Most fit-out projects in Dubai do not fail on design. They fail on sequencing, authority review and cost control. NCI Interiors manages projects end to end — approvals, contracts, cost and site supervision — so the programme holds.
Authority approvals
Which body reviews your project depends entirely on where the site sits. Getting this wrong at the start costs weeks.
- Dubai Municipality (DM) — Dubai Building Code compliance: partitions, ceilings, ventilation, sanitation, waste management
- Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) — fire and life safety for commercial and high-occupancy spaces: detection, alarms, suppression, escape routes, emergency signage
- DEWA — electrical load approval, meter allocation and water connections; many applications require an accredited contractor
- Trakhees — designated free zones and port-adjacent areas including JAFZA, Dubai Maritime City and Nakheel developments, with an environmental and HSE focus
- DDA — Dubai Development Authority areas
- Free zone and master developer authorities — DMCC, DIFC, Dubai South and others each run their own review, usually alongside landlord approval
The sequence
- Identify the governing authority and secure landlord or building owner approval
- Appoint accredited consultants and contractors
- Prepare authority-compliant drawings and schedules
- Submit through the relevant e-services portal
- Respond to review comments and resubmit
- Coordinate inspections during and after the works
- Obtain final clearance, certificates and handover documentation
The documentation package
Architectural layouts and finishes schedules, full MEP drawings, fire protection and alarm plans in DCD format, structural certifications, waste management plans, and DEWA load calculations. Missing one of these is the most common reason a submission comes back.
Published guidance suggests minor fit-outs typically clear in two to eight weeks, while larger projects with extensive MEP and fire systems run to several months. Build that into the programme rather than discovering it.
Contract management
Scope definition, subcontractor packages, variation control and payment schedules. Most fit-out disputes come from scope that was never written down clearly — we write it down.
Cost management
A cost plan developed during design, updated as the specification firms up, and tracked against actuals through construction. Variations are priced and approved before work proceeds, not discovered on the final account.
Site supervision
Our own supervisors on site, coordinating trades against the programme, checking work against the drawings, and running quality control before the snag list becomes someone else’s problem. Weekly progress reporting with photographs.
Handover
Testing and commissioning, snagging and de-snagging, as-built drawings, warranties, and operation and maintenance manuals. Your facilities team gets a file, not a shrug.
When you need this as a standalone service
Clients come to us for project management alone when:
- a design has been produced elsewhere and needs taking through approvals and construction
- a contractor is appointed but nobody is managing them on the client’s behalf
- a project has stalled at authority review and needs the submission fixed
- an internal team needs Dubai-specific approvals experience they do not have in-house
It is also included as standard in our turnkey fit out service.
Frequently asked
Can you take over a project that is already stuck in approvals?
Yes. Usually it is a documentation gap rather than a design problem — the drawings do not answer what the reviewer needs to see. We review the comments, fix the package and resubmit.
Do you manage projects you did not design?
Yes. We work with third-party concepts and existing contractor appointments regularly.
Which authority applies to my site?
Tell us the building and area and we will confirm it. Free zone locations in particular catch people out, because the free zone authority and the master developer often both need to sign off.
How do you report progress?
Weekly written reports with programme status, photographs, open items and anything needing a decision from you.
Get your project moving
Call +971 4 236 0099, WhatsApp +971 50 564 2209, or use the contact form.
Authority requirements and review timelines change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority for your specific project.