Renovation and retrofit MEP in Aljada 

Renovation and retrofit MEP in Aljada: local context

Aljada is a large master-planned community being built near University City and the Emirates Road, with mid-rise apartments, townhouses, retail and leisure in phases since the late 2010s. It is one of Sharjah's biggest new developments and remains under active construction. The development combines residential neighbourhoods with retail, leisure and community buildings, delivered in phases by a single master developer, so infrastructure, utilities and access routes evolve as each phase is completed and handed over.

• Approvals typically start with a master developer NOC before Sharjah Municipality, Civil Defence and SEWA submissions.
• Inland heat and dust demand derated air-cooled plant and protected intakes.
• Mid-rise buildings and townhouses typically use VRF or air-cooled chillers, with plant locations fixed by master plan guidelines on screening and noise.

Building types we serve in Aljada

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

• 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.
• Fit-out MEP for offices, shops, restaurants, clinics and apartments within existing buildings, connected to base-building systems according to landlord technical requirements.
• Modification of fire alarm, sprinklers and smoke control to suit new partitions and ceilings, with drawings submitted for Civil Defence approval where layouts change.
• 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 air-cooled or water-cooled chillers and their pumps.
• New AHUs, fresh-air units and fan coil units in existing ceiling voids.

UAE site and climate challenges

• Older UAE buildings often have undersized or poorly dehumidified fresh-air systems, causing mould, musty smells and sweating grilles. Retrofits add dedicated fresh-air units with proper dehumidification instead of simply enlarging fan coils.
• 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.
• Repair versus replace: the choice depends on equipment age, efficiency, refrigerant type, parts availability and how long the owner plans to keep the building, supported by survey data rather than assumptions.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions