Ventilation & smoke extraction in Jebel Ali 

Ventilation & smoke extraction in Jebel Ali: local context

Jebel Ali hosts the port and the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), one of the region's largest logistics and industrial hubs, alongside industrial areas and staff housing. Building stock is dominated by warehouses, factories, cold stores and labour accommodation. Manolia completed MEP works for a Technopark warehouse here. Operations here run around the clock, so works inside existing facilities are planned to avoid disrupting logistics.

• Warehouses and factories need large electrical supplies, motor control centres and power factor correction, plus ventilation for heat-generating processes.
• Proximity to the coast and port means salt in the air, so external equipment, cable trays and supports need corrosion protection.
• Fire protection for high-piled storage involves high-flow sprinkler systems, large tanks and diesel or electric fire pumps sized for warehouse hazard classes.

Building types we serve in Jebel Ali

For warehouses and logistics buildings, the work concentrates on high-bay sprinklers or in-rack protection, smoke venting, dock and office HVAC, and LV for racking, lighting and material handling.

Scope of work

• Stair and lift lobby pressurisation fans with relief dampers or variable speed control to maintain pressure without making doors hard to open.
• Fire-rated cabling and secondary power arrangements for smoke control fans so they operate during a fire.
• Cause-and-effect testing, door opening force checks and Civil Defence witnessed tests.
• Natural ventilation openings, automatic smoke vents and their actuators where the fire strategy relies on them, tested to open on alarm.

Systems we install

• CO and NO2 gas detection for demand ventilation
• Automatic smoke vents and actuators at roof or high level

UAE site and climate challenges

• Strong winds and sand can jam relief dampers and louvres, so these are checked during commissioning and included in periodic maintenance to ensure they open and close freely on demand.
• Basement car parks in coastal towers can see condensation on cold surfaces when hot humid air is pulled in at high rates, so supply air paths and ramp openings are reviewed to limit wet floors and corrosion of jet fans.
• Fan redundancy and secondary power arrangements, which add cost but determine how robust the smoke control system remains if one fan or one supply fails during a fire.

Relevant Manolia projects

Hassani Group factories & HQ, DIP

Dubai Investments Park (DIP) · MEP · Completed

Factory complex, HQ and staff accommodation, all served from one central cooling station.

2B+G+15+Gym

2B+G+15 residential tower, IMPZ

Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ) · MEP · Completed

Full MEP package for a two-basement residential tower with gym.

Frequently asked questions