Interior design in the UAE, with the numbers attached
A villa living room in Dubai before furniture. Glass area, shading and finish choice set the cooling load the DEWA bill carries every summer. AI-generated illustration.
Interior Design AE is a reference site for people who own, rent or fit out homes in the United Arab Emirates. The articles cover what a villa or apartment fit-out costs in AED, which Dubai authority signs off the work, and how a 45 degree summer changes the materials that belong indoors.
A Dubai fit-out quotation, a Trakhees permit and a DEWA bill are three documents that most residents meet within a year of moving into a home. Interior Design AE reads those documents for you. Each article on this site answers one practical question, states every figure with its year and its currency, and links to the page the figure came from, whether that page belongs to Dubai Municipality, the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, DEWA or a dated price guide from a licensed contractor.
The site is organised in three sections. Costs and planning covers fit-out budgets per square foot, the items a quotation leaves out, and the dimensions that a majlis, a guest suite or a family kitchen needs in a Gulf household. Approvals and codes explains which authority governs interior work on a given plot, what a permit costs and how long it takes, and which clauses of Al Sa'fat in Dubai and the Estidama Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi reach inside a building. Climate and comfort covers DEWA slab tariffs, cooling loads, glazing performance values such as SHGC and U-value, and how timber, stone, fabric and paint behave through a summer where afternoon temperatures pass 45 degrees Celsius.
Interior Design AE links published reference material to its sources so that readers can check the date, edition and conditions behind a figure. Check the date, edition and conditions before applying a figure to a project. The editorial policy explains source handling and AI-generated illustrations; corrections can be sent through the contact page.
Latest articles
- . Approvals and codes
Al Sa'fat and Estidama rules for interiors
Al Sa'fat in Dubai and the Estidama Pearl Villa Rating System in Abu Dhabi: tiers, glazing limits, water flows, VOC limits, air quality and lighting rules.
- . Climate and comfort
DEWA electricity bill worksheet
Check DEWA electricity slab arithmetic with 2,000 to 7,000 kWh examples, a dated fuel surcharge, VAT assumptions and a CSV table for household budgeting.
- . Climate and comfort
DEWA tariffs and cooling loads for UAE homes
DEWA slab tariffs for electricity and water in 2026, fuel surcharge, sewerage and housing fee, Empower district cooling charges, AC share of the bill, sizing.
- . Approvals and codes
Dubai fit-out approvals: DM, DDA or Trakhees
Which Dubai authority approves interior modification work by plot, what a permit costs under DM, DDA and Trakhees rules in 2026, timelines, NOCs and fines.
- . Costs and planning
Dubai fit-out cost per square foot, 2026
Dubai fit-out and renovation costs in 2026: AED per square foot by finish tier and property type, room budgets, community rates, VAT and quote exclusions.
- . Climate and comfort
Glazing and materials for UAE summers
Glazing values for UAE homes: U-value, shading coefficient, SHGC and light transmittance, Al Sa'fat 2023 limits, glass and film data, shading, timber movement.
- . Costs and planning
Majlis planning dimensions for UAE villas
Majlis planning figures for UAE villas: room area per guest count, seat heights and depths, clearances, ceiling height, lighting and fit-out budgets.
