Site signage
Construction site signage in Abu Dhabi and the UAE
A construction site in Abu Dhabi has to display a site OSH notice board (ADOSH-SF CoP 53.1), safety signs in Arabic and English to CoP 17.0, and — since October 2024 — a QR code board at the entrance in place of the printed project board. In Dubai, DM Circular 11-1-1 sets the project information sign and a safety instructions sign at the gate. Around them sit the hoarding, the temporary traffic signs and, on energy sites, H2S, muster and pipeline markers.
The site signage set
One page per item: the types used on UAE sites, the standard sizes, the specification and the clauses each one answers to.
ADOSH-SF CoP 53.1
Site OSH notice board
The board at the gate that carries the licence, Form H, OSH policy, emergency plan and site rules — ten items set by CoP 53.1, in Arabic and English.
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DMT, since October 2024
Project QR code board
The QR code at the gate that replaced the printed project board in Abu Dhabi from October 2024 — reads live permit data from MePS.
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ISO 7010 · ADOSH-SF CoP 17.0
Safety signs
Prohibition, warning, mandatory and emergency signs in Arabic and English — colours, shapes and sizes as CoP 17.0 and the Dubai code set them.
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Temporary fence licence · DM Circular 12-4-1
Site hoarding
The temporary perimeter fence and its graphics — at least 2 m in Dubai, 2.5 m in Abu Dhabi, gaps no more than 5 cm, licensed and maintained.
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DM Circular 12-4-1 · DM Code Ch. 8
Scaffold & facade mesh
Perforated PVC mesh that screens and contains a scaffold or a facade while letting wind through — specified by open area, weight, finishing and fixing.
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Work-zone traffic management manuals · DM Code Ch. 6
Work-zone traffic signs & barricades
Road-works warning signs, detour and lane-closure signs, barricade boards and STOP/SLOW paddles — sized by road speed, on Type IV reflective sheeting.
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CoP 17.0 §3.8 · project specifications
Oil & gas site signs
Pipeline route markers, H2S warning signs, muster points, pipe labels and tag plates — to CoP 17.0 §3.8 and the operator’s project specification.
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UAE Fire & Life Safety Code
Photoluminescent exit signs
Exit, escape-route and fire equipment signs that glow in a power failure — green for escape, red for fire equipment, to the fire code and the approved drawings.
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DM Circular 11-1-1
Dubai project signboard
The project information sign with the DM logo and licence numbers, and the safety instructions sign at 70 × 130 or 60 × 100 cm — DM Circular 11-1-1.
Read moreWhat the codes ask for, by emirate
The same item answers to a different document in each emirate. Where a code is silent, the project specification governs.
| Item | Abu Dhabi | Dubai |
|---|---|---|
| Site notice / safety instructions | Site OSH notice board — ADOSH-SF CoP 53.1 | Safety instructions sign at the entrance — DM Circular 11-1-1; DM Code §2-14 |
| Project information | QR code board at the entrance — DMT guidelines, October 2024 | Project information sign with licence numbers — DM Circular 11-1-1 |
| Safety signs | ADOSH-SF CoP 17.0 — colours, shapes, Arabic and English | DM Code Ch. 6; DM-HSD-GU99-SSW2 (ISO 7010 symbols) |
| Hoarding | Temporary fence licence — Abu Dhabi City Municipality | DM Circular 12-4-1 — at least 2 m, gaps no more than 5 cm |
| Scaffold and facade containment | Project specification | DM Circular 12-4-1; DM Code Ch. 8 — PVC or HDPE mesh |
| Temporary traffic signs | Abu Dhabi Work Zone Traffic Management Manual; ITC detour permit | DM Code §6.4 and the authority’s work-zone requirements |
| Exit and fire equipment signs | UAE Fire & Life Safety Code | UAE Fire & Life Safety Code; DM Code §6.2 |
| Plant and pipeline marking | CoP 17.0 §3.8 and the operator’s project specification | The operator’s project specification |
How a site’s signage list is put together
- 1
The permit decides the gate
The emirate and the permit decide which boards stand at the entrance — the OSH board and QR board in Abu Dhabi, the project and safety instructions signs in Dubai.
- 2
The risk assessment decides the signs
Each hazard that remains after other controls gets its sign: prohibition, warning, mandatory, emergency or fire equipment, in the ISO 7010 family.
- 3
Viewing distance decides the size
A sign is sized for the distance it has to be read from, not for the space on the fence. The size tables on each page start from that.
- 4
Duration and exposure decide the material
A six-week detour and a three-year plant marker are different builds: substrate, reflective sheeting, UV protection and fixing follow how long it stays out.
Questions about site signage
What signs are mandatory on a construction site in Abu Dhabi?
At minimum a site OSH notice board under ADOSH-SF CoP 53.1, safety signs to CoP 17.0 for the hazards identified in the risk assessment, emergency and assembly point signs, and the DMT QR board at the entrance. Hoarding needs a temporary fence licence, and work on or beside a road needs signs to the work-zone traffic manual.
Do site signs in the UAE have to be in Arabic and English?
Yes. CoP 17.0 in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Municipality code both require Arabic and English, and the Dubai code adds the language of the majority of the workforce. Symbols follow ISO 7010 so the meaning reads without words.
Is the printed project board still required in Abu Dhabi?
Since October 2024 the Department of Municipalities and Transport replaced the printed project details with a QR code at the site entrance, generated from the permit system. In Dubai the project information sign under DM Circular 11-1-1 still applies.
Which standard do safety sign symbols follow?
ISO 7010 for the symbols and ISO 3864 for the colours and shapes. Abu Dhabi’s CoP 17.0 and Dubai’s technical guideline on safety signs both refer to them.
Can one order cover several sites?
Yes. Signs are packed and labelled by site so nothing is sorted on arrival, and each site list is quoted against the same specification.
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