Drawings & design · Mechanical, electrical & plumbing

MEP design and approvals

Electrical loads, water, drainage, air-conditioning and fire systems decide whether a building can be connected and occupied. We design the MEP services and prepare the drawings and schedules that DEWA, Civil Defence and the permit authority review.

Architects decide what a building looks like. MEP engineers decide whether it can be switched on. In Dubai, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing design is reviewed by more parties than any other discipline, and it is the part most likely to hold up a connection or a completion certificate.

MEP design for approval has two jobs. It has to work, giving the right power, water, cooling, ventilation and drainage for the use. And it has to be presented in the form each reviewer expects: a load schedule for DEWA, fire system layouts for Civil Defence, and coordinated services drawings for the permit authority.

We design MEP services for new buildings, villas, extensions and fit-outs, and coordinate their review. The authorities issue the approvals and NOCs. We make sure what they receive is complete and consistent.

What our MEP design covers

Electrical

Lighting and power layouts, distribution board schedules, cable sizing, earthing, the connected load and maximum demand, and the main incoming arrangement.

Plumbing & drainage

Cold and hot water supply, tanks and pumps, sanitary drainage, rainwater drainage, and the connection to the public network or on-site system.

HVAC

Cooling loads, air-conditioning system selection, ventilation and fresh air, kitchen and toilet extract, and equipment placement.

Fire systems

Fire alarm, firefighting, emergency lighting and voice evacuation where required, coordinated with the architectural fire strategy.

Low-current

Data and telecom containment, CCTV and access control routes where they are part of the approval scope.

Energy & sustainability

Equipment efficiency, lighting and water-saving measures that feed the Al Sa'fat compliance submission.

Who reviews MEP drawings in Dubai

Reviewer	What they look at	What we prepare
DEWA	Electricity and water connection, load, metering, substation and meter room requirements	Load schedules, single-line diagrams, meter room and incoming layouts, water connection details
Dubai Civil Defence	Fire alarm, firefighting systems, voice evacuation, gas distribution where present	Fire system layouts and schematics, to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice
Permit authority (DM, Trakhees, DDA or free zone)	Coordinated services as part of the building or fit-out permit, drainage, insulation and code compliance	Full MEP drawing set coordinated with architecture and structure
Developer or landlord	Connection to base-build services, shaft and riser use, condenser locations, noise and appearance	Tenant MEP drawings, equipment schedules, base-build interface details

The Dubai Building Code's Part G (incoming utilities) and Part K (villas) incorporate the relevant clauses of DEWA's electrical installation regulations, and Part H covers indoor environment, including ventilation. Our DEWA approvals and Civil Defence approvals pages explain each authority's process in detail.

Electrical design for DEWA

DEWA's Building No Objection Certificate for electricity is the step that ties the electrical design to the building permit. DEWA's service guide states that only consultants and contractors enrolled with DEWA can submit it. The load submission typically includes the plot's total connected load, main and sub-main distribution board schedules, typical final distribution board schedules, and the maximum demand with the number of kWh meters at each level.

DEWA lists service times for these steps: two working days for the Building NOC, and for LV design approval one working day for loads up to 150 kW, two for 151–400 kW and three for 401 kW and above. These run from a complete submission. They don't include design time or any revisions.

Getting the numbers right: an inflated maximum demand can trigger a larger connection, or a substation, that the building doesn't need. An underestimated one causes problems at energisation. We calculate demand with diversity from the actual equipment and use. Our step-by-step DEWA approval guide covers the full sequence.

Fire systems for Civil Defence

Dubai Civil Defence reviews fire alarm, firefighting and voice evacuation designs against the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice. It also has separate approval conditions for consultant drawings, contractor drawings, decoration drawings and gas distribution drawings.

Fire design has to match the architecture: hazard classification of each space, sprinkler and detector coverage, hose reel and hydrant positions, pump and tank sizing, and how the systems interface with lifts, smoke control and the alarm panel. When the layout changes, the fire drawings change too. We keep them in step so Civil Defence isn't reviewing an out-of-date plan. Our DCD checklist lists what inspectors typically check on site.

MEP design by project type

New villas. Load schedule and DEWA submission, water tanks and pumps, drainage to the network, split or ducted AC, and roof space planned for equipment and, if wanted, solar panels.
Multi-storey buildings. Risers and shafts, plant rooms, substation and meter rooms, pressurisation and smoke control, and central cooling or district cooling interfaces.
Commercial fit-outs. Connection to base-build services, tenant distribution boards, AC modifications and fire system extensions. See fit-out permits.
Restaurants and kitchens. Kitchen extract, fresh air, grease management, gas and kitchen fire suppression interfaces.
Warehouses. High-bay lighting, sprinkler design to storage height, and power for racking, charging and cold rooms.
Pools. Pump room power, earthing and bonding, filtration plumbing and backwash disposal. See swimming pool design.

MEP design in existing buildings

Alterations are often harder than new work, because the design has to fit services that are already there. Before designing, we establish what exists and what capacity is left:

Available electrical load. The existing connection, the board that will feed the new works and any limit the landlord or building management has set for the unit.
Drainage routes and falls. Moving a kitchen or bathroom in a villa or apartment can be impossible without raising floors or changing the stack the drainage connects to.
AC capacity. Whether the existing system, or the building's chilled water or district cooling allocation, can cover the new layout.
Fire system extent. Which zones, detectors, sprinklers and panels serve the area, and how changes will be tested and re-certified.

Where the existing services aren't documented, a survey comes first. An accurate record of what is installed avoids designs that look right on paper but fail at connection or testing. Our as-built drawings service covers this.

How the MEP design moves through approval

Survey and load study

We record the existing services (for alterations) and the equipment the use needs, and establish the design loads.

Our team · you

Coordinated design

Layouts are drawn with the architect and structural engineer so shafts, ceilings, plant rooms and penetrations agree.

Design team

Service-authority submissions

Load schedules go to DEWA and fire drawings to Civil Defence through enrolled or approved submitters, in the order the permit requires.

Enrolled consultant

Permit package

The MEP set is included in the building or fit-out permit application with the NOCs received.

Registered consultant

Comments and revisions

We answer each reviewer's comments and keep all disciplines updated.

Consultant

Installation, testing and completion

The contractor installs to the approved drawings. Systems are tested and inspected before energisation, connection and the completion certificate.

Contractor · authorities

Deliverables

Electrical drawingsLighting, power, single-line diagram, DB schedules and load calculation.
Plumbing & drainage drawingsSupply, drainage and rainwater layouts, riser diagrams and tank details.
HVAC drawingsEquipment layouts, duct and pipe routes, ventilation and heat load summary.
Fire system drawingsAlarm, firefighting and evacuation layouts with schematics.
Equipment schedulesSpecifications that match the drawings and the sustainability inputs.
Comment responsesReviewer comments tracked with the revision made.

MEP issues that delay approval

Load schedules that don't match the drawings. Board names, circuit counts or loads that differ between schedule and layout.
No room for plant. Meter rooms, tanks and condensing units planned after the architecture is fixed.
Fire drawings from an older layout. Partition or ceiling changes not carried into the fire design.
Drainage without levels. Gravity routes that can't reach the connection point at a workable fall.
Ignoring the base build. In fit-outs, tenant designs that exceed the landlord's allocated load or riser capacity.

How we help

MEP design for villas, buildings, extensions and fit-outs
Load calculations and DEWA submissions through an enrolled consultant
Fire system design and Civil Defence coordination
Coordination with architecture, structure and the landlord's base build
Comment responses and revised drawings
Support during testing, inspection and completion

MEP design FAQs

Do I need MEP drawings for an office fit-out?

Usually yes. Most fit-outs change lighting, power, AC or fire systems, and the landlord and the authority will want to see how. Fire system drawings are often needed for Civil Defence.

Can I submit the DEWA load application myself?

DEWA's building NOC is submitted by enrolled consultants or contractors, not by owners directly. We prepare the load schedule and coordinate submission through an enrolled consultant.

Why does my villa need a load schedule?

DEWA uses it to size the connection and meters. It is part of the electricity NOC that the building permit depends on.

Which fire code does Civil Defence apply?

The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice is the reference Dubai Civil Defence uses for fire and life safety requirements.

Does MEP design affect Al Sa'fat compliance?

Yes. Equipment efficiency, lighting, water fittings and controls all contribute to meeting the green building requirements for new buildings.

On this page

Need MEP drawings or a load schedule?

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