Shopfront glass cost Dubai: 2026 price guide
Shopfront glass in Dubai costs between AED 550 and AED 1,350 per square metre supplied and installed in 2026. The exact figure depends on glass thickness, frameless or aluminium framing, door hardware and whether your unit sits inside a mall or on a street.
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Shopfront glass cost in Dubai in 2026
Most shop owners want one number before they commit. Here is the honest 2026 range for supply and install, before 5 percent VAT.
| Specification | Typical 2026 range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium framed shopfront, 6mm to 8mm glass | AED 550 to 850 | per sqm |
| Aluminium framed frontage, 3m high | AED 1,700 to 2,600 | per linear metre |
| Frameless shopfront, 10mm toughened | AED 750 to 1,100 | per sqm |
| Frameless shopfront, 12mm toughened | AED 950 to 1,350 | per sqm |
| Frameless frontage, 3m high | AED 2,400 to 3,600 | per linear metre |
| Frameless single door leaf with patch fittings and closer | AED 3,200 to 5,500 | per leaf |
| Laminated glass upgrade | add 20 to 35 percent | per sqm |
Two quoting methods are used in this market. Per square metre is cleaner on glass area. Per linear metre is easier for a 3m high frontage where the door is priced separately. Ask for both, then check what the door and hardware add, because that is where a cheap quote hides the extra cost.
Shopfront glazing cost Dubai owners see also moves with the aluminium profile system. A local 60mm system sits at the low end. A branded system with heavier sections costs more and takes longer to fabricate.
What drives the price of a shop front glass in Dubai
Glass thickness and type
10mm toughened is the practical minimum for a frameless panel people can push against. 12mm toughened costs roughly 15 to 25 percent more and reduces deflection on tall panels. Laminated glass adds another 20 to 35 percent, but it holds together when broken, and Civil Defence often asks for it in certain locations.
Frameless or aluminium framed
A frameless glass shopfront in Dubai looks sharper and needs 10mm or 12mm toughened glass, heavy patch fittings and a floor spring. An aluminium shopfront Dubai style carries thinner glass, hides the fixings and gives you somewhere to fix a shutter track or signage. Frameless typically runs 25 to 40 percent higher on the same opening.
Doors and hardware
A single frameless leaf with patch fittings, lock and closer adds AED 3,200 to 5,500. A double door set with an overhead closer and anti fingerprint coating pushes that to AED 7,000 to 12,000. Soft close floor springs and rebated locks are worth the money on a busy retail front, because a slammed door is what breaks the glass first.
Powder coating colour
Standard RAL colours are included in most aluminium rates. Special finishes, wood grain and matte black or bronze metallics add AED 120 to 220 per square metre of aluminium face and 5 to 7 days to fabrication.
Mall unit or street unit
A mall unit answers to the landlord design manual, which usually fixes the frame colour, the glass make up and the maximum panel width. A street unit answers to the fit-out permit and Civil Defence. Mall rules cost more in drawings and approvals than in glass. Our own aluminium & glass shopfront fabrication in Dubai covers survey, fabrication and install under one contract, so the frame and the glass hold the same lead time.
Striped stone flooring, beige banquettes and pink glass top tables, finished under linear ceiling lights.
Worked example: a 4m by 3m frameless shopfront in Dubai
Take a 4m wide, 3m high opening, so 12 sqm of glass, with a 1m frameless door leaf on one side. A realistic budget for shopfront installation in Dubai on that opening looks like this.
- 12 sqm of 12mm toughened glass at AED 950 to 1,150 per sqm: AED 11,400 to 13,800
- Frameless single door leaf with patch fittings and floor spring: AED 3,200 to 4,800
- Silicone, setting blocks and sundries: AED 400 to 700
- Removal of the old shopfront and disposal: AED 1,200 to 2,500
- Total before approvals and VAT: AED 16,200 to 21,800
Approvals and landlord charges sit on top and are almost never in a glass supplier quote. If you want to see how a finished frontage reads against a fit out, see completed shopfront and glass facade projects before you sign anything.
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Hidden costs most shopfront quotes leave out
Demolition of the old unit
Old aluminium, a roller shutter and a concrete upstand all need removing. Budget AED 1,200 to 2,500 for a single frontage, more where a shutter needs a crane lift or the debris has to leave through a loading bay.
Approvals and landlord charges
A shopfront change is a fit-out, so expect a Dubai Municipality or DET fit-out permit, a landlord NOC and a Dubai Civil Defence submission where fire access or fire rated glass is involved. Fees vary by authority and by unit, and a mall adds a design review fee. None of it is glass supply.
Structural support and lintel work
Removing a masonry pier or widening an opening is a structural job, not a glazing job. A lintel or steel frame adds AED 4,000 to 15,000 depending on span and whether a structural engineer has to sign it off.
Night works and permits
Most retail and F&B units can only be worked on after closing. Night work needs a permit, and night shift labour rates run higher. Build it into the schedule from day one rather than discovering it the week of install.
Fire rated and laminated requirements
Civil Defence may require fire rated glazing or laminated glass on escape routes and in certain mall locations. It is a small line on the drawing and a real line on the invoice.
Arched white structures with integrated lighting frame the dining floor and the leaf mural behind.
How long shopfront installation in Dubai takes
- Site survey and measurement, same day or within 48 hours of your call.
- Shop drawings and a fixed quote, 1 to 2 working days.
- Glass ordering and toughening, 7 to 12 working days.
- Aluminium fabrication and powder coating, 5 to 10 working days, running in parallel with the glass.
- Site installation, 1 to 2 days for a single frontage, 3 to 5 days for a large facade.
- Snagging and handover, 1 day.
Mall units add 2 to 4 weeks before any of that starts, because design review and the permit come first. Street units move faster, but the fit-out permit still has to be issued before the first toughened glass shopfront panel goes in.
How to compare shopfront glazing quotes in Dubai
- Check whether the rate is per square metre or per linear metre, and whether the door sits inside or outside that number.
- Ask for the glass make up in writing: 10mm or 12mm toughened, or 10.76 laminated, and whether it is clear, low iron or tinted.
- Confirm the hardware brand for patch fittings, floor springs and closers. Unbranded hardware fails first.
- Check if demolition, disposal and making good are included.
- Ask who handles the fit-out permit and the landlord submission. If nobody does, it is not a complete quote.
- Confirm 5 percent VAT is shown and that the installation is insured.
- Get the lead time in writing, with the glass order date named.
A quote that is AED 3,000 cheaper but leaves out the permit, the demolition and the closer is not cheaper. It is a deposit on a second invoice.
When you are ready for real numbers, request a free shopfront site survey in Dubai. A site measure takes under an hour and turns a range into a fixed price.
Frequently asked questions
How much does shopfront glass cost per square metre in Dubai?
Expect AED 550 to 850 per sqm for an aluminium framed shopfront with 6mm to 8mm glass. A frameless glass shopfront in 10mm toughened runs AED 750 to 1,100 per sqm, and 12mm toughened runs AED 950 to 1,350. Those rates cover supply and install and exclude 5 percent VAT, approvals and demolition.
Is frameless cheaper than an aluminium shopfront in Dubai?
No. Frameless glass needs thicker toughened panels and heavy patch fittings, so it usually lands 25 to 40 percent above an aluminium framed front on the same opening. Aluminium also gives you a fixing point for shutters and signage, which matters on street units.
How long does shopfront installation in Dubai take?
Site installation is 1 to 2 days for a single frontage. The real wait is glass toughening at 7 to 12 working days, plus 5 to 10 working days for aluminium fabrication if your frame is new. A mall unit adds 2 to 4 weeks of design review and permit time before work starts.
Does a new shopfront need approval in Dubai?
Yes. Treat it as a fit-out: you need a landlord NOC, a Dubai Municipality or DET fit-out permit, and a Dubai Civil Defence submission where fire access or fire rated glass applies. Mall units also go through the landlord design review, which can fix your frame colour and glass make up.
Should I use laminated or toughened glass for a shopfront?
Toughened glass is stronger against impact and is the default for frameless panels at 10mm or 12mm. Laminated glass costs 20 to 35 percent more but stays in the frame when broken, and Civil Defence may require it on escape routes or in specific mall locations. Many Dubai fronts use toughened panels with a laminated panel where the authority asks for it.
