walking toward Warehouse 20 at JAMS Logistics Building, there was this dry, warm smell in the air. Not the usual coffee-shop thing. Something rawer. Beans actually roasting.
I walked in and stood there for a minute just looking around. It is a real working roastery. Equipment is running, staff are moving with purpose, and there’s a coffee bar to one side. The whole space felt alive in a way that most cafés do not. I ordered a flat white and sat down and honestly did not want to leave.
What Scarab Actually Is
People call it a café, but that is not quite right. Scarab is a roastery first. They source green coffee from single origins, roast it on Typhoon equipment using full convection technology, and then serve it at the bar to anyone who walks through the door. You can watch the whole process. That is not common.
The name comes from the ancient Egyptian scarab beetle, a symbol of transformation and renewal. It is not a gimmick. The philosophy behind everything they do, from sourcing to roasting to how the team talks to you about what is in your cup, comes from that same idea of doing something with intention and letting the quality speak.
“قهوة متخصصة, specialty coffee, is a phrase that gets used loosely in Dubai. At Scarab, it means something specific. The Brazil Santos they had on the bar my first visit had this hazelnut and chocolate sweetness that I kept noticing. Clean. Not bitter. Not the kind of espresso you drink fast and forget. I ordered another one before I left.
The Second Saturday
I went back two weeks later, this time earlier in the morning. The roasting equipment was already running. One of the team members was monitoring a batch and told me it was a Honduras Finca El Mandarino. He explained what the roast profile was doing at that stage, how the heat application changes the flavor development, and why they chose convection over drum roasting. I did not understand everything he said. But I wanted to.
That is the thing about Scarab that is hard to describe without sounding dramatic. The people there want to teach you. Not in a condescending way. More like how a chef friend talks about food when you ask a real question. They are genuinely interested in what they are making, and they want you to be too.
I tried the filter coffee that day. V60 pour-over, of Ethiopian origin, is very bright and a little fruity. Nothing I had expected. I also picked up a bag of Brazil Santos to take home and grind for my Moka pot. The barista ground it fresh before I left and told me to run it slightly coarser than I normally would. He was right about that too.
“Coffee today is not just a product; it is a platform for culture, creativity, and connection.” Dana Ibrahim, Co-Founder, Scarab Coffee
Third Visit and the Cold Brew Cans
By the third Saturday I had started telling people about this place. My colleague from Al Nahda came with me. She had been skeptical about driving to Al Qusais Industrial First on a weekend morning. She stopped being skeptical about fifteen minutes in.
We tried the cold brew cans, which I had not noticed properly before. Three flavors: Balance (Honduras and Brazil blend), Funky and Bold (Costa Rica Musician Series), and Floral and Fruity (Colombia Gesha Marcella). We did a proper tasting at the bar, all three side by side. The floral and fruity one was genuinely surprising. Light, fragrant, something almost jasmine-like. Not what you picture when someone says cold brew.
They also have Drip Boxes, which are single-serve pour-over kits. Five different flavor profiles packaged separately. Nutty and sweet, fruity, funky, floral, and balanced. Each box has three servings inside. My colleague bought the whole set. The packaging is actually beautiful, which sounds like a small thing but matters when you are choosing a gift or picking something up for someone who is particular about their coffee.
Who This Place Is Actually For
I have seen Scarab described as being for coffee enthusiasts. That is true but also slightly misleading. Yes, if you are already deep into specialty coffee, roast profiles, processing methods, and all of that, you will have a genuinely good time here. But I walked in knowing almost nothing and left wanting to learn more. That is not usually what happens at specialist places.
It is also worth saying this is one of the few spots doing real specialty coffee in Al Qusais at this level. For people in Al Nahda, Muhaisnah, Mirdif, and across the border in Sharjah, that actually matters. Not everyone wants to drive to Al Quoz or Jumeirah for a proper cup. And now they do not have to.
The menu at the bar covers everything you would expect: espresso, Americano, cortado, flat white, cappuccino, latte, V60, batch brew, matcha, and chai. The food side has croissants, cookies, and muffins. Prices are fair for what you are getting, especially given that the coffee behind it all is being roasted in the same building.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
Parking is free and easy, which is something you appreciate after living in Dubai for any amount of time. The Green Line metro stops at Al Qusais Station, and a short cab ride gets you to the warehouse from there. From Dubai International Airport the drive is roughly fifteen minutes, which makes it an interesting stop if you have time before a flight.
The space does not have the hustle of a busy retail café. It runs at a workshop pace. You can sit for a long time, order another coffee, and watch the roasting equipment, and nobody is going to hurry you. I have started using it as a place to work on weekend mornings. The WiFi is reliable, and the atmosphere helps you focus.
تعال وجرب بنفسك, come and try it yourself. That is the honest advice here. Some places are easier to explain once you have been. Scarab is one of them.
If you want to read more about their coffees, sourcing, and what they do for wholesale clients and café operators, everything is at scarabme.com.
Address: Warehouse 20, JAMS Logistics Building, Al Doha Street, Al Qusais Industrial First, Dubai
Phone: +971 50 326 5632
Email: info@scarabme.com
Website: scarabme.com
Getting there: Take the Green Line Metro to Al Qusais Station; it’s a short taxi ride from there. Free on-site parking.
