Drive down Sheikh Zayed Road or along the Sharjah Corniche and you will see the UAE glass facade industry at its most ambitious: floor-to-ceiling glazed towers, double-skin curtain walls, and structural glass lobbies that blur the boundary between inside and outside.
But glass facades are not just for mega-projects. Residential villas, commercial offices, and retail units are increasingly specifying glass facade systems for their combination of aesthetics, natural light, and brand impact.
The Main Glass Facade Systems
1. Aluminium Curtain Wall
The most widely used commercial glass facade system in the UAE. Curtain wall is a non-structural outer skin — the aluminium frame carries only its own weight and transfers wind loads to the building structure via brackets. The glazed panels are held in place by aluminium mullions and transoms.
UAE considerations: Specify thermally broken mullions and transoms, Low-E glazing, and ensure the system has been independently tested to UAE Wind Load Standard. Facade engineers must calculate wind pressure for the specific building height and location.
2. Structural Glazing (SSG)
Structural silicone glazing bonds the glass panels directly to the aluminium frame using high-strength silicone adhesive — eliminating visible pressure caps and creating a flush, seamless exterior. The silicone carries both the dead load of the glass and wind suction forces.
SSG facades look cleaner and more contemporary than capped curtain wall. Widely used on premium commercial projects in the UAE. The structural silicone joint must be inspected every 10–15 years and re-sealed as required.
3. Unitised Curtain Wall
Complete frame-and-glass panels fabricated in the factory and craned into position floor by floor. Faster to install than stick-built curtain wall. Preferred for high-rise projects in the UAE where scaffold access is impractical. Typically used on towers above 20 storeys.
4. Spider Glass (Point-Fixed Glazing)
Glass panels supported by stainless steel point fixings drilled through the glass, with the load carried by a secondary steel or cable structure behind. The result is a near-invisible support system with dramatic transparency.
Common UAE applications: Hotel lobbies, airport terminals, retail atriums, luxury residential entrance canopies. Only laminated safety glass is used — typically 2x8mm or 2x10mm laminated toughened glass.
5. Ventilated Facades
Aluminium composite panels, solid aluminium, stone, or ceramic tiles fixed to a sub-frame with an air gap behind. The air cavity provides thermal insulation and allows penetrating moisture to drain away. Increasingly popular on UAE residential and mixed-use projects with a much longer lifespan than render finishes.
Key UAE Considerations
Solar Control: For any facade facing south, southwest, or west, specify glass with a Solar Factor (g-value) below 0.35. High-performance solar control glazing from Guardian, Saint-Gobain, and AGC is widely available in the UAE market.
Wind Load: Any glass facade on a building over two storeys requires a structural calculation by a qualified facade engineer, submitted for municipality approval.
Fire Performance: UAE fire codes require fire-rated glazing at certain locations — around stairwells, between floors, and adjacent to fire exits.
Project Timeline
- Design and Engineering (4–8 weeks)
- Authority Approval (2–6 weeks)
- Fabrication (4–10 weeks)
- Installation (2 weeks to 6+ months)
- Snagging and Handover
Al Refada Aluminium handles the full process — design coordination, authority submissions, fabrication, and installation — for glass facade projects across the UAE. Contact us for a consultation.