
Fit-out contractors · Dubai projects
Interior fit out company in Dubai
Bawabat Al-Sama Decor has worked on UAE interiors since 1988. Our workshop is in Abu Dhabi; our fit-out and renovation teams take on villa, apartment, office and retail projects across Dubai with the same single-team approach, from site survey to handover.

How we run fit-out projects in Dubai
We are honest about geography: our workshop, joinery and stores are in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, about ninety minutes from most of Dubai. For a fit-out that is an advantage in one respect and a constraint in another. The advantage is that joinery, panels and decorative elements are made in our own facility and arrive finished; the constraint is that site visits are grouped rather than ad hoc. We plan around it: a measured survey and photographs on the first visit, samples brought to you on the second, and installation days scheduled in blocks so the Dubai programme is as tight as an Abu Dhabi one.
The scope is the same as everywhere we work: ceilings, partitions, joinery, flooring, painting and lighting coordinated by one project manager, design-build when you want one team responsible for everything, build-only when you have a designer and drawings already.
Residential fit-out and renovation in Dubai
Dubai residential work for us is mostly villas in Arabian Ranches, Dubai Hills Estate, Damac Hills, Jumeirah and Mirdif, and apartments in Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC and Palm Jumeirah. Typical scopes are new gypsum ceilings with integrated lighting, made-to-measure wardrobes and kitchens, SPC or tile flooring over existing tiles, wall panelling and feature walls, and full repaints, either one room at a time or as a complete interior refresh planned so you can stay in the home.
Office, retail and restaurant fit-out in Dubai
Commercial fit-outs in Business Bay, Downtown, Dubai Marina, Al Quoz and the free zones run on a lease date or an opening, so the programme is built backwards from it and the approval stage is included in the timeline rather than discovered after. Scope usually covers glazed and gypsum partitions, ceilings, flooring, reception joinery, painting and branding features, and lighting with the electrical work done by our own team. We work to the tower or mall's permitted hours, including night shifts where required.
Approvals for fit-out work in Dubai
Dubai has more approval routes than Abu Dhabi because of its free zones and master developers, and the right one depends on the address. Cosmetic works such as painting, decorative panels and like-for-like flooring usually need only the building management or community NOC. Structural changes, plumbing or electrical-load changes, and anything affecting fire systems go further.
For villas and buildings under Dubai Municipality, modification permits go through the Municipality; in TECOM communities such as Media City, Internet City and Barsha Heights the authority is DDA; in Nakheel and PCFC areas such as Palm Jumeirah and JLT it is Trakhees; DIFC has its own. Dubai Civil Defence reviews changes to fire detection, sprinklers or escape routes, DEWA is involved where the electrical load changes, and Emaar, Nakheel, Dubai Properties and Damac communities each issue their own NOC. We tell you at the survey which route applies, prepare the drawing package, and coordinate the submissions with you and your building management.
What decides fit-out cost in Dubai
We do not publish a rate per square foot; the same apartment can be fitted out at very different levels, and a headline rate that changes at the site visit helps nobody. After a survey you get a fixed, itemised estimate with no obligation. The factors that move the number are:
- Floor area and ceiling height, and how much of the existing interior is retained
- Scope mix: ceilings and partitions are usually the largest items, then joinery and flooring
- Material grade: laminate or veneer, porcelain or natural stone, standard or acoustic ceilings
- MEP changes: AC diffusers, new electrical points, plumbing for pantries or bathrooms
- Site conditions: access, lift booking, permitted working hours, protection of occupied areas
- The approval route for your address and the drawings it requires
- Programme: a compressed timeline can need additional crews or shifts
Where we work in Dubai
Dubai projects are run from our Abu Dhabi workshop with grouped site visits and installation days. We regularly take on work in the communities below and elsewhere in Dubai on request.
- Dubai Marina
- Downtown Dubai
- Business Bay
- Jumeirah
- Palm Jumeirah
- Al Barsha
- Jumeirah Village Circle
- Dubai Hills Estate
- Arabian Ranches
- Damac Hills
- Mirdif
- Al Quoz
Guides for Dubai homeowners and tenants
Trusted since 1988
Experience you can build on.
Assurance in every detail.
Decades of hands-on fit-out, certified teams, and a standard of care you can rely on from the first visit to handover.
- 01
Established 1988
More than three decades of interior décor and fit-out experience across the Emirates.
- 02
Certified execution
Licensed teams delivering work to recognised professional standards.
- 03
Workmanship warranty
The finishing we complete is backed by a workmanship warranty.
- 04
HSE compliance
Health, safety, and environmental practice observed on every site.
- 05
Clean, dust-controlled sites
Protected, tidy working areas that respect your home or business.
- 06
Fast mobilisation
Approvals-savvy and quick to start once scope and access are agreed.
From first idea to final detail
A clear path to
your new space.
Five considered steps. One shared vision.
- 01
Consultation
We listen to your ideas, priorities, and budget.
- 02
Site visit
We measure, assess, and understand the space.
- 03
Design & estimate
Agree the scope, materials, cost, and programme.
- 04
Execution
Coordinated work, careful finishing, clear updates.
- 05
Handover
Walk through the details and review the completed work.
Recent work
Interiors we have
brought together.
2 projects shown


Room for better work
Temporary portfolio: images retained from the existing website. Project locations, completion details, and image permissions are awaiting confirmation.
A little clarity
Before we
begin.
Good projects start with the right questions.
01Are you based in Dubai?
No. Our workshop and team are in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. We take on Dubai projects regularly and plan them with grouped site visits and installation days so the programme is not slower than a local contractor's. We would rather tell you this up front than have you find out at the first site visit.
02How much does interior fit-out cost in Dubai?
It depends on area, scope, material grade, MEP changes and the approval route for your address. We quote after a site survey as a fixed, itemised estimate rather than publishing a rate per square foot.
03How long does a fit-out take in Dubai?
A single room or light apartment refresh is typically a matter of weeks. A full villa or office is planned as a programme with agreed milestones, with the approval stage included in the timeline.
04Which approvals does my Dubai project need?
Cosmetic works usually need only the building or community NOC. Structural, MEP or fire-system changes involve Dubai Municipality or the relevant free-zone or master-developer authority (DDA, Trakhees, DIFC), Dubai Civil Defence, and DEWA where electrical load changes. We identify the route at the survey and coordinate the submissions.
05Do you handle Emaar, Nakheel and Damac community NOCs?
We prepare the drawings and documents the community requires and coordinate the NOC with you as the owner or tenant, since most developers require the application to come from the unit holder.
06Where in Dubai do you work?
Across Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah, Al Barsha, Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Hills Estate, Arabian Ranches, Damac Hills, Mirdif, Al Quoz, and elsewhere in Dubai on request. Sharjah projects are also welcome.
07Do you offer design as well as construction?
Yes. Choose design-build for one team from concept and drawings to handover, or build-only if you already have a designer and finished drawings.
08What happens after handover?
We walk through every detail with you at handover, and the finishing we complete is backed by our workmanship warranty. Annual maintenance contracts are available for offices and villas that want the interior kept in condition.
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Let’s make room
for something better.
A complete fit-out or a thoughtful refresh. Tell us what you have in mind.