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MEP drawings for approval in Dubai: what each set must show

Electrical, fire, HVAC and drainage drawings go to different reviewers and are checked for different things. Here is what each set needs to show, and how to keep them consistent with the architecture.

By DXB Approval Team

MEP drawings for approval in Dubai are four sets, each checked by a different reviewer. Electrical drawings go to DEWA with load distribution schedules and a single line diagram. Fire alarm, firefighting and life safety drawings go to Civil Defence in its standard plan format. HVAC, plumbing and drainage drawings go with the building permit set. All of them must match the architectural drawings, because reviewers compare them sheet by sheet.

This guide from the DXB Approval Team explains what each set should contain, using DEWA's electrical regulations, the UAE fire code and authority drawing lists. We prepare MEP drawings for submissions, but the content depends on the project, the authority and your engineer's design, and approval is never guaranteed. Confirm current requirements before you submit.

Printed floor plan drawing with mechanical pencils, an eraser, masking tape and a drawing tube on a desk

MEP drawings for approval at a glance

Set	Main drawings	Reviewed by
Electrical	Load distribution schedules, single line diagram, lighting and power layouts	DEWA
Fire and life safety	Fire alarm, emergency lighting and firefighting layouts, riser diagrams, smoke control	Dubai Civil Defence
HVAC	Equipment schedule, thermal summary, layouts and risers	The building permit authority, such as Dubai Municipality or DDA
Plumbing and drainage	Water supply and drainage layouts and risers	The building permit authority, plus the drainage department for sewer connections

Each reviewer works through its own process. For the stages, see our guides to the DEWA approval process and how Civil Defence approval works. For sheet sizes and file formats, see CAD drawing requirements for Dubai authorities.

Electrical drawings for DEWA

DEWA's Regulations for Electrical Installations say the technical details of any installation, "large or small, new or additional", must be submitted for DEWA's approval before work starts. A DEWA enrolled consultant or electrical contractor submits them online.

Load distribution schedules

The load schedule is the core of the electrical submission. DEWA asks for it in the format set out in the appendices to its regulations. Prepare one for each distribution board, showing:

Every circuit, with its actual or assumed load
The board's total connected load
The demand factor and resulting maximum demand at main and sub-main level
Spare circuits and their assumed load, on multi-tenant buildings such as shops and showrooms

The connected load and maximum demand must agree from the final boards up to the main distribution board. A total that changes between sheets is one of the quickest ways to get comments back.

Single line diagram

A single line diagram, or SLD, shows the electrical system as one line per circuit, from DEWA's point of supply through the main distribution board to each sub-main and final board. It should show the board names, breaker ratings, cable sizes and metering arrangement, using the same names as the schedules and layouts.

Lighting and power layouts

Layouts show where each light, socket, isolator and board sits, with circuit references that match the schedules. The DB locations must match a room on the architectural plans, with enough space around them.

How DEWA expects loads to be assessed

DEWA's regulations set rules that the drawings and schedules have to follow:

Item	DEWA rule
Lighting and fan circuits	Maximum 2,000 W per circuit, protected at up to 16 A
Lighting point, fittings not yet selected	At least 100 W per point
13 A general-purpose socket, other than kitchen	At least 200 W per point; twin sockets count as two
Air conditioners and fixed equipment	The actual load of each item
Distribution boards	Rated for the total connected load, before a demand factor is applied
Demand factor	Worked out by a suitably qualified electrical engineer
Power factor	Kept between 0.9 lagging and unity, with 0.95 lagging recommended
Substation	Usually needed in the building or plot when the connected load is over 400 kW
Standby generator	Full equipment, circuit and wiring details submitted, with interlocks that stop it running in parallel with DEWA's supply

DEWA's Building NOC and the building permit come before the electricity connection application. Our DEWA approval page covers the services behind a connection.

Fire alarm and firefighting drawings for Civil Defence

Chapter 19 of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice sets out what consultants must submit to Civil Defence. Submissions that don't follow it aren't reviewed. For a consultant's design submission, the chapter lists:

Built-up area calculations and setting-out plans
Architectural floor plans showing the fire rating of walls, partitions, doors and windows
Travel distances from the most remote corners, and the maximum diagonal distance of the built-up area
Staircase details
Fire alarm, emergency lighting, exit sign and voice evacuation layouts, with riser diagrams
Firefighting layouts, fire extinguisher layout, fire pump and fire water tank details, with riser diagrams
Areas protected by gas suppression systems, shown with the standard legends
Smoke control and pressurisation layouts, with smoke and fire damper locations and riser diagrams
LPG tank location, shafts and layout, where LPG is used
Curtain wall and façade specifications, with approved system references

Every plan uses the Civil Defence Standard Legends, shown at the right corner of each page. Consultants also provide a declaration that the fire systems will be finalised from the contractor's shop drawings, using detailed calculations.

Later, the contractor's shop drawings must be based on the approved consultant design and carry the consultant's stamp and signature. For fire alarm and voice evacuation, they add wiring diagrams, interfacing details and product specifications. Smaller tenant fit-outs prepared by décor companies follow a lighter list on A3 sheets.

HVAC drawings and calculations for approval

HVAC drawings show how the building is cooled and ventilated, and the thermal figures behind it. DDA's drawing list for a final design submission is a useful guide to what a full set contains:

Legend and symbols, general notes and details
Equipment schedule
Building air-conditioning thermal summary sheet
Glazing schedule and U-value calculations
HVAC setting-out plan and floor plans
Schematic riser diagram

The thermal figures connect HVAC to Dubai's green building rules, because envelope performance drives the cooling load. See our Al Sa'fat compliance page for how those requirements affect a permit.

In fit-outs, the HVAC set usually focuses on the changes: new or relocated units, duct routes, fresh air and extract, especially kitchen exhaust in F&B units. Show the connection to the base building system, and check it against the landlord's capacity before you submit.

Plumbing and drainage drawings

Plumbing and drainage drawings show how water comes in and how wastewater and rainwater leave. A typical set, following DDA's list, includes:

General notes and details, with the standard drainage notes signed and stamped by the consultant
Drainage equipment schedule, setting-out plan and floor plans
Drainage schematic riser diagram
Water supply layouts, including roof plant and solar water heating where provided
Water supply schematic riser diagram

Dubai Municipality's Local Order No. 8 of 2002 explains why the drainage drawings matter. Connecting a building's private sewerage network to the public network needs prior approval. Building a private sewerage network needs a permit, applied for with plans and detailed drawings. Changing or diverting rainwater drainage pipes needs written approval.

For the water supply, DEWA's water connection service asks for approved shop drawings and premises details, submitted by an enrolled consultant or contractor.

Coordinating MEP drawings with the architectural set

Most MEP comments aren't about engineering. They come from drawings that don't agree with each other or with the architecture. Before you submit, check that:

The base matches: MEP layouts sit on the current architectural plans, at the same revision.
Names match: room names and numbers, board names and riser references are the same on every sheet.
Rooms exist: electrical rooms, risers, plant rooms and the meter room shown on MEP drawings are also on the architectural plans, at a usable size.
Ceilings work: duct and pipe routes fit below the slab and beams, at the ceiling heights shown on the sections.
Fire ratings agree: walls and doors marked as fire rated on the architectural plans match the fire strategy and the Civil Defence drawings.
Loads add up: every piece of equipment on the HVAC and plumbing schedules appears in the electrical load schedule at its actual load.

A coordinated services drawing, overlaying all trades in tight areas such as corridors and plant rooms, catches most clashes before the reviewer does. Our MEP CAD drafting service prepares these drawings.

Before you submit: an MEP checklist

The correct reviewer and route are confirmed for each set
Every distribution board has a load schedule in DEWA's format
Connected load and maximum demand agree from the final boards to the main board
The single line diagram uses the same board names, ratings and cable sizes as the schedules
Fire drawings use the Civil Defence Standard Legends, with riser diagrams
Fire ratings match on the architectural and fire drawings
HVAC equipment appears in the electrical load schedule at its actual load
Drainage connections and any rainwater changes are shown for the drainage approval
All sets are on the current architectural revision and carry the required stamps

Frequently asked questions

Who can submit MEP drawings to DEWA?

DEWA's regulations say enrolled consultants and electrical contractors submit electricity applications online. The demand factor in the load schedule has to be worked out by a suitably qualified electrical engineer.

Do small fit-outs need full MEP drawings?

They need drawings for whatever changes. DEWA's regulations cover any new or additional installation, large or small, so even a small electrical change needs its details submitted. For fire systems, the code sets a lighter A3 format for décor company submissions, but layouts, riser diagrams and the extinguisher layout are still required.

What is a single line diagram?

It is a simplified drawing of the whole electrical system, with one line per circuit. It runs from DEWA's point of supply to the main board, sub-main boards and final boards, and shows ratings, cable sizes and metering. It should match the load schedules exactly.

Are sprinkler calculations required for every project?

Where sprinklers are part of the design, yes, but the detailed calculations usually come at the contractor's shop drawing stage. The fire code asks consultants to declare that fire systems will be finalised from the contractor's shop drawings using detailed calculations.

When does a project need a DEWA substation?

DEWA's regulations say a substation is generally needed in the building or plot when the total connected load is over 400 kW. DEWA can ask for one at lower loads, and confirms it in the Building NOC.

Which reviewer checks HVAC drawings?

Usually the building permit authority, such as Dubai Municipality or DDA, as part of the permit set. Fire-related HVAC items, such as smoke control and pressurisation, also go to Civil Defence.

Get your MEP drawings ready for submission

Tell us what you are building or changing, and send the architectural drawings and any engineer's mark-ups. We prepare load schedules, single line diagrams, fire layouts and services drawings that match the architecture. See MEP design and approvals for the full service.

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MEP CAD drafting

Load schedules, single line diagrams, fire layouts and coordinated services drawings that match your architectural set.

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