UAE compliance

Building code.

Beauty starts with proportion, and in the UAE proportion starts with the code — but there is no single UAE stair code. The numbers that govern your staircase depend on who issues the building permit for your plot. A riser that passes on Yas Island fails in Dubai Hills; a flight that is legal in Emirates Hills needs a landing on the Palm. This page keeps the three regimes separate, so that the number you read is the number your Authority checks.

Start here · Three regimes

Where is the project? That decides the rulebook.

Jump straight to the regime for your plot. Not sure which applies? The authority matrix maps the common communities.

Regime I Dubai mainland Jumeirah · Emirates Hills · Dubai Hills · Arabian Ranches · Meraas districts · most of the city DBC 2021 · Part K villas Go to the DBC rules → Regime II Trakhees zones Palm Jumeirah · JAFZA · Dubai South / DWC · the ports (PCFC areas) Trakhees Blue Code · §13 Go to the Trakhees rules → Regime III Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi city · Yas Island · Saadiyat · Jubail Island · Al Ain · Al Dhafra ADIBC 2013 · §1009 / 1012 / 1013 Go to the ADIBC rules →

What is shared across all three

The UAE Fire & Life Safety Code — including the laminated-glass rule for structural balustrades — applies in every emirate. So do the two measurement conventions that decide most assessments. Those live in the Everywhere section directly below, before the regime-specific numbers begin.

Every emirate · every regime

The rules that follow you everywhere.

AppliesAll three regimes — Dubai mainland, Trakhees zones, Abu Dhabi

Fire authorityDubai Civil Defence · Abu Dhabi Civil Defence

Governing textUAE Fire & Life Safety Code + measurement conventions of each code

Figure U·01 · How the numbers are measured

Two conventions decide more assessments than any single limit.

The limits differ between regimes; the way they are measured does not. Both conventions below have decided real CAworks assessments — a stair that "clearly passed" on the drawing failed once measured the way the code measures.

Headroom is measured from the nosing line — a plane parallel to the most forward projection of the treads — not from the tread surface to the soffit. Tread-to-soffit overstates headroom by up to one full riser where a beam crosses mid-tread. Dubai requires 2 300 mm above that plane, Trakhees 2 400 mm, Abu Dhabi 2 032 mm — different values, same plane. DBC K.5.5.2.10 · Fig K.34 · ADIBC 1009.2
Clear width is measured between the guards. Guards must not encroach on the required clear width of the stairway, so stringer channels and balustrade glass sit outside the 1 000 mm — a "1 000 mm tread" with 37 mm channels each side is a 926 mm stair. Handrails alone may project up to 100 mm per side at 865–965 mm height. The fix that costs no footprint: fix the guard outboard of the walking surface, so the tread width is the clear width. DBC K.5.5.2.2 · K.5.5.2.6 · Fig K.24

Figure U·02 · Glass in guards & balustrades

One material rule, every emirate.

Whatever the geometry regime, the glass itself answers to the UAE Fire & Life Safety Code — enforced by Dubai Civil Defence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi. Within DBC Part K projects, clauses K.5.2.5.2 and K.7.6 carry the same requirement under the DBC's own numbering.

Material specification

Glass in structural balustradesLaminated safety glass
Permitted build-upsLam. fully-tempered · lam. heat-strengthened
Post-breakage integrityRequired
Impact classificationEN 12600

UAE FLSC §2.17.6

Structure

Guard assembly loadsASCE/SEI 7-16
Adopted byDBC K.8.4
CAworks cross-checkBS 6180
Monolithic toughened aloneNot accepted

DBC K.5.2.5.2 · K.8.4

Why glass must be laminated, not just toughened

Toughened (tempered) glass is strong, but when it breaks it breaks completely — turning into thousands of small dice at once. Laminated glass is two or more sheets bonded by a polymer interlayer, so if one ply fails the interlayer holds the fragments and the panel keeps residual load capacity until replacement. The UAE FLSC requires this in any structural balustrade for exactly that reason — a barrier that could vanish on impact is not a barrier.

Figure U·03 · The comfort formula

2R + G — the Blondel relationship, and where each bound applies.

A 350-year-old proportion rule that hasn't been improved on. The average adult stride doesn't change between Paris in 1672 and Dubai in 2026 — but the three UAE regimes treat the formula differently, so the bound has to be quoted with its regime.

Trakhees — normal staircases

Target sum2R + T = 620 mm

Trakhees §13.1.6

DUDC — accessible routes

Minimum sum> 650 mm
Maximum sum< 700 mm

DUDC §5.8.1 cl.3

DBC Part K — Dubai villas

2R + G ruleNone
At Part K limits (180 / 280)2×180 + 280 = 640 mm

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.3

An honest note: the two bands conflict

A stair built exactly to the Trakhees 620 mm target sits below the DUDC's 650–700 mm accessibility band. Where the DUDC applies — accessible routes, public and common-area stairs — the DUDC wins. Where it doesn't — a private villa under DBC Part K — there is no 2R + G test at all. The formula remains the best sanity check an architect has:

• 2×165 + 300 = 630 mm — brisk, tight
• 2×160 + 320 = 640 mm — household sweet spot
• 2×150 + 350 = 650 mm — grand entrance, generous

Figure U·04 · Accessibility overlays

The overlay codes — and exactly where they bite.

Dubai layers the Dubai Universal Design Code over its building codes; Abu Dhabi runs its own International Accessibility Standards. Both apply to accessible routes — public and common-area circulation — and win where stricter. They do not rewrite the rules inside a private villa.

DUDC handrails — position

Mounting height900 mm
Second rail (children)650–750 mm
Both sides if Δlevel > 500 mmRequired
Extension top & bottom≥ 300 mm
Intermediate rail if width > 2 100 mmRequired

DUDC §5.9

DUDC handrails — grip

Circular profileØ 30–40 mm
Elliptical profile50 × 40 mm
Clearance to wall30–60 mm
Underside support clearance≥ 50 mm
Reflectance contrast≥ 30 LRV

DUDC §5.9

No open risers, no discontinued treads, curved stairs to be avoided — on accessible routes. DUDC §5.8 prohibits open risers and discourages curved flights where the route must be accessible. DBC Part K expressly permits open, spiral and winder stairs in villas (K.5.5.2.1), subject to the 100 mm sphere principle. Floating open-riser and helical stairs are our core product: in a private villa the DUDC prohibition does not apply to them; in a hotel lobby or a common-area stair, it can. We state which regime governs on every drawing. DUDC §5.8 · DBC K.5.5.2.1
Illumination ≥ 200 lux at the top, the bottom and along the flight. Pendant fittings over voids count toward this; LED tread strips supplement but rarely meet it alone. Checked at handover with a calibrated lux meter. DUDC §5.8
Step-edge contrast ≥ 30 LRV points over the first 30 mm of the nosing — the tread edge must visually distinguish itself from the tread face. On stone or concrete this is a contrasting inlay or sandblast stripe. DUDC §5.8
Slip resistance — PTV ≥ 36 dry; ≥ 36 wet (external). The Pendulum Test Value benchmark from BS 7976; Dubai Municipality accepts it as the working standard for stairs. Brushed steel, honed natural stone and sandblasted glass treads all comfortably exceed it. BS 7976 · DM guidance
Abu Dhabi runs its own accessibility standard — the Abu Dhabi International Accessibility Standards (ICC A117.1-based), applied by DMT on accessible routes. Do not quote DUDC values on an Abu Dhabi drawing. AD Accessibility Standards

Regime I · Dubai mainland

Dubai villas — DBC 2021, Part K.

AuthorityDubai Municipality (BPS) · Dubai Development Authority in its districts

CodeDubai Building Code 2021 — Part K, standalone for detached villas & townhouses ≤ 3 storeys

WhereMainland Dubai — Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, Meraas districts, Nakheel mainland communities

Part K is the rulebook for the private villa staircase — and it is more permissive on flights and more demanding on step geometry than most published summaries suggest. Non-villa buildings under DM or DDA run on the DBC's general parts, where several limits differ — the high-rise block at the end of this section covers the duplex-apartment case, worked clause by clause.

Figure K·01 · Step geometry

Rise, going and width — the numbers the Authority checks first.

Set these first; flight length, landing position and headroom all follow.

Riser & going

Riser height100–180 mm
Tread depth (going)≥ 280 mm
Tread slope≤ 2 %
Uniformity within a flight≤ 10 mm

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.3

Clear width

All stairways≥ 1 000 mm clear
MeasuredBetween the guards
Guard encroachmentNot permitted
Handrail projection≤ 100 mm per side

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.2 · Fig K.24

If you have seen "riser 200 / going 240" — that was the old rule

The pre-DBC Dubai Municipality villa circular allowed a 200 mm riser on a 240 mm going, and the figure still circulates in older references. It has not been the rule since Decree 45 of 2021 enacted the DBC. A 184 mm riser passes the old number and fails Part K by 4 mm — we have assessed exactly that stair. Design to 100–180 / ≥ 280.

Figure K·02 · Flights & landings

Part K's most misunderstood clause: no landing is required.

The DBC defines a flight as a continuous run of treads from one landing to another — and then, for villas, declines to force a landing at any height.

Flights

Intermediate landingNot required at any rise
RecommendedWhere rise > 4 m
Steps per flightNo cap
One flight= landing to landing

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.4

Landings

Width≥ 1 000 mm
Length — straight runNeed not exceed 1 000 mm
Slope≤ 2 %
Door swingMay encroach ≤ half the landing

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.4 · Fig K.27

No 14-step rule on the mainland

The 14-step-per-flight limit belongs to Trakhees plots, not to Part K. A typical villa floor-to-floor of 3.3–3.6 m needs 19–21 risers at comfortable heights — under Part K that is one continuous flight, fully compliant, no landing. The same stair on the Palm needs a landing. This single difference reshapes the design more than any other clause, and it is exactly why the two regimes are kept separate on this page.

Figure K·03 · Headroom

2 300 mm above the nosing line.

Measured vertically above a plane parallel to the most forward projection of the treads — see the measurement conventions. Tread-to-soffit is not the code measurement.

Straight & winder stairs≥ 2 300 mm Above the nosing plane, full flight and landings. K.5.5.2.10 · Fig K.34.

Curved stairs≥ 2 300 mm A sweeping descent leans the body toward the outer arc, projecting the head forward.

Spiral stairs≥ 2 030 mm The body hugs the centre column; the head tracks a tight circle.

The beam rule of thumb

For a soffit or beam at height H above the lower floor, the nosing plane clears 2 300 mm only up to a nosing height of H − 2 300. Locate the obstruction's leading face against the nosing line in the 3D model and measure there — a beam crossing mid-tread can eat up to one riser of apparent clearance.

Figure K·04 · Spiral, curved & winder stairs

Geometry gets harder the moment the stair stops being straight.

When treads are wedge-shaped, every rule about "going" has to specify where on the tread you measure. The diagrams are reproduced from DBC 2021 Part K, Figure K.31. If the stair has any straight run, the winder column governs — not the spiral or curved one.

Curved

≥ 255 mm at 305 mm from narrowest edge measured along the walking line

Spiral

≥ 190 mm at 305 mm from narrower edge measured along the walking line

Winders

≥ 150 mm at narrowest, ≥ 280 mm at 305 mm measured along the walking line

Curved · §K.5.5.2.8

Clear width≥ 1 000 mm
Tread at 305 mm point≥ 255 mm
Riser — wholly curved flight≤ 240 mm
Headroom≥ 2 300 mm
Outer handrailRight of descent

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.8

Spiral · §K.5.5.2.8

Clear width≥ 1 000 mm
Tread at 305 mm point≥ 190 mm
Riser — wholly spiral flight≤ 240 mm
Headroom≥ 2 030 mm
As main villa stairNot recommended

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.8

Winders · §K.5.5.2.8(i)

Clear width≥ 1 000 mm
Tread at narrowest≥ 150 mm
Tread at 305 mm point≥ 280 mm
Riser — straight runs present≤ 180 mm
Walking-line going= straight going ± 10 mm

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.8(i)

Why the 305 mm rule exists — and the trap overseas suppliers fall into

On a wedge tread no single "depth" exists, so the code measures it at a fixed point 305 mm in from the narrower edge — where a real foot lands. The line connecting those points is the walking line, and every tread must satisfy the minimum along it.

The 240 mm riser allowance belongs to wholly spiral or curved flights only. The moment a straight run exists, the stair is a winder stair: the 180 mm cap of K.5.5.2.3 applies, and because a stair with no landing is one flight, the 10 mm uniformity rule carries that cap — and the straight going — through the turn. Winder treads whose walking-line going doesn't match the straight going are the single most common defect we find on overseas supplier drawings.

Clause (h) — outer handrail on the right of a descending user — reflects right-hand dominance: descending, a right-handed person reaches for the rail on their right, so handrail placement on a curved stair is always specified by descent direction.

Figure K·05 · Handrails

What you actually hold — the DBC's own dimensions.

The interface between the stair and the human body. Compliance failures here are the most common reason a snag-list is rejected at handover.

Position

Height above nosing865–965 mm
As part of a guard — up to1 065 mm
Continuous, full flightRequired
Extension top & bottomOne tread depth, returned to wall
Wall clearance≥ 57 mm

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.5 · Fig K.28

Grip geometry

Circular profileØ 32–51 mm
Other profiles — perimeter100–160 mm
Largest cross-section≤ 57 mm
Edge radius≥ 3.2 mm

DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.5 · Fig K.29

One rail or two — the 1 065 mm window

A single top rail serving as both handrail and guard on a flight must sit at exactly 1 065 mm above the nosing — the maximum K.5.5.2.5 allows a handrail forming part of a guard, and the minimum K.5.5.2.6 allows the guard in that case. Glass at 1 200 mm with a cap rail is a compliant guard whose rail is not a compliant handrail — a separate graspable rail at 865–965 mm is then required on each open side.

The spec-safe window: a circular rail of Ø 32–40 mm mounted at 900 mm satisfies both the DBC and the DUDC — the profile range where the two codes overlap. Note the DUDC's Ø 30 lower bound fails the DBC's Ø 32 minimum: specify from the overlap, not from either code alone.

Figure K·06 · Guards & balustrades

The vertical barrier that stops a fall.

A guard is not a handrail. The handrail is what you hold; the guard is the wall of protection between the stair edge and the void. The DBC measures height, climbability and material independently — and the Dubai numbers are higher than most international references.

Heights

Required where drop> 760 mm
Stair flights≥ 1 200 mm
Where handrail tops the guard1 065 mm permitted
Landings · wellheads · balconies≥ 1 200 mm

DBC §K.5.5.2.6 · §K.5.2.5.2

Openings & climbability

Sphere test up to 865 mmØ 100 mm cannot pass
Horizontal climbable elements < 865 mmNone
Bottom gap≤ 100 mm
Riser–tread–guard triangleØ 150 mm sphere

DBC §K.5.2.5.2 · Fig K.11

Structure & glass

Assembly loadsASCE/SEI 7-16
GlassLaminated — holds if shattered
Encroachment on clear widthNot permitted

DBC §K.5.2.5.2 · §K.8.4

760 and 865 are different numbers

760 mm is the trigger: any elevated surface more than 760 mm above the adjacent level must have a guard at all. 865 mm is the climb-resistant zone: no horizontal climbable elements within 865 mm of the walking surface, and open guards must reject the 100 mm sphere up to that height. Conflate the two and you design the wrong barrier.

Figure K·07 · Open risers & tread surfaces

The clauses that make the floating staircase legal.

Part K is explicit about the stair typologies it permits — which matters, because the accessibility overlay prohibits some of them on public routes.

Open risers, spiral stairs and winders are expressly permitted in villas for all uses other than access to or exit from a basement — basement escape stairs must be enclosed with 1 000 mm clear width. DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.1
The open-riser gap is riser minus tread thickness, judged against the 100 mm sphere. At the 180 mm maximum riser, a tread of 80 mm or more keeps the gap compliant — and we flag anything within a few millimetres of the limit, because a later riser change silently re-opens the gap. DBC §K.5.2.5.2
Treads and landings must be free of projections or lips that could trip, with consistent surface traction. Part K sets no numeric nosing cap — we detail a consistent projection of ≤ 25 mm as the acceptance value and never mix overlaps within a flight. DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.9

Figure K·08 · External stairs above ground level

The 11 m rule.

One of the more visually-restrictive clauses in the code — often missed at concept stage and expensive to correct.

External stairs more than 11 m above finished ground level must be enclosed on the open side by an opaque visual obstruction not less than 1 200 mm in height. Frameless clear-glass balustrades fail this clause; the design needs an opaque infill, a solid parapet, or a fritted / ceramic-coated glass the Authority accepts as visually opaque. The rule prevents vertigo-induced misstep on long external climbs. DBC Part K §K.5.5.2.7

Section A · Alternative solutions

When the existing void cannot fit a compliant stair.

Renovations meet this constantly: the stair opening was cast for the old rules. The DBC has a formal route for it.

DBC A.8 permits performance-based alternative solutions for projects that cannot reasonably meet the prescribed requirements, and for changes to existing buildings where full compliance would cost disproportionately. The consultant demonstrates equivalence; the Authority decides. We prepare the geometry and comparable-standard evidence that argument needs — it is a documented, workable path, not a loophole. DBC §A.8
A.7 exempts designs finally approved before the DBC — but a replacement staircase is a change to the existing building, assessed under A.8(b). The old approval covers the old stair, not its successor. DBC §A.7

Section B · High-rise & apartment stairs

Beyond Part K — the duplex stair in a tower.

A stair inside a duplex apartment is not a villa stair. Part K's scope stops at detached villas and townhouses of up to three storeys (K.4); in a tower, the unit fit-out is a "Modification" under Table A.1 and the stair runs on the DBC's general parts — Part B for geometry and guards, Part E for the glass — plus DDA Circular 239 in DDA districts such as Dubai Hills. The numbers that change are the ones that hurt: width and landings.

Stair geometry · Part B

Clear width — all stairways≥ 1 200 mm
Riser / tread100–180 / ≥ 280 mm
Rise between landings≤ 3 660 mm
Headroom — nosing plane / landings2 030 / 2 300 mm
Winders, spiral, curved (non-exit stair)Permitted

DBC §B.6.4.1.3–.5 · .12 · .15

Handrails & guards

Handrails — both sides865–965 mm
Second rail — regular-use stairs650–750 mm
Guards — stair & slab opening≥ 1 200 mm
As handrail-topped guard1 065 mm
DDA C239 vs DBCDesign to the stricter

DBC §B.6.4.1.7–.8 · §B.4.2.5.2 · DDA C239

Glass · Part E

FLSC §2.17 / §5.4.2–.4Superseded — cite the DBC
Containment where drop > 760Required (E.9.2)
Impact classificationEN 12600 · Table E.9
Manifestation where walk-into risk750–1 500 mm AFL

DBC §E.9 · §E.10.1

What changes against a villa stair

Four things, and all four reshape the design: the stair is 1 200 mm wide, not 1 000; a landing is forced every 3 660 mm of rise — the open-ended Part K flight is gone; handrails go on both sides; and the DDA's own guardrail circular sits on top, matching the DBC everywhere except the climb-free zone — 760 there, 865 in the DBC, so 865 governs. Loads run to ASCE/SEI 7-16, which already contains C239's 0.89 kN point load. Floating typologies survive the move: winders, spiral and curved stairs remain permitted in a stair that is not an exit stair.

Worked example — duplex stair in a DDA high-rise The full 20-clause regulation register for a Dubai Hills tower duplex: DBC Parts A, B and E with the code pages reproduced, DDA Circular 239, and the design-to-stricter reconciliation. 18 pages, prepared by CAworks.

↓ Download the register · PDF

Regime II · Trakhees zones

Palm, JAFZA & Dubai South — Blue Code §13.

AuthorityTrakhees CED — the engineering arm of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation (PCFC)

CodeTrakhees Building Regulation & Design Guidelines ("Blue Code") — §13 Vertical Circulation

WherePalm Jumeirah · JAFZA · Dubai South / DWC · the ports and other PCFC areas

Trakhees writes its own stair clauses and also adopts the DBC — the reviewing engineer may apply either or both. Where both could apply, we assess against both and report the stricter. The headline differences from the mainland: a 14-step flight cap, 2.4 m headroom, and a tighter riser.

Figure T·01 · Step geometry

Rise & going — internal and external treated separately.

Shoes, weather and the heel-strike angle of a descent are not the same outdoors, so the Blue Code splits the two.

Blue Code Fig-40 · redrawn Riser ≤ 175 · tread ≥ 270 · nosing ≥ 30 Normal internal staircase, redrawn from the Blue Code Fig-40 · §13.1.6

Internal stairs

Riser (max)≤ 175 mm
Tread (min)≥ 270 mm
Comfort target2R + T = 620 mm
Nosing overhang (Fig-40)≥ 30 mm
All steps identicalHeight & width

Trakhees §13.1.6 · §13.1.4

External stairs

Riser (max)≤ 165 mm
Riser (preferred)150 mm
Tread (min)≥ 280 mm
Tread (preferred)350 mm

Trakhees §13.1.7

On the "recommended 150–165 / 300–340" band: those values are DUDC accessible-route guidance, not Blue Code text — see the accessibility overlays. They sit comfortably inside the Trakhees window, which is why most architects specify within them without thinking.

Figure T·02 · Flights & landings

The 14-step rule lives here.

Long uninterrupted climbs are tiring and dangerous; on Trakhees plots the code forces a rest point at a fixed interval — the clause mainland Dubai villas do not have.

Blue Code Fig-39 · redrawn Maximum 14 steps in one direction, then a landing Main staircase rule, redrawn after the Blue Code Fig-39 · §13.1.5

Flights

Main staircase — steps per flight / direction≤ 14
Fire-escape stairs — consecutive steps≤ 20
Fire-escape — min steps, same direction≥ 3
Fire-escape riser≤ 180 mm

Trakhees §13.1.5 · §13.3.3

Landings

Clear width≥ stair clear width
Residential & office≥ 1 100 mm
Public buildings≥ 1 500 mm
At doors — inward swing≥ 900 mm deep
At doors — outward swing≥ 1 500 mm deep

Trakhees §13.1.4 · §13.1.17

What 14 steps actually buys — and doesn't

Fourteen risers at the 175 mm maximum carry you 2.45 m — well short of a typical UAE villa floor-to-floor of 3.3–3.6 m. A Trakhees main stair therefore breaks into two flights with a landing between them. The same stair on a mainland plot does not have to: DBC Part K requires no intermediate landing at any rise. And Trakhees' own fire-escape clause allows 20 consecutive steps — the 14 belongs to the main stair only. Quote the number with its regime, or the design conversation goes wrong from the first sketch.

Figure T·03 · Headroom & enclosure

2 400 mm — the strictest headroom in the UAE.

One hundred millimetres above the DBC. On a Trakhees plot, check every beam against this figure before clearing the section.

Minimum clear vertical height 2.4 m from the bottom margin of the landing finishes to the passageway — stricter than the DBC's 2 300 mm. The tight beam that clears on the mainland fails on the Palm. Trakhees §13.1.12
Main staircase in fire-resistant material — villas excepted. The exception is what makes the timber-and-glass villa stair legal on the Palm; in any other building type the main stair structure must be fire-resisting, with natural light and ventilation. Trakhees §13.1.13
The staircase must be approachable from any part of the building, farthest point not more than 30 m away. Trakhees §13.1.16

Figure T·04 · Curved & spiral stairs

The Blue Code's own wedge-tread rules.

Different measuring points from the DBC — 300 mm and 600 mm from the narrow end, not 305 — and a radius rule the DBC does not have.

Curved · Fig-42 · redrawn ≥ 280 mm at 300 mm from the narrow end Smallest radius ≥ 2 × stair width · §13.1.9

Spiral · Fig-43 · redrawn ≥ 280 mm at 600 mm from the narrow end Riser ≤ 180 · handrails on both sides · §13.1.10

Curved · §13.1.9

Tread at 300 mm from narrow end≥ 280 mm
Smallest radius≥ 2 × stair width

Trakhees §13.1.9 · Fig-42

Spiral · §13.1.10

Riser≤ 180 mm
Tread at 600 mm from narrow end≥ 280 mm
HandrailsBoth sides

Trakhees §13.1.10 · Fig-43

Winders: the Blue Code publishes no winder clause. A winder stair is judged under §13.1.4 (all steps identical) with the curved clause by analogy — and the reviewing engineer will usually apply DBC K.5.5.2.8 as well, since Trakhees also adopts the DBC. We assess against both and report the stricter.

Figure T·05 · Protective barriers

The 0.9 m clause — real, but never sufficient.

The Blue Code's barrier figure is the lowest number on this page, and it is the one number you should never design to.

Protective barrier on the empty side where the stair stands more than 1.0 m high: minimum height 0.9 m, clearance between vertical rods ≤ 125 mm, intermediate barrier where the stair is wider than 2.1 m. Trakhees §13.1.15
Superseded in practice — never design to 0.9 m. The UAE Fire & Life Safety Code and the DBC guard rules (1 065 mm with a combined handrail, otherwise 1 200 mm) also apply on Trakhees plots and govern the built result. We report §13.1.15 alongside them, never instead of them — a 900 mm balustrade will not survive review. DBC §K.5.5.2.6 · UAE FLSC

Regime III · Abu Dhabi

Yas, Saadiyat & the capital — ADIBC 2013.

AuthorityDMT / Abu Dhabi City Municipality — plus the master developer's design review (Aldar on Yas & Saadiyat, JIIC on Jubail)

CodeADIBC 2013 — the 2009 International Building Code with Abu Dhabi amendments. Stairs §1009 · handrails §1012 · guards §1013

WhereAbu Dhabi city & islands · Yas Island · Saadiyat · Jubail Island · Al Ain · Al Dhafra

A different code family entirely — imperial dimensions converted, IBC clause numbering, and a villa classified as Group R-3 whose dwelling exceptions govern most of our stairs. Fire & life safety remains the UAE FLSC, enforced by Abu Dhabi Civil Defence. One caution: Al Reem Island moved under ADGM jurisdiction in 2018 — confirm the approval path per project.

Figure A·01 · Step geometry — villa / Group R-3

The most permissive riser in the UAE — with strings attached.

The dwelling exception allows a 197 mm riser on a 254 mm tread — but demands a nosing where the tread runs shallow, and holds uniformity to the tightest tolerance of the three regimes.

ADIBC §1009.4.2 · redrawn Riser ≤ 197 · tread ≥ 254 · nosing 19–32 Villa step profile, redrawn from ADIBC §1009.4.2, Exception 5

Riser & tread

Riser (dwelling exception)≤ 197 mm
Tread≥ 254 mm
Nosing — required where tread < 279 mm19–32 mm
Uniformity within a flight≤ 9.5 mm

ADIBC §1009.4.2 Exc. 5 · §1009.4.4

Width, rise & landings

Clear width (occupant load < 50)≥ 914 mm
Vertical rise per flight≤ 3 658 mm
Landing depth≥ width · min 914 mm
Top-of-flight landingWaived if no door swings over

ADIBC §1009.1 · §1009.5 · §1009.7

Profile & surface

Nosing projection — uniform≤ 32 mm
Nosing radius≤ 14.3 mm
Open risersPermitted — Ø 102 mm sphere
Surface slope≤ 2 %

ADIBC §1009.4.5 · §1009.6.1

The 3.66 m flight

ADIBC caps the vertical rise of a single flight at 3 658 mm — which a 3.5 m villa floor-to-floor fits inside. Like Dubai's Part K, an Abu Dhabi villa stair can therefore run floor to floor in one flight; unlike Dubai, the cap is explicit rather than open-ended.

Figure A·02 · Headroom

2 032 mm from the nosing line.

The lowest headroom minimum of the three regimes — but measured on the same nosing-line convention, continuous to one tread depth beyond the bottom riser.

ADIBC §1009.2 · redrawn ≥ 2 032 mm measured from the nosing line The convention that decides beam clearances — redrawn from ADIBC §1009.2

Stairways — general≥ 2 032 mm Measured vertically from the line connecting the nosings. §1009.2.

Spiral stairs≥ 1 981 mm Within dwelling units per §1009.9.

R-3 floor-opening projection≤ 121 mm Permitted intrusion of the floor structure into the required headroom in dwellings.

Figure A·03 · Winders, curved & spiral

Same walking-line logic, different numbers — and one different datum.

Abu Dhabi's walkline sits 305 mm from the narrow side, measured from the widest point of the clear stair width — not from the tread's edge. Compute it that way or the winder check comes out wrong.

ADIBC §1009.3 · redrawn Walkline 305 mm from the narrow side ≥ 254 at the walkline · ≥ 152 minimum · set out from the widest point of the clear width

Winders — within a dwelling

Tread at the walkline≥ 254 mm
Tread minimum≥ 152 mm
Walkline from narrow side305 mm
DatumWidest point of clear width

ADIBC §1009.3 · §1009.4.2

Curved

Treads & risersPer §1009.4
Smallest radius ≥ 2 × widthWaived in R-3

ADIBC §1009.8

Spiral — within a dwelling

Tread at 305 mm point≥ 191 mm
Riser≤ 241 mm
Clear width≥ 660 mm
Headroom≥ 1 981 mm

ADIBC §1009.9

Winders in egress: not permitted in means-of-egress stairways except within a dwelling unit (§1009.4.3) — the villa interior is exactly the exception.

Figure A·04 · Handrails & guards

Lower guards, tighter spheres — the R-3 concessions.

The dwelling exceptions reach further here than anywhere else in the code — but the glass itself still answers to the UAE FLSC, exactly as in Dubai.

Handrails

Height above nosings — uniform864–965 mm
Circular profileØ 32–51 mm
Type I — perimeter102–160 mm
Largest cross-section≤ 57 mm

ADIBC §1012.2–.3

Guards

General≥ 1 067 mm
Dwelling stair flights — from nosing line≥ 864 mm
Sphere testØ 102 mm
Within dwellings — stair guardsØ 111 mm
GlassLaminated — Ch. 24 + UAE FLSC

ADIBC §1013.2–.3

Same stair, different verdict

A 184 mm riser fails DBC Part K in Dubai and passes ADIBC in Abu Dhabi. Winder minimums are 254/152 against Dubai's 280/150 — measured from a different datum. Headroom is 2 032 mm against 2 300 and 2 400. A guard on a villa flight may drop to 864 mm where Dubai holds 1 065–1 200. Never quote Dubai numbers on an Abu Dhabi drawing — or the reverse. It is the first thing we fix on relocated designs.

The wider picture

Codes & documents.

Geometry is only half of compliance. Every staircase and glass package also answers to a stack of codes covering fire & life safety, structural design, product conformity and sustainability. These are the governing documents, linked to their official sources.

Fire & life safety — the primary code

CoreCivil Defence · every emirate

UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice

CDGH-OP-25 · current edition

The governing fire & life-safety code — where the laminated-glass rule for structural balustrades lives (§2.17.6). Materials must be Civil-Defence listed. Applies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi alike.

Open source → dcd.gov.ae

CorePDF · the glass clause

Ch.1 — Façade, Glazing & Roofing (§2.17.6)

§2.17.6 glass in railings & guards · §5 glazing

The exact clauses: laminated fully-tempered or heat-strengthened glass for balustrade panels, post-breakage integrity, the EN 12600 impact test.

Open source → dcd.gov.ae

Building code & structural — Dubai

CoreDubai Municipality

Dubai Building Code (2021 edition)

Part K villas · Parts B/C/D other buildings · loads §K.8

The unified minimum design code for Dubai. Stair geometry, guards and safety glazing sit here or cross-reference the Fire Code. Regime I above is built on Part K.

Official source → dm.gov.ae

Trakhees · Blue Code

Trakhees Building Regulation Guidelines

PCFC areas · §13 vertical circulation

The code for PCFC areas — Palm Jumeirah, JAFZA, Dubai South / DWC and the ports. §13 carries the stair clauses behind Regime II above.

Open source → trakhees.ae

DDA · circular

DDA Circular 239 — Guardrails for Accessible Elevated Areas & Openable Windows

DC/HR/166/16 · 29 Sep 2016 · 1200 mm · 100 mm · 0.89 kN

DDA's own guardrail code — it names "an opening for a stairway" in its definition, so it applies to the guard around a duplex void in DDA districts. Matches the DBC except the climb-free zone; design to the stricter.

Open source → dda.gov.ae

Legal instrument

Decree No. 45 of 2021 — enacting the DBC

Legal basis · competent entities

The decree that gives the Dubai Building Code force of law and defines which authority licenses works in each area.

Open source → dubai.gov.ae

CAworksWorked example · PDF

Duplex stair in a DDA high-rise — governing regulations

20 clauses · DBC Parts A, B, E + DDA C239 · code pages reproduced

Our worked register for a stair inside a duplex apartment of a Dubai Hills tower: which clauses govern, which do not (Part K is out), and where DDA C239 and the DBC reconcile. The template we reuse on every high-rise fit-out.

Download → caworks

Building code & structural — Abu Dhabi

CoreDMT · PDF

Abu Dhabi International Building Code (2013)

Stairs §1009 · handrails §1012 · guards §1013

The 2009 IBC with Abu Dhabi amendments, adopted by Chairman Resolution 26/2013. Regime III above is built on its Chapter 10 with the Group R-3 dwelling exceptions.

Official source → dmt.gov.ae

DMT · PDF

Abu Dhabi International Accessibility Standards

ICC A117.1-based · accessible routes

Abu Dhabi's accessibility overlay — the counterpart of Dubai's DUDC on accessible routes in the capital.

Official source → dmt.gov.ae

Product conformity & green building

MoIAT · ECAS

Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme

Federal product conformity

Product registration and conformity for building and glass products at UAE federal level, administered by MoIAT (formerly ESMA).

Open source → moiat.gov.ae

Dubai Municipality

Al Sa'fat — Dubai Green Building Regulations

Mandatory · all new Dubai buildings

Green-building regulations & specifications, mandatory since 2014 and now on the Al Sa'fat 2.0 framework. Under DM building publications.

Open source → dm.gov.ae

Dubai Building Code 2021 — full PDF 843 pages · the binding reference for every DBC clause cited above. Official DM page · archive copy

↓ Download PDF · PCFC mirror

The shelf — every governing document in one place

Direct links to the current edition of each document cited on this page. Flipbook-only codes open at their stair chapter; everything else downloads as the authority publishes it.

Dubai Building Code — 2021 editionDM · 843 pp · Parts A / B / C / E / K

PDF — PCFC mirror · Official page

Decree No. 45 of 2021 — enacting the DBCLegal basis · applies emirate-wide incl. free zones

PDF

DM Decision No. 225 of 2024Amends some DBC construction parameters — check before issue

DM laws & orders listing

Trakhees Building Regulation & Design Guidelines ("Blue Code")PCFC areas · §13 Vertical Circulation

Read online — §13

Dubai Universal Design CodeAccessible routes · §5.8 stairs · §5.9 handrails

Read online — §5.8 · §5.9

DDA Circular 239 — Guardrails for Accessible Elevated AreasDC/HR/166/16 · 29 Sep 2016 · DDA districts

PDF

Abu Dhabi International Building Code — 2013DMT · stairs §1009 · handrails §1012 · guards §1013

PDF — bookmarked

Abu Dhabi International Accessibility StandardsDMT · ICC A117.1-based · accessible routes

PDF

UAE Fire & Life Safety Code — Façade, Glazing & RoofingCivil Defence · §2.17.6 glass in guards

PDF — chapter · FLSC portal

CAworks — Duplex stair in a DDA high-rise: regulation registerWorked example · DBC Parts A / B / E + DDA C239 · 18 pp

PDF — download

Glass & balustrade

What the calculations run against.

The loading and product standards behind our engineering. The DBC adopts ASCE/SEI 7-16 for loads; the UAE Fire Code cites EN 12600, ANSI Z97.1 and 16 CFR 1202 directly; BS 6180 is our cross-check on barrier loads; the EN product standards define the laminated, toughened and heat-strengthened glass we specify. Paid standards link to their publishers.

LoadingAdopted by DBC K.8.4

ASCE/SEI 7-16 — Minimum Design Loads

Stair live loads · guard & handrail loads

The load basis the Dubai Building Code adopts for stairs and guards — assemblies must withstand its concentrated and uniform loads, with laminated glass holding in place if shattered.

Publisher → asce.org

LoadingBSI

BS 6180 — Barriers in and about buildings

Code of practice · barrier design loads

The horizontal line-load and infill-load cross-check we run alongside the ASCE values on every balustrade calculation.

Publisher → bsigroup.com

Cited by UAE codeBSI / CEN

BS EN 12600 — Pendulum impact classification

Safety-glazing impact test · class 1(B)1

The impact test and classification the Fire Code requires safety glazing to pass. Sets the safe-breakage rating on our glass.

Publisher → bsigroup.com

BSI / CEN

BS EN 14449 — Laminated & laminated safety glass

Product standard · interlayer

Conformity standard for the laminated glass mandated in structural balustrades. Governs the PVB / SGP interlayer build-up.

Publisher → bsigroup.com

BSI / CEN

BS EN 12150 — Thermally toughened safety glass

Product standard · fully tempered

Defines the fully-tempered plies used inside laminated balustrade panels and in shower / partition work.

Publisher → bsigroup.com

BSI / CEN

BS EN 1863 — Heat-strengthened glass

Product standard · heat-strengthened

The second permitted balustrade glass type under §2.17.6 — laminated heat-strengthened, for stronger post-breakage hold.

Publisher → bsigroup.com

ASTM

ANSI Z97.1 / ASTM — Safety glazing materials

US impact standard · listed by the FLSC

The American impact classification the Fire Code lists alongside EN 12600 for safety-glazing conformity.

Publisher → astm.org

CPSC · free

16 CFR 1201 — Architectural glazing safety

CPSC safety standard · Cat. I / II

The US federal architectural-glazing standard the Fire Code lists alongside EN 12600 — freely readable on eCFR. ADIBC Ch. 24 references Cat. II for glass in guards.

Open source → ecfr.gov

Who approves your project

It depends where you build.

Two things set your approval route: the building-control authority that issues the permit, and — in a managed community — the master-developer NOC that clears community and aesthetic guidelines. The authority also decides which regime above applies. The tables map the common cases.

Dubai

Where the project sits	Building-control authority	Master-developer NOC
Mainland freehold / leasehold — Jumeirah, Al Barsha, Business Bay, Downtown, Deira	Dubai Municipality · BPS	Usually none
Meraas islands & districts — Pearl Jumeirah, Bluewaters, City Walk, La Mer, Port de la Mer	Dubai Municipality · BPS	Meraas
Emaar communities — Emirates Hills, Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, Dubai Marina	Dubai Municipality · BPS	Emaar
Palm Jumeirah	Trakhees · CED	Nakheel
Other Nakheel communities — Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Park, The Springs, Al Furjan	Dubai Municipality · BPS	Nakheel
Other developers — DAMAC Hills, Sobha Hartland, wasl & Dubai Properties communities	Dubai Municipality · BPS	DAMAC / Sobha / Wasl / Dubai Properties
Media & tech districts — d3, Dubai Media & Internet City, Knowledge Park, Production City	Dubai Development Authority	Per district
Free zones — JAFZA, Dubai World Central, JLT	Trakhees / DMCC	Per zone

Abu Dhabi

Where the project sits	Building-control authority	Master-developer DRM
Abu Dhabi city and islands under municipal jurisdiction	DMT · Abu Dhabi City Municipality	—
Yas Island, Saadiyat, Al Raha and Aldar destinations	DMT · ADM	Aldar
Jubail Island	DMT · ADM	Jubail Island Investment Co. (LEAD)
Al Reem Island	ADGM jurisdiction since 2018	Confirm per project
Al Ain · Al Dhafra	DMT · regional municipality	Per development

Constant across every row: Civil Defence fire & life-safety approval is always required — Dubai Civil Defence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi — and the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code is the technical rulebook regardless of which authority processes the permit. The developer NOC never replaces the authority permit — it sits on top of it.

The approval path

From drawing to handover.

The typical route for a staircase / glass package inside a UAE submission. The CAworks tag marks our own touchpoints; the Varies tag marks the steps that change with location per the matrix above.

Design & engineering CAworks

Shop drawings + structural calculations

Staircase and balustrade detailed to the geometry regime for the plot — DBC Part K, Trakhees §13 or ADIBC §1009 — and to UAE Fire Code §2.17.6, with loads run to ASCE/SEI 7-16 and BS 6180 and glass verified to EN 12600. Output: stamped drawings and calcs.

Consultant coordination

Consultant / main-contractor review

The engineering consultant reviews the package and folds the staircase and glass into the overall building design submission.

Master developer Varies

Community NOC / DRM — if in a managed community

Where the plot sits in a developer-managed community, the master-developer review (Emaar, Nakheel, Meraas, DAMAC in Dubai; Aldar or JIIC design review in Abu Dhabi) clears community guidelines before the authority permit. A plain mainland plot skips this. See the matrix above.

Building-control authority Varies

Building permit — DM, Trakhees, DDA or DMT

The consultant submits to the authority for the location — Dubai Municipality's BPS for the mainland, Trakhees for the Palm and PCFC free zones, the DDA for media / tech districts, or DMT / ADM in Abu Dhabi under the ADIBC — with the UAE Fire Code cross-referenced.

Civil Defence

Fire & life-safety design approval

Civil Defence — DCD in Dubai, ADCD in Abu Dhabi — reviews the life-safety drawings, including glazing and guards, and issues preliminary approval before installation begins. Applies to every location.

Conformity

Material & product certification

Glass and fire-safety materials confirmed as ECAS-certified and Civil-Defence listed, with product data and test certificates ready for inspection.

Fabrication & install CAworks

Fabricate, install & inspect

Manufactured and installed to the approved drawings, followed by Civil Defence and authority / consultant site inspection against the sign-off package.

Completion

Civil Defence certificate → Building Completion Certificate

Civil Defence issues its completion certificate; the authority then issues the Building Completion Certificate — the gate to legal handover and occupancy.

Common questions

The questions we get most.

Does the 14-step / landing rule apply to my villa?

It depends on the plot. Under DBC Part K — mainland Dubai villas — no intermediate landing is required regardless of floor-to-floor height; a 19-riser flight is compliant. Under Trakhees — the Palm, JAFZA, Dubai South — the main stair is capped at 14 steps in one direction, so the same stair needs a landing. In Abu Dhabi the cap is expressed as vertical rise: up to 3.66 m per flight. Which regime governs is decided by the building-control authority for your plot — see the matrix above.

Do the Dubai numbers apply to my Yas Island or Jubail Island villa?

No. Abu Dhabi runs on the ADIBC 2013 — different limits, different clause numbering, and a Group R-3 dwelling classification whose exceptions govern villa stairs. A 184 mm riser fails in Dubai and passes in Abu Dhabi; winder and headroom minimums differ too. Use the Abu Dhabi section above, and expect the master developer's design review (Aldar, JIIC) on top of the DMT permit.

My existing stair void cannot fit a compliant stair — what are my options?

The DBC has a formal route: clause A.8 permits performance-based alternative solutions where the prescribed requirements cannot reasonably be met, or where compliance in an existing building would cost disproportionately. The consultant demonstrates equivalence and the Authority decides. Note that a design approved before the DBC is only exempt as built — a replacement staircase is a change, assessed under A.8(b). We prepare the geometry and comparable-standard evidence for that argument; it is a documented, workable path.

Does a residential villa in Dubai have to follow the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code?

Yes. The code applies to all building types, private villas included. Dubai Civil Defence enforces it, and its completion certificate is required before the authority issues the Building Completion Certificate. Villas are lighter than towers on active systems like sprinklers, but the passive rules — guard height, the sphere rule, and the laminated-glass requirement — are not waived.

Does a glass staircase barrier have to be laminated glass?

Yes. Under §2.17.6, structural balustrade panels must be laminated fully-tempered glass with a structural interlayer, or laminated heat-strengthened glass. Monolithic toughened glass on its own is not accepted for a structural barrier, because it disappears when it breaks and removes the barrier at the moment of failure. The same outcome applies in Abu Dhabi via ADIBC Chapter 24 and the FLSC.

Is it the UAE Fire Code or DDA that I have to comply with?

Not either/or. The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code is the technical rulebook; DDA, Dubai Municipality, Trakhees and DMT are authorities that enforce it within their areas. Complying with your authority means complying with the code.

Who approves my project — the municipality, Trakhees or the master developer?

It depends on location. Building-control is Dubai Municipality for mainland plots, Trakhees for designated free zones such as the Palm, the DDA for media and tech districts, or DMT / ADM in Abu Dhabi. Most managed communities also require a master-developer NOC or design review from Emaar, Nakheel, Meraas, DAMAC, Aldar and others. Civil Defence approval applies everywhere. The tables above map the common cases.

Can I use toughened glass instead of laminated to save cost?

Not for a structural balustrade panel under the UAE code. Laminated glass holds together after breakage; toughened glass does not. Monolithic infill is only permitted where a compliant continuous top rail carries the load independently of the glass.

Designing a staircase or glass barrier? We handle the code compliance as part of the engineering — stamped drawings, laminated glass certified to the UAE Fire Code, and the submission pack your consultant and Civil Defence need, in whichever emirate the project sits.

Talk to our engineering team →

Provided for general information, current as of August 2026, and not a substitute for project-specific engineering or legal advice. Code editions in force confirmed August 2026 — verify with the relevant authority before submitting. International standards (BS · EN · ASTM · ANSI · ASCE) are the property of their publishers. Jurisdictions shown are Dubai and Abu Dhabi; other emirates apply local rules over the same UAE federal Fire Code.