Retail fit out cost Dubai: 2026 price guide per sq ft
Retail fit out in Dubai costs between AED 180 and AED 950 per sq ft in 2026, depending on the shell condition, MEP scope and how much joinery and shopfront work you need. A 1,000 sq ft unit usually lands at AED 300,000 to AED 550,000 for a mid range turnkey finish.
Why work with Crafty Clare decoration design LLC
- In-house joinery and millwork workshop in Jebel Ali
- Turnkey delivery from design to final finishing under one contract
- Retail, F&B and commercial fit-out projects completed across Dubai
- Itemised AED cost estimate issued before any work starts
- One project manager from first site survey to snagging and handover
- Service area covering Jebel Ali, Dubai and the wider UAE
What drives retail fit out cost in Dubai
Six things move the number: unit size, shell condition, MEP scope, joinery volume, the shopfront and permits.
Unit size and layout
Small units carry a higher rate because fixed items such as the counter, till area and signage spread over fewer square feet. Columns, awkward shapes and low ceilings add labour and material waste.
Shell and core versus turnkey
A shell and core unit arrives as bare concrete with no ceiling, floor or services, and making it workable adds about AED 150 to AED 250 per sq ft. A unit with an existing ceiling grid, drainage and a live DEWA supply starts far lower.
MEP and authority connections
Chilled water, extra electrical load and drainage all need approval. A kitchen extraction system for F&B can add AED 60,000 to AED 150,000 on its own.
Joinery, shopfront and signage
Joinery is where design quality shows and where middleman margins hide. A mall compliant glass shopfront runs about AED 900 to AED 1,600 per linear metre, and approved signage adds AED 8,000 to AED 25,000.
Permits and approvals
Fit-out permits, DET approvals, Civil Defence clearance and mall management fees commonly land between AED 10,000 and AED 35,000 for a standard retail unit.
Dubai retail fit out price bands per sq ft in 2026
Most Dubai retail projects sit in one of three bands.
| Scope level | Cost per sq ft | Typical inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | AED 180 to AED 320 | Gypsum ceiling, vinyl or porcelain floor, basic MEP points, laminate joinery, plain shopfront |
| Mid range | AED 350 to AED 550 | Feature ceiling, LVT or porcelain, upgraded lighting, spray finished joinery, glass shopfront |
| Premium | AED 600 to AED 950 | Custom millwork, stone or microcement, imported lighting, feature shopfront, AV and security |
A 1,000 sq ft mid range mall unit at AED 450 per sq ft works out as follows.
- Design and drawings: AED 25,000
- Permits, DET and mall approvals: AED 15,000
- MEP, AC and electrical: AED 90,000
- Joinery and millwork: AED 120,000
- Shopfront, signage, flooring and finishes: AED 185,000
- Snagging, cleaning and handover: AED 15,000
- Total: AED 450,000
Rates also shift by location. A street level unit in Jebel Ali with an existing ceiling grid and floor slab often comes in AED 60,000 to AED 90,000 below the mall example, because there is no mall design review and no shared chilled water connection.
Timber work at this level is what separates a premium band fit out from a mid range one.
Fit out timeline: DET permits, mall design reviews and snagging
A 1,000 sq ft retail unit takes 8 to 12 weeks from signed design to handover, and approvals sit on the critical path more often than site work does.
- Site survey and measured drawings: 3 to 5 days
- Concept, 3D visuals and material board: 7 to 10 days
- Mall or landlord design review: 2 to 4 weeks, often two rounds
- DET and municipality fit-out approvals, plus Civil Defence where relevant: 1 to 3 weeks
- DEWA and chilled water applications: 2 to 6 weeks
- Mobilisation, hoarding and protection: 2 to 3 days
- MEP first fix and ceiling: 1 to 2 weeks
- Joinery installation, flooring and wall finishes: 2 to 3 weeks
- Shopfront, signage and final MEP: 1 week
- Snagging, mall inspection and handover: 5 to 10 days
Mall design reviews cause most delays, so submit a complete drawing set with material samples the first time. Our Dubai commercial fit-out guides cover the approval paperwork in more detail. Projects inside a Development Authority zone follow the same sequence with DDA in place of DET.
Joinery and millwork savings from our Jebel Ali workshop
Making joinery in our own Jebel Ali workshop instead of buying it from a third party usually saves 10 to 20 percent of the joinery line. On a 1,000 sq ft shop with AED 120,000 of millwork, that is AED 12,000 to AED 24,000 kept in your budget.
There are three other gains: measured lead times instead of promised ones, no middleman margin, and fast re-cuts when a wall is not square. Retail units are rarely square, and a workshop minutes away fixes a problem in a day rather than a week. See retail and F&B fit-out projects by CLARE for how this looks on site.
Wall mounted consoles and floating shelves built to measure in our Jebel Ali joinery workshop.
New fit out versus refurbishment
A full fit out starts from the shell and covers MEP, ceiling, floor, walls, joinery and shopfront. A refurbishment keeps the layout, MEP points and shopfront, and refreshes surfaces, lighting and counters. Refurbishment in Dubai runs about AED 120 to AED 250 per sq ft, so a 1,000 sq ft refresh lands between AED 120,000 and AED 250,000.
Refurbish when the drainage, electrical load and shopfront still suit your concept. Fit out new when you are changing use, adding a kitchen, or the mall requires an upgraded shopfront at lease renewal.
How to reduce retail fit out cost in Dubai
Spend where customers look and save where they do not. The shopfront, entrance and main display wall carry the brand, while back of house can take standard finishes and off the shelf lighting.
- Reuse the existing ceiling grid, floor slab and drainage points where the mall allows
- Standardise joinery modules instead of one off shapes
- Order long lead items such as shopfront glass and imported lighting early
- Phase shelving and fitting rooms into a second budget
- Keep the scheme to two main materials instead of six
- Ask for an itemised quote so you can see each line before you cut it
We deliver turnkey interiors from design to finishing, with joinery made in our own Jebel Ali workshop. Read about our commercial fit-out services in Dubai, or request a retail fit-out cost estimate with your floor plan. Call or WhatsApp 0508570938.
Frequently asked questions
How much does retail fit out cost per sq ft in Dubai?
Most Dubai retail fit outs fall between AED 180 and AED 950 per sq ft in 2026. Economy units sit at the lower end and premium mall stores with custom millwork at the top. A 1,000 sq ft mid range unit usually lands near AED 450 per sq ft, about AED 450,000 turnkey.
How long does a retail fit out take in Dubai?
A 1,000 sq ft shop takes 8 to 12 weeks from signed design to handover. Mall design review and DEWA connections often take longer than the site work. A street level unit in Jebel Ali can finish in 5 to 7 weeks with no mall approval involved.
Do I need DET approval to fit out a shop in Dubai?
Yes. Commercial fit out needs a valid trade licence, DET fit-out approval and Civil Defence clearance where the scope touches fire systems or kitchens. Mall units also need landlord design approval before work starts. Paperwork typically costs AED 10,000 to AED 35,000.
How long does mall design approval take?
Most Dubai malls take 2 to 4 weeks for the first design review, and a second round adds 1 to 2 weeks. Submitting drawings, samples and shopfront details together avoids most of that delay. Mall fees are paid by the tenant and sit outside the fit-out contract.
What is the cheapest way to reduce retail fit out cost?
Keep the existing floor slab, ceiling grid and drainage where the mall allows. Value engineer back of house finishes, standardise joinery and let an in-house workshop make the millwork, which saves 10 to 20 percent of that line. Trimming the shopfront or lighting saves little and usually costs sales.
Is a retail fit out in Jebel Ali cheaper than a Dubai mall unit?
Usually yes. Units in Jebel Ali often have an existing ceiling, floor and DEWA supply, and they carry no mall design review fees. Budget AED 220 to AED 400 per sq ft there against AED 350 to AED 550 in a mall, with the gap depending on how much MEP you add.
