Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Building Regulations
Translated by
Santis HSE Group
2309 Al-Shatha Tower
DMC-Dubai UAE
www.santishsegroup.com
info@santishsegroup.com
The list of the conditions and the specifications of construction
Article (1) : This list is called "The list of the conditions and the specifications of construction".
Article (2): When any disagreement about any section from the following sections in the articles of this list
happen or having unclear specifications or standard norms, the explanation which is issued by the
competent administration through the committee of building license is the final explanation which is
approved for this section or specification.
Article (3): The conditions and the specifications which are mentioned in this list are inseparable part from
the technical conditions and specifications that are being applied by the competent administration and
founded on the following:
a) The technical conditions and specifications for constructional works.
b) The technical conditions and specifications for sanitary drainage works.
c) The technical conditions and specifications for road works and parking lots.
d) The technical conditions and specifications which are mentioned in the regulations of environment
protection and vocational safety.
e) The technical conditions and specifications for the works of the nutritional institutions.
f) The technical conditions and specifications for hotel establishments and the bases for their
classification.
g) The technical conditions and specifications for the means of safety and fire prevention.
h) Health regulations and public safety.
i) The technical conditions and specifications that have been mentioned in the list of classifying and
economizing land usages.
j) The technical conditions and specifications for thermal insulation that has been mentioned in the
thermal insulation list.
k) Any other conditions or specifications which are applied by the competent administration.
Article (6): The limit inferior for the area of the plot:
a. except some places and special conditions which subject to the stipulations and the approval of
the administration of planning and area in the municipality, the limit inferior for the area of the
plot which is suitable for building is shown as the following:
1. Inside the central work area in Derah Dubai Waber (with its boarders
shown in the general skeleton diagram for the city) (1050) square feet as
a limit inferior.
2. In the remaining emirate places (1600) square feet as a limit inferior.
3. The limit inferior for the length of the frontal face of the plot which is
overlooking a road or a track is (30) feet.
b. In the irregular plots whose area is more than the limit inferior which is being mentioned in the
previous section, in order to get a construction license, the plot should contain a square whose
dimensions (30×30) feet liable to built on it.
1. The committee of building license can state to build on the plots which
do not accomplish the two mentioned conditions in this article in the
case of presenting architectural designs which go with the settled usage
and does not deform the general view.
Article (8): The limit inferior for the areas of the rooms:
The area of any floor or the dimensions of any room from the rooms of the building should
not be less than the following:
The limit inferior The limit inferior
for the floor area for the dimension
5. Taking the essential and the necessary means to control gas and smoke emission
coming from the equipments and the machines which are used in the working
sites and it should be kept in the stated level.
6. Taking the necessary precautions in the working sites to keep the cleanliness of
the location and the safety of the surrounding environment such as neighboring
buildings, streets, service lines, sidewalks and agriculture. . . . etc.
7. The importation and the storing of construction materials in the site should go
with its area and in a way that does not deform the general view. It is necessary
to store chemical and petroleum materials in confined places that are far from
the direct daily traffic and it should be under permentant supervision in small
amounts.
8. Taking the suitable precaution and putting the necessary schedules for
collecting, separating and storing wastes and rubbles in working sites and then
transporting them to the places of dumping rubbles in a way that prevents it
from pilling in the location or polluting the surrounding environment.
p. 1. The value of thermal transmission factories (U) for surfaces and walls should not be
more than what is in the list of thermal insulation which is approved by the competent
administration.
2. Glass with all its different kinds should be used (normal, double, reflective) in all the
windows of the buildings with their different usages according to what the thermal
insulation list has settled which is approved by the competent administration.
3. Consulting and working with the list of thermal insulation approved by the
competent administration concerning everything that is related to the details of
thermal insulation works.
q. The buildings whose height is more than a ground floor and one floor which include
large areas of glass in the frontages should be supplied with the necessary equipments
and devices to clean the glass from the outside according to what the committee of
building license has decided.
Article (27): The special stipulations for the people of peculiar needs:
a. In public buildings such as markets, malls , mosques, cinemas, theatres, sport stadiums
,public parks and governmental buildings which people visit often, The following
stipulations should be provided as a limit inferior:
1. Ramps with a slope rate that is not more than (1) to (12) at sidewalks, outer
stairs and the points of different levels inside and outside the buildings.
2. Parking lots for the people of peculiar needs with a percentage(1.3)% of the
total number for parking lots where a part from a parking lot is considered a
complete parking lot with a limit superior (10) parking lots with putting all
the necessary instructions.
3. These parking lots should be as close as possible to elevators or to the main
entrances on a distance which is not more than (60) meters and their
measurements should be according to the designed standards which are
approved by the competent administration.
4. Providing suitable spaces for loading and unloading according to the
designed standards for the people of peculiar needs at the main entrances.
5. Providing direct lanes without any obstacles from the parking lots to the
elevators or to the main entrances of the buildings or the establishments.
6. Providing a special lavatory for the people of peculiar needs according to
article (44) from this list and it should be equipped according to the
designed standards which are approved by the competent administration.
The instructions, which lead to it, should be fixed wherever it is needed.
7. One of the elevators should be with a capacity, specifications, dimensions
and equipments that correspond to the international standards for the
people of peculiar needs according to what the committee of building
license decides.
8. Passages should have enough dimensions for the people of peculiar needs
according to the approved standards and providing the accessibility to go in
or out from all doors and get to all the inner and outer elements without any
obstacles that may restrict the movement.
9. In malls which consist of more than one floor, there should be at least one
elevator that corresponds to the standards that are used by the people of
peculiar needs .Electric stairs are not considered a replacement for this
elevator unless it is supplied with the necessary equipments for the people
of peculiar needs
10. Security and safety conditions should be provided for the different groups of
the people of peculiar needs.
b. In the invested building whose total area is more than (50000) square feet, the following
should be provided:
1. Ramps with a slope rate that is not more than (1) to (12) centimeters at
sidewalks, outer stairs and the points of different levels wherever it is inside
and outside the building.
2. One of the elevators and the passages should be in the floors, outer
movement lanes and in parking lots with sufficient specifications and
dimensions to be large enough for the movement of the people of peculiar
needs according to the approved standards.
3. The number for the parking lots which are for the people of peculiar needs
should not be less than (1%) of the total number for parking lots where a
part of it is considered a complete parking lot with a limit superior (5)
parking lots.
4. The measurements for the parking lots should be according to the standards
related to the people of peculiar needs. The parking lots should be close to
the elevators or to the main entrances of the building.
5. Instructions that are related to the parking lots of the people of peculiar
needs should be put wherever it is needed according to what the approved
standards define.
6. The movement lanes for the people of peculiar needs should be direct and
their measurements should correspond to the approved standards and they
do not have any obstacles.
c. In hotels that are classified from the group of three stars or more, the following services
should be provided as a limit inferior for the people of peculiar needs:
1. One hotel room in the first floor if the number of the hotel rooms and suites
is less than(100) and two rooms if it is more than (100)
2. This room should be completely equipped according to the international
standards that are related to the people of peculiar needs concerning the
room dimensions, the door, the spaces surrounding the bed, the medial
rotation places with a diameter not less than (1.5) meters, automatic
opening window and designing a desk, a cupboard, electric keys, an
emergency alarm bell and a chair.
3. The room should be supplied with a bathroom according to the approved
international standards related to the people of peculiar needs concerning
the bathroom seat, bathing tub, the sink, the surrounding spaces,
cupboards, mirrors, the quality of the floor, the doors dimensions and their
movements, the location of the complement elements in the bath and the
locations of the handles of support and help.
4. The room should have one emergency exit which leads directly to outside
the building or to a balcony. Security devices should be provided for the
different groups of the people of peculiar needs in the hotel.
5. One of the elevators should has the specifications which correspond to the
standards related to the people of peculiar needs concerning the
dimensions, the measurements, the location and the height of the control
panel, the opening time and the inner rails.
6. Parking lots should be provided as the following: one parking lot is for every
(75) parking lots out of the total number of parking lots with a limit superior
(5) parking lots. It should be as close as possible to elevators or to the main
entrance of the hotel with supplying them with the necessary directorial
signs whose measurements should be according to the standards related to
the people of peculiar needs.
7. The space for loading and unloading at the main entrance of the hotel
should be according to the standards related to the people of peculiar
needs.
8. Ramps with slope rates that are not more than (1) to (12) centimeters at
sidewalks, outer stairs and the points of different levels inside and outside
the buildings. The necessary warning instructions should be supplied.
9. Direct lanes without obstacles from parking lots and even elevators or the
main entrance of the hotel and the passages should have sufficient width for
the movement of the people of peculiar needs according to the approved
standards and where it is possible to go in or out from all doors and to get to
all the inner and the outer elements without any obstacles that may restrict
his movement.
d. The passages and the ramps that are related to the people of peculiar needs should have
the following conditions:
1. The ramps that are related to the sidewalk should be within the same
sidewalk.
2. If there are two successive ramps, there should be a flat space between
them with measurements according to the standards approved by the
competent administration.
3. All ramps, passages and stairs should be equipped with the necessary
warning signs (roughing, colors) at the points of the beginning and the
end and when reaching to the roads of cars.
4. The rate of the ramp should not be more than (1) to (12).
5. It is not allowed to put any parking lots in front of ramps.
6. The ramps should be on the same direction as the direction of the
pedestrians' movement on the sidewalk.
7. The upper surface of the ramp should be flat and has no holes that
restrict movement.
8. Ramps should be supplied with lateral rail which is solid and protective if
its height is more than (50) centimeters.
9. There should be no fountain holes or sluices in the ramps and the
passages which are related to the people of peculiar needs.
10. The width of the ramp should not be less than (1.20) meters.
11. Passages and ramps should be supplied with stakes and signs for the
pedestrian which show the directions.
12. Passages and ramps should be equipped with solid barriers that prevent
falling at turning points.
13. The rails of the ramps and the stairs that are related to the people of
peculiar needs should extend to (30) centimeters at the points of the
beginning and the end for the ramps and the stairs as well as around
corners.
Article (28): Facilities (electricity, phones, water, sanitary drainage and building services):
a. The engineer should consul the local departments that are
concerned with the services in the emirate to get the
stipulations that should be provided in buildings (electric forces,
phone rooms and other services) as well as knowing and
locating the entrances and the exits of these services before
setting the designs and the plans in their final shape.
b. The spaces of electricity rooms in buildings should have the
following stipulations:
1. The site and the specification for the suggested
electricity room should be approved by the
organization for the electricity and the water of Dubai.
2. The doors of the counters room should be made from
incombustible materials and has vents and there
should be also ventilation fans on one of its walls.
3. Providing the stipulations of security and safety from
fire.
4. The room of electric transformer can be put in the
withdrawals of the building as a public service for the
region.
c. The counters of water and electricity for residential units should
not be more than one water counter and one electricity counter
for each separate residential unit according to the approved
plan. It is not stated to have additional counters for the facilities
in houses, residential villas and the gymnastics on the rooftops
or at building separation or part of it without a license from the
competent administration or separating the first floor from the
ground floor in the houses and the residential villas that have
two floors.
d. All the elements of the building should be supplied with the
necessary electric fittings, phone fittings and television
reception. All the necessary requirements should be provided
such as electricity rooms, phone rooms and the inner or the
outer fittings according to the specifications and the conditions
approved by the concerned local departments in the emirate.
The elements of services are excluded from phone fittings and
television reception.
e. All the materials and the parts that are related to the service
facilities should correspond completely to the conditions and
the specifications approved by the concerned departments.
f. There should be directorial sign at the building entrances and it
should be close to the elevator and in an evident place for all
the buildings that have many floors where the number of flats
or offices is more than (10) ( office or apartment).
g. The places for putting signs should be settled for all shops,
galleries and commercial activities. It is observed that the width
of the signs should not be less than (3) feet according to the
conditions and the specifications which are mentioned in the
prevalent regulations.
h. It is observed not to fix any billboard or write any advertisement
on building or establishment or inside any plot unless after
getting the necessary license from the concerned
administration.
i. Observing when putting any equipments or service devices or
water tanks or satellites, the necessary architectural processing
to prevent deforming the general views of the building.
Article (29): The stipulations of fire prevention and safety from fire:
a. The stipulations of the protection, the safety, the warning and fire fighting should be
available in all buildings according to the rules and the specifications that are approved by
the competent administration.
b. Keeping the equipments, warning systems and fire fighting inside the building is the
responsibility of the owner. The tenant is responsible for removing any obstacles in the
emergency passages and for keeping the equipments, warning systems and firefighting in
the part that he has rented with necessity to make sure of the worthiness of the
equipments and not to disconnect electricity from them at any time.
c. It is not allowed to fix any barriers or obstacles directly on the window of the outer
frontages that are above the ground floor if it is not easily opened.
d. Abiding by all the requirements, the conditions and the systems of the public buildings
safety that are mentioned in the regulations of the environment, the health and the
vocational and public safety and the systems of fire prevention which are prevalent in the
emirate.
e. The limit inferior for the number and the width of the building entrances and exits should
correspond to the number and the area of floors, building usage and the standards that
are approved the competent administration.
f. The doors of the stairs, the apartments, the offices and all the facilities and their scraps
should be fire resistant according to the averages that are approved by the competent
administration and they should be smoke impermeable and self-closed.
g. All stairs should be supplied with normal and emergency ventilation and lighting devices
according to the standards approved by the competent administration.
h. All buildings should be supplied with signs, billboards which are self- lightened in all the
passages, the stairs and the inner squares of the building in order to point out to the stairs,
the elevators and the places of exits and emergency.
i. All the buildings whose height is more than (20) floors should be supplied with an airstrip
for vertical aircrafts according to the standards approved by the competent
administration.
j. All the passages that lead to emergency exits should be void of whatever restricts moving
and going out of the building at any time.
1apartment for
less than 150 prayers
(2) (2) (4) the imam -- --
Men
a. The mosques that are in the area of commercial works are excluded
from the condition of providing parking lots. The competent
administration can reconsider the number of the required parking
lots for mosques if there are public parking lots related to the
mosque or if the area of the land which is dedicated for the mosque
is small.
b. The number of the prayers should be calculated where (8) square
feet is for one prayer and this does not include the number of the
prayer outside the mosque land.
c. When designing the mosque , the following conditions should be
observed :
1. Designing and executing and supervising should be
done by Muslim hands that have a good experience
in the Islamic architecture and constructional works
and the manager of the consultive office who is in
charge of this should be Muslim as well as the
engineers who are designing and supervising the
mosque.
2. It is preferred that the mosque should be rectangle
where the longest side should be headed to the
kiblah. It is not preferred to make openings on the
side that has the mihrab. It is preferred also to
cancel any columns in the mosque land to keep the
continuation of lines.
3. There can be an office, an oratory for women, a
storehouse and rooms for the memorization of the
Koran which are supplement with the mosque. Their
number is settled according to the number of the
prayers in the mosque and to the study made by the
committee observing separating the women's
entrances from the men's entrances.
4. Mosques in general should have yards (uncovered
yard as a part of the mosque) and a place in it
should be dedicated for putting cold water
refrigerator as well as covered places for putting the
shoes of the prayers.
5. lavatories should be separated from the mosque
building itself where it has an independent entrance
and it should not be headed to the kiblah according
to the forgiving law .It is preferred to be in the south
–east corner and it should be from the eastern
model and one of the toilet can be from the western
model.
6. The ablution place must be provided as a necessary
element for the mosque.
7. It is preferred to make an outer fence around the
sacred place of the mosque with a suitable height
half of it is cement and the upper half is hollowed.
8. Any drawings or ornaments that contradict with the
Islamic law should be avoided.
9. The material of the inner and the outer finishing
should be from the materials and the types that go
with the dignity of the mosque.
10. There should be directorial signs that show all the
entrances, movement directions and the service
elements available in the mosque.
d. It is preferred to add an oratory for women in the mosques which
are close to public markets, large central mosques, rural areas, on
throughways, gardens, parks where the limit inferior for the services
of the women 's oratory is as the following:
i. Lavatories : (2)
ii. Sinks : (2)
iii. Ablution place: (3)
The women's oratory which is on a throughway is excluded
from that. There can be half the numbers required above.
e. There should be men oratory and women oratory in the malls
whose area is more than (100) thousand square feet with the
necessity to provide the limit inferior for the services for both sexes.
f. Observing the limit superior for the number of the prayers and the
dimension and the shape of the yard of the mosque when designing
the conditioning system. When designing the light spots and the
sound system, there should be a study for the harmony and the
regularity of the luminous intensity and the sound intensity inside
the space of the mosque. Designing sound systems and distributing
it should be done by expert bodies.
g. The mosque dimensions should be according to the specifications
and the standard dimensions approved by the competent
administration. The requirements and the conditions that are
observed should go with the forgiving Islamic law.
h. The skylights of the mosque should be designed according to the
architectural feature which is approved by the competent
administration.
i. The approval of any other bodies should be got when the
competent administration asks for it and this is when building a
mosque or when making any modifications or additions on it.
j. There should be a study for the entrances of the mosques, the
movement of the men and the women prayers from and to the
mosque in a way that ensure a complete separation in entrances,
the movement and the easiness in using the ablution place for both
sexes without any telescoping in the movement.
Article (33): The sanitary requirements in the establishments that are performing activities (restaurants,
drinks and food substances shops):
a. The design of the restaurants, drinks and food substances shops (restaurants,
cafeteria, café, juice shops, fruit and vegetable shops, dessert shops, ice cream
shop, mills, roaster houses, the stores for cooled, frozen and dry food
substances, bakeries, supermarket groceries, sea food shops and other
establishments) should be according to sanitary conditions issued by the
concerned administration where the engineer should go back to these
conditions when arranging the designs.
b. The floors, the walls and the ceilings of the of the restaurants, drinks and food
substances shops should be made from smooth materials easily cleaned which
is water non- absorbent, fire resistant, bright color, non-toxic and has no
cracks. It is also observed that the floors should have suitable slopes for water
flow to be easily cleaned. The angles between walls and between the walls and
the floors and between the walls and the ceiling should be tightly shut and
hollowed to make cleaning easier.
c. Providing suitable ventilation and lighting for all the inner parts in accordance
to what is mentioned in this list.
d. Providing shelves, electrical devices, sinks, storehouses, chimneys, service
tables, insects and rodents resistance devices where they should be fixed on
doors, windows, and exits and whatever is needed according to the sanitary
conditions issued by the concerned administration.
e. Restaurants, drinks and food substances shops should be equipped with the
necessary sanitary fittings according to the sanitary conditions and to the
conditions of sanitary fittings works.
f. The limit inferior for the area of the kitchen and the preparation sites in the
establishments which are mentioned in section (a) from this article should not
be less than the following:
8. The patient's room should be as far as possible from the streets and the
parking lots where the wall should be sound proof from one room to
another.
9. The hospital should be supplied with a back up electric generator.
10. Providing parking lots according to the planning conditions settled when
assigning a plot.
11. Providing trash rooms and the means to get rid of wastes according to the
special studies and the approvals of the competent administration.
b) Clinics:
1. The locations of clinics should be in the places which are stated for such
usages according to the map which is supplement with the system of
classifying and economizing land usages in the emirate.
2. Getting the approval of the department of health and medical services as a
condition to get the construction license or decoration works.
3. The area of the clinic should not be less than two rooms and a hall and the
area of both of them should not be less than (12) square meters.
4. The clinic should include at least one lavatory.
5. Dedication a separate room for consulting and a separate waiting hall for
men and another one for women.
6. The floors should be from smooth and easily cleaned materials.
c) Pharmacies :
1. The area of the pharmacy should not be less than (300) square feet and its
location should be in the places which are stated for commercial usages.
2. The height of the ceiling of the pharmacy should not be less than (9) feet.
3. The distance between it and the closest pharmacy should not be less than
(200) meters on a crossing road.
4. The floor should be from smooth and easily cleaned materials.
d) Body fitness, massage and weight reduction Center:
1. Sanitary conditions should be provided in the building concerning natural
lighting and ventilation.
2. They should be provided with lavatories and bath tubs for both sexes with
numbers that go with the area of the center.
3. Dedication an isolated place and small rooms for changing cloths for both
sexes.
4. Dedicating a rest away from the current of air for sitting after getting out of
the wet baths (Steam) and the dry baths (sauna).
5. The device of producing steam for the steam baths should be completely
separate from the bath.
6. Athletic devices and tools that may cause stresses to walls should not be
fixed. It is allowed to fix only simple devices providing that it should be fixed
safely.
7. The athletics which make noise or vibrations (karate, weight lifting and
others) should be in the ground floor or in the mezzanine in the building.
Their floors and walls should be equipped with noise insulating materials.
b. What applies on the entrances and exits of parking lots is applied on the loading and
unloading places according to what was mentioned in article (24) and article (25) from this
list.
c. Loading and unloading area can be covered or uncovered. If it is covered, the net height of
the entrance and the ceiling should not be less than (14) feet.
Article (51): The conditions for the rooms and the assemblages of trash:-
a. Supplying buildings and residential, industrial, educational ,sanitary, entertaining and
tourism assemblages with a trash assemblages within the plot boarders and within the
building fence or in a room in the ground floor from the same building in order to pile
trash to facilitate transporting it outside the building to get rid of it.
b. The specifications of trash rooms are as the following:
1. It should be constructed in a place near the street or the track if there is no
street to facilitate letting out the containers and carrying them to the
vehicle of collecting trash with no obstacles.
2. The measurements of the entrance should be suitable for getting the
containers in and out easily. Entrances should be supplied with ramps with a
slope suitable for this purpose.
3. The measurements and the areas of the rooms and the assemblages should
be according to what was settled in article (52) from this list.
4. The floor and the whole height of the walls of the rooms should be from
ceramic tiles in order to facilitate cleaning it.
5. It should be supplied with water from the net directly or from the left tank.
6. It should be connected with the lines of sanitary drainage in the building.
7. It should have good lighting and supplied with a good ventilation system.
8. All windows should be shut tightly and supplied with a metal smooth sieve
to prevent insects and rodents from getting in.
9. The door of the collecting room should be from rustproof metal and it
should be supplied from the bottom with louvers or any mechanical
ventilation system and the direction for the opening of the doors should be
to the outside.
10. All the assemblages of trash containers should be in the ground floor and its
floor level is not less than the settled areal reference. Its entrance is
connected to the street with a ramp which has a suitable slopes and it
should be paved with ceramic tiles that can be washed and supplied with a
water tap.
c. The building should be supplied with chute system if its height is more than three floors
above the ground floor and the area of the land is more than (2500) square feet. The
mezzanine is not considered a floor if its usage is related to the ground floor.
d. In the plots which their area is less than (5000) square feet, it is allowed to replace the
chute by providing a small trash room (4×6) in every floor in addition to the main trash
room in the ground floor where the width of the door is not less than (90) centimeters and
it should be opened to the outside. It should be supplied with a door closer with providing
mechanical ventilation. It is not stated to have ventilation through the louvers in the door.
e. The radius of chute from the floors to the collecting rooms should not be less than
(60)centimeters where before the chute openings in the repeated floor, there should be a
small room where its area is not less than (3×3)feet and the width of the door for this
room is not less than (80)centimeters. Its door is opened to the outside with fixing a door
close.
f. In the buildings which is not required to have a chute system and the area of the floor is
more than (10,000) feet, a small rooms should be provided to collect trash bags. Its area is
not less than (4×6) feet in each floor where the width of the door is not less than (90)
centimeters and it can be opened to the outside and supplied with door closer with
providing mechanical ventilation. It is not stated to have ventilation through the louvers in
the door.
g. The chute can be replaced by alternative service elevator in an isolated area from the main
elevators with making small collecting rooms that have the same areas as the elevator in
each floor. The elevator should be close to the main trash rooms of the building.
h. The owner of the building or the person in charge is responsible for the cleanliness inside
the building and the surrounding outer places which are related to it till the limit of the
public street. He is responsible for transporting and carrying trash containers from the
trash rooms to the closet street in the times settled for this. In addition to this, putting the
containers back to the rooms after finishing unloading them.
i. The compactor is not considered a replacement for the number of containers or the area
of trash rooms.
j. If the location of the chute is away from the streets that surround the land, a room can be
made for collecting trash in a close place from the street or the track when there is no
street.
k. It is forbidden by any mean to put active chemical trash or toxic materials or liquids or
dangerous materials inside trash containers.
l. In order to contribute in environment protection, trash recycling should be done through
dedicating and classifying trash containers according to the main kinds of the thrown
materials.