Renovation and retrofit MEP in Al Reem Island 

Renovation and retrofit MEP in Al Reem Island: local context

Al Reem Island lies just off the north-east shore of Abu Dhabi island and has been developed since the late 2000s into one of the capital's densest high-rise districts. Residential towers, hotels, office blocks, a major hospital and shopping malls sit on reclaimed plots linked by bridges to the city. Many towers are now occupied, while remaining plots continue to be built.

• Tabreed district cooling serves parts of the island, so many towers take chilled water through energy transfer stations; the in-building scope then centres on heat exchangers, secondary pumping and holding design delta-T.
• New towers must meet Estidama Pearl requirements, affecting fresh-air energy recovery, lighting controls, water-efficient fixtures and sub-metering strategies.
• Bridge access and traffic on and off the island make large deliveries, such as chillers or transformers, something to schedule carefully with crane and road permits.

Building types we serve in Al Reem Island

For malls and retail centres, the work concentrates on large-volume air handling, tenant-ready chilled water or refrigerant capacity, smoke extraction for atriums and car parks and food-court exhaust.

Scope of work

• Site survey of existing MEP systems, recording installed equipment, condition, nameplate capacities and every deviation from the old drawings, often with opening-up of ceilings at sample locations.
• Phased replacement of chillers, AHUs, switchgear and pipework in occupied buildings, using temporary cooling or power where a shutdown would affect residents or tenants.
• Coordination with building management for permits to work, isolations, noise windows, lift use and protection of common areas during the works.
• Testing, commissioning and as-built documentation of all new and modified systems, including re-balancing of the existing systems affected by the changes.

Systems we install

• Replacement water and drainage pipework and new wet areas for fit-outs.
• Modified fire alarm devices, sprinkler heads and smoke control interfaces.

UAE site and climate challenges

• Replacing cooling equipment during summer risks leaving occupants without AC when temperatures exceed 45°C. We schedule major plant changes for cooler months where possible, or install temporary chillers or packaged units to maintain cooling during the changeover.
• Dust from demolition inside an occupied building spreads through return-air systems and contaminates coils and filters. We seal work zones, isolate returns and replace filters after dusty works before returning systems to normal operation.
• Reusing existing distribution versus full replacement: reusing ducts and pipes saves cost and disruption, but may limit airflow, pressure and future capacity if they were undersized or corroded.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions