Planning a Retail Fit-out in a Dubai Mall?
If you're a consultant or brand planning a retail fit-out in one of Dubai's major malls, here's what you need to know about realistic timelines.
Typical Timeline Breakdown
Week 1-2: Mall Submission & NOC Submit your layout to mall management (Emaar, MAF, Nakheel). This includes architectural drawings, material boards, and signage proposals. Mall review typically takes 5-10 working days.
Week 2-3: Authority Approvals Once mall NOC is obtained, submit to Dubai Municipality and Civil Defence. For established mall locations, this runs parallel to mall review if managed correctly.
Week 3-4: Shop Drawings & Procurement Detailed production drawings for joinery, displays, and counters. Material procurement begins. This is where a good fit-out partner saves you time — we start shop drawings while approvals are in progress.
Week 4-8: Fabrication & Installation Joinery fabrication happens off-site in our Al Quoz workshop. Site installation follows — typically after 10 PM in operational malls.
Week 8-9: Snag & Handover Final inspection, punch list closure, and clean handover.
Key Factors That Affect Timeline
- Mall authority response time (varies by operator)
- Night shift requirements (most operational malls restrict to 10 PM - 6 AM)
- Design complexity (jewellery stores take longer than fashion retail)
- Material lead times (imported vs locally sourced)
- Ramadan / public holiday schedules
Our Advice
Start the approval process early. The biggest delays we see are from late mall submissions and incomplete drawing packages. A good fit-out partner can run shop drawings, procurement, and approvals in parallel to compress timelines.