Commercial kitchen fit out Dubai: costs and approvals 2026
A commercial kitchen fit out in Dubai usually lands between AED 3,500 and 6,500 per square metre for back-of-house kitchen zones, and runs 6 to 12 weeks from approved drawings to first service. Two things decide both the budget and your opening date: extraction duct approval and the MEP capacity already in the building.
Why work with Monde
- 50+ fit-out specialists on Monde's own payroll
- Building contracting licence held in Monde's own name
- Project managers assigned to every commercial site
- F&B back-of-house scope delivered in-house, from MEP to stainless steel and joinery
- Offices, retail, F&B and hospitality projects across the United Arab Emirates
- Google rating of 5 from 3 reviews
What a commercial kitchen fit out in Dubai includes
A commercial kitchen fit out covers everything from the floor gully to the extraction hood: drainage, gas, power, cooling, stainless steel and suppression for a working cooking line. Front of house sits in a separate scope, but on most F&B projects both are built from one drawing set so the pass, service counter and kitchen line up first time. If your project also covers the guest area, the restaurant fit out in Dubai guide breaks that side down.
The back-of-house package we deliver under a single contract:
- Extraction hood and ductwork sized to the cooking line and routed to an approved discharge point
- Grease trap sized on cover count and connected into the drainage stack
- Gas line from the meter or LPG store to each appliance, with isolation valves and leak detection
- Cold room and freezer panels, doors and condensing units
- Stainless steel workstations, sinks, shelving and pass-through counters
- Floor drainage with stainless gullies and a slip-resistant screed
- Fire suppression over the cooking line, linked to gas and power shutdown
- MEP loads: 3-phase power with dedicated circuits per appliance, make-up air and exhaust balance
Most of the cost sits in the MEP and the extraction route, not the cooking equipment. A kitchen can be 20 metres from the nearest riser, and that distance decides whether you need a longer duct run, a fan on the roof or a re-route around the landlord's ceiling void.
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The crews who handle commercial kitchen fit out Dubai projects also finish joinery, ceilings and lighting to this standard.
Approvals you need before the first appliance is switched on
In Dubai, six separate sign-offs sit between you and opening day: the fit-out permit, food premises approval, DCD for cooking equipment and suppression, extraction duct approval, a DEWA power upgrade and the gas connection.
- Landlord or developer NOC. Confirm reinstatement terms, the approved contractor list and permitted working hours before you sign a fit-out contract.
- Trade licence activity. The kitchen use must match your licence activity, and food premises work needs the right commercial activity registered first.
- Dubai Municipality food safety and premises approval. Submit the kitchen layout, finishes, drainage and pest control provisions for review.
- DCD approval. Civil Defence reviews the cooking equipment, hood suppression and gas installation, then inspects before handover.
- Extraction duct approval. In DDA zones and free zones this is a separate submission covering the duct route, fire dampers, grease access and the discharge point. It is usually the longest lead on the programme.
- DEWA power upgrade. If the shell has 3-phase supply that cannot carry the cooking load, apply early. Meter upgrades are queued, not instant.
- Gas connection and commissioning with Emirates Gas or DUSUP where a mains supply exists, or an approved LPG store where it does not.
- Ventilation balance report at handover, with measured make-up air and exhaust figures rather than estimated ones.
What a commercial kitchen fit out costs in Dubai
For a Dubai F&B outlet, budget AED 3,500 to 6,500 per square metre for the back-of-house kitchen zone and AED 1,800 to 3,000 per square metre for the guest area.
| Zone | Typical rate |
|---|---|
| Back-of-house kitchen with hood, gas, drainage, stainless and cold room | AED 3,500 to 6,500 per m2 |
| Front of house with seating, finishes, lighting and service counter | AED 1,800 to 3,000 per m2 |
| Blended rate for a full F&B outlet | AED 2,600 to 4,500 per m2 |
Three line items move the number fastest:
- Extraction hood with ducting and roof fan: AED 25,000 to 60,000
- Cold room and freezer room: AED 18,000 to 45,000
- Fire suppression over the cooking line: AED 12,000 to 30,000
Worked example. A 60 m2 kitchen in a Dubai F&B outlet lands between AED 210,000 and 390,000 fully equipped, with the hood, cold room and suppression sitting inside that band. A small footprint kitchen, the kind most café fit out costs and permits projects need, is usually 20 to 30 m2 and prices closer to AED 90,000 to 160,000 when there is no cold room and only one hood. Labour rates in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi often run 10 to 15 percent lower than Dubai for the same scope, though authority fees and gas connection costs differ by emirate.
How long a commercial kitchen fit out takes
Six to twelve weeks on site for most Dubai kitchens, with approvals and long-lead procurement running in parallel rather than in sequence.
- Approvals and drawing set: 3 to 5 weeks
- Long-lead procurement for hood, cold room and suppression: 3 to 4 weeks, overlapping approvals
- Site works from MEP first fix to stainless install: 4 to 7 weeks
- Commissioning, gas connection and ventilation balance: 1 week
Extraction duct approval is the single longest lead. If the duct has to cross a landlord's ceiling void or discharge above a neighbouring unit, expect one resubmission and add two weeks.
Cat A shell versus Cat B, and what the landlord expects
Cat A is what the landlord hands over: structure, base MEP capped at the riser, sprinklers, bare floor and no partitions. Cat B is your kitchen fit out, which adds partitions, ceiling, drainage, MEP distribution, finishes and equipment.
Your lease usually requires reinstatement to Cat A condition at the end, so check what you are allowed to cut into the slab. Floor drainage and the grease trap are permanent penetrations and need written landlord approval before anyone starts coring. Landlords also expect contractor insurance, work permits and out-of-hours working for noisy duct and core drilling.
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Offices, retail and F&B shells are programmed by one team, so kitchen ducts and MEP routes are coordinated with the rest of the premises.
Choosing a commercial kitchen contractor in Dubai
Look for a contractor who holds their own licence, employs their own MEP and joinery crews, and prepares DCD-compliant drawings rather than forwarding someone else's.
- Own workforce. Subcontracted MEP is where kitchen programmes slip, because duct, gas and drainage trades have to be sequenced together, not booked separately.
- DCD submission ownership. Ask who prepares the Civil Defence file and who attends the inspection.
- Single accountability. One contract for MEP, stainless, cold room and finishes means one party answers when the hood commissioning runs late.
- Itemised BOQ. Costs per line rather than a lump sum with a contingency, which matters when the landlord asks you to add a second hood.
- Handover pack. Ventilation balance report, gas test certificates, suppression test records and as-built drawings.
"The site was clean when they left. We needed them fast on a running job. They finished the renovation on time. Good work from start to end." Davranbek Tashbayev, 5 out of 5
"their team is professional and well organized" hayat Berhe, 5 out of 5
Monde holds a Google rating of 5 from 3 reviews. You can see our F&B and hospitality fit out projects or request a commercial kitchen fit out quote in Dubai and we will price the back-of-house scope line by line.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a commercial kitchen fit out cost in Dubai?
Expect AED 3,500 to 6,500 per square metre for the back-of-house kitchen zone, so a 60 m2 kitchen in a Dubai F&B outlet lands between AED 210,000 and 390,000 fully equipped. Guest areas are cheaper at AED 1,800 to 3,000 per square metre. Hood and ducting runs AED 25,000 to 60,000, a cold room AED 18,000 to 45,000 and cooking line suppression AED 12,000 to 30,000.
Do I need a separate approval for the kitchen extraction hood in Dubai?
Yes. The hood and its suppression are reviewed under the DCD submission, and the duct route needs its own approval from DDA or the relevant free zone or master developer. You also need a ventilation balance report at handover with measured make-up air and exhaust figures. Missing the duct approval is the most common reason a finished kitchen sits unopened.
How long does a restaurant kitchen fit out in Dubai take?
Six to twelve weeks on site, with approvals and procurement running in parallel. Extraction duct approval is the longest single lead and can add two weeks if the route is resubmitted. Small café kitchens of 20 to 30 m2 often finish in four to six weeks.
Can I keep the kitchen running during a refit?
Sometimes. A phased refit works if one cooking line stays live and the suppression and gas isolation can be separated, and food safety approval remains valid for the area still trading. Most operators in Dubai close for the core MEP week and hire temporary refrigeration rather than trade around live drainage work.
Do you work outside Dubai?
Yes. Monde delivers commercial renovation and fit-out across the United Arab Emirates, including Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, with the same in-house workforce and project managers. Authority approvals differ by emirate, so the programme is built around local municipality and Civil Defence timelines.
What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B for a commercial kitchen?
Cat A is the landlord's shell with structure, capped MEP, sprinklers and bare floor. Cat B is your fit out, adding partitions, ceiling, drainage, MEP distribution, finishes and the kitchen equipment itself. Since most leases require reinstatement to Cat A at the end, confirm what you may cut into the slab before ordering a grease trap.
