A smart home package for a Dubai apartment usually starts with lighting, AC and curtain control on a wireless system, which our team fits in a couple of days. Wi-Fi, cameras and an intercom come as a separate add-on. You can also add smart locks, leak sensors or multi-room audio.
We don't publish prices on this page yet. This guide explains what each part does and what pushes the cost in Dubai up or down, so you know what to ask for before our engineer visits.
After the visit, you get a written quote within 2 days. It is based on your apartment, not an average.
What does the core package include?
The core package covers what you use every day: the lights, the air conditioning, and the curtains or blinds. You control them from keypads on the wall and from the app on your phone.
- Lighting: keypads replace your standard switches. One button can dim the room or set a scene such as "evening" or "all off". We can supply the light fittings or work with your lighting contractor.
- AC: control for each unit, so you can set schedules and start cooling a room from the app before you get home. We connect all AC brands and types.
- Curtains and blinds: motorised, usually with Somfy or Aqara motors. We work alongside your curtain supplier, who provides the fabric and tracks. Blinds can open and close at sunrise and sunset on their own.
- The app: one place to control each room, set schedules and see what is switched on.
What happens if the internet goes down?
Your home keeps working. The system runs inside your apartment, so the app still controls everything over your home Wi-Fi when the internet connection drops.
If the home network itself goes down, the keypads on the wall still control your lights, AC and curtains.
What can you add to the package?
Most people add Wi-Fi and security next. We quote these separately because the right set-up depends on your building, your front door and how you live.
- Network, cameras and intercom: Ubiquiti UniFi Wi-Fi, UniFi Protect cameras, and Akuvox or Ubiquiti intercoms. Recordings are stored in your home, with an option for cloud backup.
- Smart locks: we fit locks from Tedee, Yale, Aqara and Oji. The right one depends on the door and how much direct sun it gets. The locks we recommend keep a physical key or an emergency power option for when the batteries run flat.
- Leak sensors: wireless sensors under sinks and near the water heater. Options range from an alert on your phone up to a valve that shuts off the water by itself. See water leak detection and automatic shut-off.
- Multi-room audio: Sonos, Bang & Olufsen or Denon, designed as a mid-range or high-end system.
Can your intercom and Wi-Fi work in an apartment building?
Yes, with one limit on the intercom. Most built-in building intercoms do not let a third-party system connect, because connecting one voids their warranty. So the intercom we fit in your apartment usually works separately from the lobby system.
Wi-Fi is often easier than people expect. Most UAE apartments, even older ones, have data points (network sockets) in the walls. We can usually reuse that cable for wall-mounted access points (the small units that send out the Wi-Fi signal), so no new cable has to go in.
Wireless or wired KNX: which suits your apartment?
For most finished apartments, wireless is the simpler choice. Nothing is cut into the walls, and our team usually finishes in a couple of days.
In the UAE, we find Zigbee works best for wireless homes. Zigbee is a wireless standard that lets smart devices talk to each other. Our guide to wireless smart homes in Dubai covers when it works well and when to wire instead.
Wired KNX, the wiring standard most wired systems use, suits an apartment that is already KNX-ready or is going through a major renovation. The cables go in before the walls are closed, so the work follows your renovation. It is a bigger job than wireless, and KNX automation in Dubai explains what you get for it.
At handover on a KNX system, you also get the project file (the programming file for your system) and the passwords. That means you can make changes later without being tied to us.
What affects the cost of a smart home in Dubai?
The cost depends mostly on how much you control, whether the system is wired or wireless, and which products you choose. These are the factors that make the biggest difference.
- Size of the apartment: more rooms means more keypads, AC controls and curtain motors.
- How much you control: lighting, AC and curtains in every room costs more than the living room and main bedroom only.
- Wireless or wired: wireless suits a finished home. KNX needs new cabling, so it fits best into a renovation.
- Your AC system: split units are easy to connect. With a VRV system (one outdoor unit running several indoor units), the cost depends on how it was set up and what equipment came with it.
- Switches and finishes: we offer switches and keypads from 18 high-end suppliers, and the panel you choose changes the cost.
- Add-ons: network, cameras, intercom, locks, leak sensors and audio each add to the total.
Does a new build or a retrofit change the cost?
Yes. Some work is much simpler while walls and pipes are still open. A leak shut-off valve is a good example: fitting one during construction is a far smaller job than fitting one into a finished apartment.
If your apartment is off-plan (bought before it is built) or just handed over, we can prepare a budgetary estimate from your floor plans before anyone visits. You can request a smart home estimate with your drawings. Our engineer can also join your handover inspection to check the AC, data points and curtain boxes.
In a finished apartment, wireless keeps the work small. You keep your walls as they are, and most of the job is swapping switches and fitting motors.
When is a DIY kit enough?
For a one-bedroom apartment where you only want a few smart bulbs and plugs, a good DIY kit may be all you need. You buy it and set it up yourself, with no installation visit.
Once you have more rooms, AC units running on schedules, motorised curtains or concrete walls weakening the wireless signal, a professionally designed system is easier to live with.
With us, one team designs and programs the whole system, then commissions it (tests and sets up every device on site). Equipment warranties come from the manufacturers.
Designing an apartment for a client?
Bring us in as early as you can. We work from your drawings and can give your client a budgetary estimate before the fit-out starts.
We deliver switch and keypad samples to you, so you and your client can see the finishes before choosing. We can also design the lighting or work alongside your lighting specialist.
To start a project, call our team on +971 4 458 2205.
How do you get a quote for your apartment?
You book a home visit, our engineer checks your apartment, and your written quote follows within 2 days. Here is each step.
- Book a home visit. Tell us what you want to control and what equipment you already have.
- Our team gets in touch the next business day to arrange the visit.
- Our engineer looks at your switches, AC units, curtains and wall data points, and runs a full Wi-Fi analysis using UniFi tools.
- You receive a written quote within 2 days, based on what we found.
- For a wireless system, our team usually completes the installation in a couple of days.
- At handover you get written system records and drawings, and we show your household how to use the system.
Questions people ask
Why is there no price on this page? We are preparing a separate budgeting guide. Until it is live, the home visit is the quickest way to an accurate figure for your apartment.
Are cameras and an intercom part of the package? No. They come with networking as a separate add-on, because the right set-up depends on your building and your door.
Does a smart lock still work without the internet? Yes. The lock keeps working at the door, but remote unlocking from your phone stops until the connection returns.
How long does installation take? A wireless apartment system usually takes a couple of days. A wired KNX system is fitted in step with your renovation.
Ready to see what your apartment needs? Book a home visit or engineering survey and your written quote will follow within 2 days.
