Residential building construction in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ) 

Residential building construction in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ): local context

Dubai Production City, formerly the International Media Production Zone, is a free zone near Al Khail Road combining residential and office towers with light industrial and media-production facilities. It was largely developed from the mid-2000s. Manolia completed MEP for a 2B+G+15 tower with gym here. Plots here are mid-sized and tightly spaced, with towers sharing service roads and neighbouring construction sites.

• Projects fall under the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) approval channel, with Civil Defence review of fire and life safety systems.
• Towers with two basement levels need car park ventilation, sump pumps, and drainage designed for groundwater and stormwater ingress.
• The area is inland and dusty, so condenser cleaning and filter access are planned into the design.

Building types we serve in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ)

For high-rise towers, the work concentrates on pressure-zoned water and drainage stacks, riser and plant-room coordination, stair pressurisation and a cooling source sized for diversity across dozens of typical floors.

Scope of work

• Review of residential layouts for buildability, unit repetition, shaft positions and ceiling heights so MEP fits without lowering ceilings in living spaces.
• Foundations, basements and podium car parks, with waterproofing and ventilation of car parks coordinated from the start.
• Concrete frame for typical residential floors, planned for repetitive cycles with consistent quality from floor to floor.
• Envelope works including windows, balconies, balustrades, cladding and roof waterproofing, focusing on water tightness and thermal performance.

Systems we install

• Balcony, roof and wet area waterproofing systems with flood-tested records.
• Water boosters, metering per unit and drainage stacks.

UAE site and climate challenges

• Basement car parks get hot and polluted. Jet fan or ducted ventilation designed with CO detection keeps air quality acceptable and supports smoke clearance in fire mode.
• Masonry and plaster applied in direct summer sun dry too quickly, leading to cracks that later show through paint. We sequence external plastering on shaded elevations by time of day, keep surfaces damp during curing and close the envelope before internal finishes start.
• Finish specification level: higher-grade finishes cost more upfront but reduce defects, complaints and maintenance, and a mock-up unit helps the developer agree the right level before ordering in bulk.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions