The best smart home installer course to start with is our free online course at the Smart Home Academy (thesmarthome.academy). If you then want to work on wired systems, the next step is the KNX Basic course, the first certified course set by the KNX Association.
This guide covers both routes. It also explains what has changed from our older training pages, what estate agents should know, and how contractors, designers and installers work with us once they have the basics.
Which route fits you?
Most people should start with the free course, because it explains the basics in plain English. After that, the right route depends on the work you want to do.
- New to smart homes (homeowners, estate agents, designers): start with the free academy course.
- Electricians and technicians who want to work on wired systems: take the KNX Basic course and its exams at a certified KNX training centre.
- Designers, architects, contractors and developers: use the academy for the basics, then talk to us about a partner agreement.
- Teams who used to book our lunch-and-learn sessions: the academy website has replaced them.
Where do you start? The free online course
Start at our Smart Home Academy, online at thesmarthome.academy. We wrote it for homeowners, so you don't need a trade background to take it.
One of its courses, Wireless Education, covers wireless systems and explains why we see Zigbee as the best wireless option in the UAE. Zigbee is a wireless standard that lets smart devices talk to each other and to the hub, the small box that runs your system.
We used to run lunch-and-learn sessions for design and building teams. The academy has replaced them, so your team can learn online without booking a session. If you want a shorter read first, our smart home basics guide covers the choice between wired and wireless, and between cloud and local control.
Do you need KNX certification?
Yes, if you want to work on wired systems. KNX is the wiring standard most wired systems use, and the KNX Basic course is the first certified course for anyone who wants to become a KNX Partner.
Certified KNX training centres around the world run the course, and it has no entry requirement. It covers ETS, the software used to design and set up KNX systems. At the end you sit a theoretical exam and a practical exam, both in person with a KNX certified tutor. Pass both and you become a KNX Partner.
Our engineers hold KNX certification, and Avario is a registered KNX Partner. On every wired job we hand the homeowner the ETS project file and passwords as standard. Our guide to KNX automation in Dubai explains how we plan and install wired systems.
What about more advanced training?
For training beyond the free course, call us and ask what is running now. Our courses have changed, and we would rather tell you directly than list something here that has since moved on.
What skills does smart home work in Dubai need?
In Dubai villas and apartments, the work draws on a handful of connected skills. A good course, or a few, should give you a grounding in each.
- Wired KNX, usually fitted in new builds and major renovations, where the cable goes in before the walls are closed.
- Wireless systems such as Zigbee, usually the simplest choice when you can't cut into walls.
- Home networks, because the app, cameras and many devices rely on good Wi-Fi. We design and install Ubiquiti UniFi networks.
- The things most Dubai homes control first: lighting, AC, and curtains and blinds.
Can estate agents get smart home training?
Yes. The free academy course is a good place for agents to start, because it explains what buyers and tenants are actually looking at. For our estate agent certification, call us to check what we offer at the moment.
The most useful thing an agent can learn is what to ask for before handover. We often see someone move into a home with an older system and no passwords or configuration file. Without them, nobody can change or upgrade the system until it has been fully reprogrammed.
An agent who asks the seller for the passwords, the project file and the system records can save the next owner that rebuild. We can also inspect a smart home for a buyer before the purchase completes.
How do designers, architects and contractors work with us?
Bring us in as early as you can. We work from your drawings to prepare our design and quote, and we can contract with the main contractor, the developer or the end client.
For designers and architects, we provide lighting design and also work with local lighting specialists. We work alongside curtain suppliers, and we deliver switch and keypad samples from our 18 high-end suppliers so you and your client can see the finishes. Read more about our partner programme for interior designers and architects.
For contractors, timing matters most. On a KNX build, your MEP team or ours can run the cable. We are on site during the main wiring stage and check the contractor's work every two days. See how this works for contractors and builders.
Does a course make you an Avario installer?
No. A course gives you the knowledge, but working on Avario projects happens through a partner agreement. Designers and architects, for example, receive the details of our trade referral scheme when they sign one.
On our projects, our own team handles all programming and commissioning, which means setting up and testing the system before handover. Partners work alongside us on site.
What changes when you work in Dubai homes?
Local conditions shape the job. These are the ones we deal with most.
- Heat: outdoor keypads and sensors need an IP rating, which shows how well a device keeps out dust and water. The products we fit outdoors are IP rated and tested in Dubai heat.
- Apartments: most UAE apartments, even older ones, have data points in the walls. We can usually reuse that cable for wall-mounted Wi-Fi access points.
- New villas: for new villas of four bedrooms or more, we advise wired KNX.
- Timing: a wireless system usually takes a couple of days to fit. Wired work runs alongside the build or a major renovation.
- Older systems: many homes come with an earlier installer's system and no project file. Rebuilding the configuration is a regular job for us.
Questions people ask
Do I need a trade background to start? Not for the free online course, which we wrote for homeowners. The KNX Basic course has no entry requirement either.
Do you still run lunch-and-learn sessions? No. The Smart Home Academy at thesmarthome.academy has replaced them, so your team can take the courses online.
Will an Avario course give me KNX certification? No. KNX certification comes from passing the KNX Basic course exams at a certified KNX training centre.
Can I work on Avario projects after training? Only through a partner agreement. Our own team handles all programming and commissioning on our projects.
Next step
If you want to become a partner or ask what training we run now, talk to our B2B team on +971 4 458 2205 or through the trade partners page.
