Starbucks Oleato arrives in the Middle East

Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

From today (Saturday), Starbucks customers in the Middle East will be able to try the new Starbucks Oleato beverages at select stores in Riyadh and Dubai, followed by Kuwait from Sunday (May 28).

Starbucks Oleato is a new, unexpected coffee ritual, bringing together Starbucks arabica coffee, deliciously infused with premium extra virgin olive oil. The result is a velvety smooth, deliciously lush coffee that uplifts each cup with an extraordinary new flavour and texture.

Having launched in Italy, followed by Chicago, Seattle and New York in the United States, selected stores across Japan, Paris (France) and London (United Kingdom) over the past months, two brand new beverages now arrive in the Middle East. Customers can experience the innovative Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew and the Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso, at selected Starbucks stores across the region.

 Oleato Beverages: Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew (NEW) – Cold foam contrasts with dark, smooth cold brew, creating subtle sweetness and the inviting aroma of lush extra virgin olive oil infused cold foam.

Starbucks Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso (NEW) - Layers of flavour – rich espresso is sweetened with notes of toasted nuts and creamy oat drink infused with extra virgin olive oil.

Michelle Chin, Vice President, marketing, product, digital & sustainability, at Starbucks EMEA said: “At Starbucks, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and bring new, exciting flavours to our customers, and our priority is to be relentless in creating new beverages and experiences that continue to exceed their expectations. The fusion between Starbucks finest Arabica coffee beans and extra virgin olive oil – a unique pairing between two of nature’s finest ingredients - produces an elevated hand-crafted coffee experience. After their first sip of Oleato, we are confident that coffee lovers will reconsider their regular routines in favour of this revolutionary new coffee ritual.”

Italy’s romance with coffee, food and connection has served as an inspiration for Starbucks since the company’s earliest days - and that continues with Starbucks Oleato beverages. Originally inspired by a time-honoured Italian tradition, Starbucks Oleato aims to deliver the next transformational community coffee ritual to the world.

Andy Holmes, President of Alshaya Starbucks said: “We are thrilled to introduce Starbucks Oleato for the first time to our customers in the Middle East, introducing a revolutionary new coffee ritual to the region’s coffee aficionados. The alchemy of coffee and olive oil creates a rich texture, blending the buttery, round flavors of olive oil with the soft, chocolatey notes of coffee – it’s truly one-of-a-kind.”