Fit-out and modification approvals across Dubai Internet City, Media City, Knowledge Park, Design District, Studio City, Production City and Science Park.
What DDA governs
Dubai Development Authority, still widely referred to by its former name TECOM, regulates a group of specialised business clusters in Dubai. Properties inside these communities follow DDA procedures rather than Dubai Municipality, with their own portal, drawing standards and review sequence.
Communities covered
- Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource City
- Dubai Media City, Studio City and Production City
- Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City
- Dubai Design District (d3)
- Dubai Science Park and Dubai Industrial City
What the review covers
DDA reviews the architectural and MEP design, fire and life safety, and compliance with the specific building management rules of the cluster your unit sits in. Individual buildings within these communities often add their own landlord fit-out guidelines on top of the DDA requirements, covering permitted working hours, material delivery routes and finish standards.
Typical timeline
Most fit-outs clear in 10 to 20 working days. Building management NOCs are usually required alongside the DDA submission and can be obtained in parallel, but they need to be started early — waiting for the DDA approval before requesting the building NOC adds a week for no reason.