Renovation and retrofit MEP in International City 

Renovation and retrofit MEP in International City: local context

International City is a large low- and mid-rise community off the Al Ain Road and Emirates Road, organised into country-themed clusters of apartment buildings with ground-floor shops, alongside trading and warehouse areas such as Dragon Mart. Built from the mid-2000s, it offers some of Dubai's most affordable housing and is densely occupied. Maintenance and refurbishment are a big part of the MEP workload here.

• Low-rise apartment blocks typically run split or packaged units, so refurbishments focus on replacing ageing outdoor units, fixing condensate drainage and upgrading electrical distribution.
• Approvals may run through Dubai Municipality or Trakhees depending on the cluster, with Civil Defence review for fire systems in retail and warehouse areas.
• The open inland setting brings dust and heat, so outdoor equipment needs regular coil cleaning and adequate shading.

Building types we serve in International City

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.
• Capacity checks on existing chilled water, electrical supply and water storage to confirm whether new tenants, kitchens or extra floors can be served without upgrades.
• 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.

Systems we install

• Replacement air-cooled or water-cooled chillers and their pumps.
• Retrofit VRF systems where central plant is not available or practical.

UAE site and climate challenges

• Corroded pipework and equipment in coastal buildings may leak when isolated and disturbed. Surveys identify high-risk areas, and replacement plans add new isolation valves, drain points and protection of finishes and tenants' goods below.
• 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.
• Phased versus full shutdown: phased work keeps a building occupied and earning but takes longer and needs temporary services, while a short full shutdown is faster when tenants can be relocated.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions