SCA Q Instructor in the UAE: Q Arabica Grader Training Across the Emirates

The Q Arabica Grader licence is one of the most respected qualifications in specialty coffee. It shows that a person can evaluate coffee to a shared global standard, so that a score given in Dubai means the same thing as a score given in Colombia or Ethiopia. Behind every new Q Grader is a Q Instructor.

What is a Q Instructor?

A Q Instructor is licensed to teach the Q Arabica Grader course and to run its examinations. The role carries a responsibility to the whole industry: Q Instructors keep graders calibrated, so that cupping scores stay consistent and trustworthy between buyers, sellers and producers around the world. The Q program is now part of the Specialty Coffee Association, through the SCA Q Coffee System.

Maryam’s qualifications

Maryam Tabatabaei is an SCA-licensed Q Instructor and a licensed Q Arabica Grader. She is also an Authorized SCA Trainer across the Coffee Skills Program and the UAE’s first SCA Coffee Sustainability Program trainer. All of her certificates, with their numbers and dates, are listed in the Credentials Library.

The Q Arabica Grader course

The course runs over six days of theory and practical work and ends in nine examinations, covering cupping, sensory skills, olfactory and taste recognition, and green and roasted coffee grading. Candidates who pass all of them receive the Q Arabica Grader licence.

Serving the whole UAE, not only Dubai

Maryam is based in Dubai and trains coffee professionals across the Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. Courses can run at her atelier or, for teams, at a roastery or café with a suitable cupping lab. Preparation sessions, calibration cuppings and SCA courses are also available for those who want to build their skills before the Q exams.

Role: SCA-licensed Q Instructor
Course: Q Arabica Grader, 6 days, 9 examinations
Area: Dubai and the whole UAE
All courses: SCA Course Catalogue
Enquiries: WhatsApp Maryam or the contact form