Office automation in Dubai puts your lighting, air conditioning, door access and meeting room AV on one system. You run it from wall keypads, from an app or on schedules. We design, install and support these systems for offices, showrooms and home offices. We use the same wired and wireless technology we fit in Dubai villas and apartments.
This guide covers what you can control and how each part works. It also explains whether to choose wired or wireless, what happens when the internet drops and what affects the cost. Contractors, developers and designers have their own section near the end.
What can you control in an office or showroom?
Most offices start with lighting and air conditioning. Both run all day, and staff notice them first. Access control, cameras and meeting room AV usually come next.
- Lighting: scenes on keypads, presence sensors, dimming linked to daylight and timed switch-off
- Air conditioning: schedules, temperature limits, an away mode and usage reports
- Blinds and curtains: motorised, and linked to light sensors or to sunrise and sunset times
- Access: smart locks, intercoms and cameras in one app
- AV: meeting room screens, background music and reception audio
- Air quality: sensors linked to fresh air units, dehumidifiers or purifiers
How does automated lighting work in an office?
Each room gets a keypad with a few scenes, such as "meeting", "presentation" and "off". Presence sensors switch the lights off in empty rooms. Lights near the windows can dim when the daylight is strong.
We provide lighting design and work with local lighting specialists. You receive a lighting layout drawing, a schedule of fittings and light level calculations. We can supply the fittings and LED drivers (the units that power LED lights), or we can work with your own lighting contractor.
We also fit tunable white lighting. It moves from cooler light in the morning to warmer light later in the day.
Air conditioning and energy management: what can automation do about cooling?
Automation stops AC units running in empty rooms. It keeps temperatures within set limits and can put the whole floor into away mode after hours. In a Dubai summer the AC runs for long hours, so energy management starts here.
We connect every AC brand and type, including split, ducted, VRF (systems that run many indoor units from one outdoor unit) and chilled-water fan coils. We can use gateways from any brand. Symphony, our automation platform, includes away mode, temperature limits and usage reports. It can also start cooling a room before people arrive, either from the app or on a schedule.
Energy reports show where your electricity goes. They can be as basic as one figure for the whole space or as detailed as each AC unit. You can view them in the app, on a tablet or on your own computer. Your DEWA bill follows your monthly use, so a clear picture of summer usage shows you what to change first. Our guide to air conditioning control and energy management goes into more detail.
We can also give advice on AC servicing so the units stay in good order.
How do access control, cameras and intercoms fit in?
We build access and security around UniFi Protect from Ubiquiti, with Akuvox intercoms. Cameras, intercom calls, alarms and door locks then all work from one app. You can add and remove staff and visitor codes without changing keys.
We fit smart locks from several manufacturers, including Oji, Tedee, Yale and Aqara. The right lock for a door depends on how the door is used and how much direct sun it gets. The locks we recommend have a physical key or an emergency power option in case the batteries run flat.
Camera recordings are stored on a recorder on your premises, with the option of a cloud backup. The footage stays under your control. We work with licensed partners that specialise in CCTV planning and installation. Alarms send alerts to the app only, because we do not run a monitoring centre in Dubai.
If your building already has a lobby intercom, it will usually run separately. Most built-in systems do not allow a connection from another system without voiding their warranty. Our guide to security, CCTV and access control covers the equipment in more depth.
Meeting rooms, reception and the network behind them
A meeting room should start with one button that turns the screen on, lowers the blinds and sets the lights for a presentation. We set it up so nobody has to hunt for a remote.
For audio we fit brands such as Sonos, Bang & Olufsen and Denon. The right one depends on the space and what you want from it.
All of this needs a reliable network, and the only networks we design and install are Ubiquiti UniFi. Most buildings in the UAE have data points in the walls, even older ones. In most cases we can reuse that cable with access points mounted on the wall.
Wired or wireless for a commercial space?
Wired KNX is the wiring standard most professional wired systems use. It makes most sense in a new fit-out or major renovation, when cables can go in before the ceilings and walls are closed. KNX is used in all kinds of buildings, from private homes to large commercial complexes. Avario is a registered KNX Partner, and our engineers are KNX certified.
Wireless suits a space that is already finished, where you do not want to open the ceilings. In the UAE our wireless option is Zigbee, a low-power wireless standard. Blinds can use Somfy or Zigbee motors.
Some office towers have a central building management system (BMS), the system that runs the building's shared services. Our system can connect to it, and our engineer looks at this during the survey. Our guide to KNX automation explains how a wired system is planned and installed.
What happens if the internet goes down?
Everything inside the building keeps working, because the system runs on your premises rather than in the cloud. Keypads work, and the schedules for lighting, AC and blinds keep running. While the Wi-Fi is up, the app still controls the space from inside the building. Smart locks still open from their keypads and fingerprint readers.
Remote access is what stops. You will not be able to unlock a door or change a setting from outside the building until the connection comes back.
What support do you get after handover?
Our own team does all the programming and commissioning, and supports the system afterwards. Commercial clients get the same support as homeowners. You report a fault through the support chat in our app. If you do not have the app yet, call +971 4 458 2205.
Our business hours are Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm. During those hours we can reply straight away, and call-outs take place within 4 hours. About 90% of our support is done remotely, and only once you have approved each session. You can also turn remote access off completely.
At handover you receive the ETS project file (the KNX programming file), passwords, drawings, a wiring schedule and written system records. Equipment warranties come from the manufacturers.
For contractors, developers and interior designers
It is best to bring us in as early as possible, and we work from your architectural or MEP drawings. We can prepare a budgetary estimate from those drawings before anyone visits the site. We contract with main contractors, developers or end clients.
On a wired fit-out, your MEP contractor can run the cable from our drawings and cable plan, or our own team can run it. During the main wiring stage, we check the contractor's work every 2 days. We then program and commission the system and hand over the files.
Designers choose switch and keypad finishes from our range, which covers products from 18 high-end suppliers, and we deliver samples to you. We work alongside your curtain supplier and lighting contractor. We do not replace them. You receive the partnership terms once a partnership agreement is signed. Our page for trade partners explains how to get started.
What affects the cost of office automation?
The cost depends mostly on the size of the space and how much of it you control. Lighting and AC alone cost less than a full system with access, cameras and AV.
These things also affect the cost:
- Wired KNX or wireless
- A new fit-out or a space that is already finished
- The number of AC units and how they connect
- The brands of keypads, locks and AV equipment you choose
- How detailed you want the energy reports to be
Questions people ask
Can you automate an office that is already fitted out? Yes. A wireless system, or reusing the existing wall data points, avoids opening the ceilings. Wired KNX is best saved for a major renovation.
Can staff control things from their phones? Yes. They use the app, and you set what each person can access. The keypads on the wall still work for anyone in the room.
Will it work with our existing air conditioning? We connect every AC brand and type. With VRF systems, the connection depends on the equipment that was installed with the system.
Do you take on home offices and showrooms? Yes. We work on offices, showrooms and home offices.
Who owns the programming files? You do. We hand over the project file and passwords as standard, so you are not tied to us.
Next step
An engineering survey is the quickest way to find out what your space needs. Book a survey and tell us what you want to control. Our engineer will visit, and you will get a written quote within 2 days.
