A smoking area is a regulated room with its own enclosure, air and signage rules.
Smoking in public places is controlled under federal tobacco legislation and local public health rules. Where designated areas are allowed, they must be separated, ventilated and signed properly. We assess eligibility, design the area and manage approvals.
Smoking in enclosed public and workplace premises is generally prohibited. Any permitted area must meet specific design and operating conditions.
A smoking area is approved when the premises is eligible and the room is separated, ventilated and signed correctly.
Federal tobacco control legislation and Dubai’s public health rules restrict smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces. Where designated smoking areas are permitted, they are treated as controlled exceptions with design conditions attached.
Operators should confirm first whether their type of premises can have a smoking area at all, and then design it so smoke doesn’t reach non-smoking spaces.
Smoking area approvals commonly cover
Rules vary by premises type and change over time. Confirm the current requirement before design.
Public health leads, but fire, landlord and licensing bodies all play a role.
Confirm whether a smoking area is allowed at all for your premises before drawing a room.
A smoking area approval commonly involves:
What a wrong assumption costs you
Check premises type, location in the building and shared air systems before design.
The exact service depends on your project. These are the approvals most relevant to this type of work.
Not every premises can have a smoking area, and location within the building matters.
Do this before drawing the room.
The room must be fully separated so smoke can’t migrate.
Dedicated extraction keeps air moving outwards, not into neighbouring areas.
Shared air-conditioning is not acceptable in practice.
Clear signs set expectations and make enforcement easier.
Smoking spaces need detection and fire planning suited to smoke and ash.
Systems only work if cleaned, tested and recorded.
A smoking room can look perfect and still fail because air leaks out of it.
If smoke can drift out, the room has failed. Air must always flow into it, never out.
Negative pressure is the core of the design.
A well-designed room draws air in from adjacent spaces and extracts it directly outside, with discharge placed away from air intakes, windows and people. The design is proven by testing, not by assumption.
There’s no universal process for every project, but most approvals follow this logic. Following the order prevents most avoidable problems.
Confirm that the premises can have a smoking area.
Check landlord rules, shared air systems and available space.
Verify dimensions, ceiling voids and extraction routes.
Engage a designer and ventilation engineer.
Position the room away from entrances and non-smoking areas.
Size extract, make-up air and negative pressure.
Add detection, alarm and exit measures.
Lodge landlord, authority and Civil Defence packages.
Build to the approved design and test air balance.
Complete inspection, signage and maintenance setup.
There’s no universal list. Pick a group to see what a typical project may need.
Requirements depend on the service, so we confirm the exact list for your project before you gather anything.
Requirements depend on the service, so we confirm the exact list for your project before you gather anything.
Requirements depend on the service, so we confirm the exact list for your project before you gather anything.
Requirements depend on the service, so we confirm the exact list for your project before you gather anything.
Requirements depend on the service, so we confirm the exact list for your project before you gather anything.
Don’t reuse an old checklist. Always check the current service-specific requirements. A document list from a previous project shouldn’t be copied across to a new one.
A smoking area involves owners, designers, engineers and managers. Here’s what each must know.
Check eligibility first. Don’t assume a room is allowed because others have one.
Locate and enclose the room for separation, not just appearance.
Prove negative pressure and discharge, don’t just draw them.
Seal the room properly and build exactly to the approved design.
Control shared air systems and complaints.
For contractors and engineers
Approvals planning before building avoids the most common smoking-room failures.
Skip this and a finished room can fail its air test.
For installers, the key line is approved air balance versus site shortcuts. Take extra caution with:
A premises can look suitable and still be ineligible or impractical for a smoking area.
The right order
Confirm eligibility, ventilation route and landlord consent before committing to a room.
The costly order
A finished room that can’t be used is a pure loss.
The fastest strategy usually isn’t rushing the submission. It’s removing uncertainty before you submit.
Room is not permitted.
Separation fails review.
Air systems aren’t independent.
Required notices are absent.
Detection and exits disagree.
Discharge or shared air issues remain.
Drawings don’t match the building.
Comments are answered in fragments.
Most delays come from rooms designed before eligibility and air balance were checked.
A clean first submission is usually worth more than submitting early with unresolved issues.
Three questions to settle before you plan the programme.
There’s no single answer. Eligibility, design, approval and testing all add time. Timing depends on:
Costs depend on room size and ventilation scope. Price each element separately. Typical components:
Can you allow smoking before approval?
A submitted application is not permission to allow smoking.
Pre-submission checklist
Tick each item as you confirm it. It’s a quick way to spot what is still open before you spend time on a submission.
Always verify the latest requirements. Checklists, workflows and regulatory requirements change over time. For a live application, confirm the current position with the public health authority, Civil Defence and your landlord before you submit.
They’re a design input. Before committing to a design, lease, contractor or programme, answer these five questions.
Once these are answered, the smoking area approval process becomes far more predictable: fewer redesigns, less risk of an unsuitable premises and a protected approval status.
Straight answers on authorities, documents, timing and what to avoid.
No. Smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces is restricted, so eligibility must be confirmed first.
Generally a fully separated room with independent extraction, negative pressure, signage and fire provisions.
Shared systems risk spreading smoke and are usually unacceptable, so independent ventilation is normally needed.
Yes. Clear signage and age notices are standard requirements.
Air balance and pressure should be tested and recorded to prove the design works.
No. It is a private approval. Regulated works also need authority approvals.
Outdoor areas also have location and proximity conditions, so confirm before planning.
Yes. Tobacco control rules can be tightened, so verify the current position before committing.
Can’t find your answer? Ask a consultant and we’ll confirm the route for your project.
Send us the premises type and where you want the room. We’ll check eligibility and design requirements before you build.