TL;DR
Al Sa'fat — Dubai Green Building System replaced the Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications from 19 October 2020, and every new building must meet the mandatory requirements to obtain the Silver Sa'fa.
Al Sa'fat does not mandate rooftop solar PV on every new building. The 10% on-site solar generation requirement (Regulation 504.03) sits at Golden and Platinum Sa'fa — the voluntary higher tiers.
What is mandatory at Silver is narrower: sustainable hot water heating — solar thermal in practice — under 504.02, roof and wall Solar Reflectance Index minimums under 304.01, and — if you install PV — compliance with DEWA's rules under 504.01.
Al Sa'fat approval and DEWA Shams Dubai grid connection are two separate processes. Passing one does not deliver the other.
Al Sa'fat's solar clauses are written for new buildings. Solar on existing Dubai stock is driven by economics, reporting pressure and emirate-level strategy — not by a retrofit mandate.
If you are asking whether Al Sa'fat forces you to put panels on your roof, the short answer for a standard new building is no. Al Sa'fat sets a mandatory Silver baseline that is largely about envelope performance, efficiency and water heating. The explicit solar PV generation obligation only bites when a project targets Golden or Platinum.
That distinction matters commercially, because it is routinely blurred. The 10% figure is often presented as if it applied to all new construction in Dubai. It does not, and pricing a project on that assumption inflates budgets.
None of this is hard to comply with. Your design consultant handles the Al Sa'fat submissions as part of the permit package, and a DEWA-enrolled contractor handles the grid side. This article exists so you can read the drawings and challenge the claims — not so you have to run the process yourself.
What Al Sa'fat is, and what it replaced
Dubai Municipality states plainly: "Starting from 19 October 2020, Al Sa'fat – Dubai Green Building System will replace Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications" (Dubai Municipality).
The tier structure is three levels, not four. Al Sa'fat "includes a set of mandatory requirements for all new buildings to obtain the Silver Sa'fa," while "owners aiming to achieve higher performance may apply a set of additional requirements to achieve the Golden or Platinum Sa'fa" (Dubai Municipality). The tiers are cumulative: "targeted Sa'fa requirements and all preceding Sa'fa requirements must be met" (Practice Guide, Al Sa'fat Regulations Rev 01).
So: Silver is the floor and it is compulsory. Golden and Platinum are elective, and they are where the hard solar numbers live.
Regulation 201.01 groups typologies as villas (private, investment and Arabic houses), residential and commercial buildings, public buildings and industrial buildings. In mixed-use buildings "each portion of the building must comply with the relevant regulations for that particular typology" (Al Sa'fat – Dubai Green Building System, 2nd edition, Jan 2023).
The three renewable energy regulations, precisely
Everything solar in Al Sa'fat sits in section 504. Read them as a set — they do different jobs.
504.01 — On-Site Renewable Energy: Small to Medium Scale Embedded Generators (Silver)
This is a conditional regulation, and where most of the confusion starts: "For all new buildings, where a building incorporates on-site generation of electricity from a solar photovoltaic system, it can be a solar grid connected system or a solar off-grid system" (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
It governs how you do PV if you do PV. It does not require you to do PV. A grid-connected generator "shall be connected to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) network, operated and maintained according to DEWA regulations"; off-grid backup load must be declared in the Total Connected Load. No minimum PV capacity or percentage is specified, and the only design-permit submission listed is the "DM BLDG Al Sa'fat declaration" (Practice Guide).
504.02 — Sustainable Water Heating System (Silver)
This one is a mandatory Silver requirement, and it is the closest thing Al Sa'fat has to a blanket solar obligation.
The 2nd edition states that "Central or decentralized hot water systems shall be configured utilizing a sustainable hot water heating technology, such as solar hot water," with two carve-outs: where such a system "would be impractical due to tenancy, metering, and pipework distribution constraints," or where "local point-of-use electric water heaters would provide a more energy-efficient design solution." It sets a design target of "75% of the total hot water daily demand being produced by the solar hot water system," and for Golden and Platinum "this regulation is applied for all building typologies" (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
The earlier practice guide phrases the scope by building type instead: "For all new villas, labour accommodations, hotels, mosques, and educational facilities, sustainable water heaters must be used to provide the total demand of hot water for the building." It also records that solar hot water systems must come from "DM/DEWA approved companies" and be certified by Dubai Central Laboratory (Practice Guide).
Those two formulations are not identical. The practice guide is Rev 01 and predates the 2nd edition, so where scope matters, work from the 2023 regulation text and confirm the current interpretation with Dubai Municipality before fixing the MEP design.
504.03 — On-Site Renewable Energy: Electrical Power Generation (Golden and Platinum)
Here is the 10% clause everyone quotes: "For Golden and Platinum Sa'fa and for all new buildings, the electrical power shall be generated on-site using solar panels. The power generation shall be 10% of the electrical load of the building (excluding electrical loads for fire extinguishing system, air conditioning units and air conditioning system pumps). If sufficient space is not available … the electrical power shall be generated to cover 30% of the lighting load of the common areas, provided that the capacity of the solar panels shall not be less than 20 kWp" (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
Read the opening clause carefully. "For Golden and Platinum Sa'fa and for all new buildings" means: within those tiers, it applies to all new buildings. Both the 2nd edition tier tables and the practice guide list 504.03 under Golden Sa'fa, not Silver (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition; Practice Guide). The edition hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure shows the same placement (MOEI copy of Al Sa'fat).
If someone tells you Dubai law requires 10% on-site solar on your new building, ask them which Sa'fa the project is targeting. If the answer is Silver, the requirement does not apply.
Comparing options for a Golden or Platinum project? Request free quotes through one form — no markup, no obligation, and the responses come straight from installers.
Requirement map: what applies to whom
Requirement | Regulation | Applies to | Tier status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PV must follow DEWA rules if installed; off-grid load declared in TCL | 504.01 | All new buildings, all typologies — only where PV is incorporated | Silver (mandatory, conditional) | |
Sustainable / solar hot water; designer targets 75% of daily hot water demand | 504.02 | New buildings per regulation text; practice guide lists villas, labour accommodation, hotels, mosques, educational facilities | Silver (mandatory, with two stated exceptions) | |
504.02 extended to all building typologies | 504.02(2) | All typologies | Golden and Platinum | |
On-site solar PV at 10% of building electrical load (AC and fire loads excluded); fallback 30% of common-area lighting load, minimum 20 kWp | 504.03 | All new buildings within the tier, villas not excluded | Golden and Platinum only | |
Roof and wall SRI minimums over 75% of roof area and 100% of external walls | 304.01 | All new buildings | Silver (mandatory) | |
Glazed façade orientation; requirement exempted where BIPV is used | 304.05 | All new buildings; listed as optional for private and investment villas | Silver optional / Golden and Platinum | |
Green roof over at least 30% of roof area; exempts the building from 304.01 | 304.03 | All new buildings | Platinum only | |
Open corridors and public areas cooled by renewable energy systems | 502.18 | New buildings other than villas | Platinum only | |
Energy savings of 15% (Golden) or 20% (Platinum) versus a Silver-designed building, allowing listed requirements to be replaced | 505.03 | All new buildings within the tier | Golden and Platinum |
The roof SRI requirement — the one people miss
Regulation 304.01, Urban Heat Island Effect, is in the Silver mandatory list. It requires that "opaque building envelope surfaces shall have an SRI value not less than that shown in Table (1) 304.01 … for a minimum of 75% of the roof area and 100% of the external walls." The table sets an SRI of at least 78 for flat and low-sloped roofs (slopes at or below 1:6), and at least 29 for steep sloped roofs and for external walls (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
This is a finishes requirement, not a solar one — but it shapes roof planning, because PV arrays, plant and a high-SRI finish compete for the same surface. Bring the PV layout into the design permit conversation early.
The performance route, and how solar can earn its place
Regulation 201.03 gives two energy compliance routes. The Elemental Method is standard: "All buildings must comply with each of these regulations." The Performance Method "must compare the annual energy consumption of the proposed building with that of a reference building which meets all the elemental requirements," modelled "as per ASHRAE 90.1 appendix G." For Golden and Platinum, Regulation 505.03 lets listed requirements be replaced by performance-enhancing techniques provided savings versus a Silver-designed building reach "at least 15% for Golden Sa'fa and 20% for Platinum Sa'fa" (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
This is where PV becomes a compliance tool rather than a cost line. The practice guide states that "if the proposed design includes excessive on-site renewable energy when compared to Silver Sa'fa requirements, same can be subtracted from the proposed building" energy consumption (Practice Guide). Oversizing the array can buy headroom elsewhere in the design. Whether that is cheaper than the alternatives is a modelling question your consultant should answer with numbers, not instinct.
Al Sa'fat does not replace Shams Dubai
This is worth stating flatly because it causes real programme delays. Al Sa'fat is a Dubai Municipality building permit matter. Grid connection is a DEWA matter under Shams Dubai, which implements Council Resolution Number 46 of 2014 regulating the connection of solar energy to Dubai's power grid (DEWA). The practice guide accordingly lists "DEWA approval" among the construction completion submissions for 504.03 (Practice Guide).
DEWA's process runs in three stages — permits and connections application, inspection and connection, then generation — and the applicant is not the owner. DEWA advises customers to contact an enrolled consultant or contractor "who will act as the customer's agent" and who "will then submit the DEWA Getting Solar Permits & Connections application to DEWA" (DEWA FAQ). The same party notifies DEWA that fieldwork is complete and coordinates inspection, the connection agreement, meter installation and connection (DEWA).
Two thresholds are worth pricing into a commercial programme: for systems above 400 kW "the cost of some dedicated equipment for grid integration might be added to the standard connection fee," and "for installation above 100kW, a successful plant performance test needs to be carried out beforehand." Installed capacity is also capped by reference to your Total Connected Load (DEWA).
None of that is your paperwork. It is standard turnkey scope for an enrolled contractor, and the mechanics are covered in more depth in our guides to Shams Dubai net metering and the DEWA solar approval steps.
Need comparable numbers before you commit? Get free quotes from installers covering Dubai and Abu Dhabi — one request, no markup, quotes direct from the contractors.
Existing buildings: what actually drives retrofit solar
Al Sa'fat does contain requirements aimed at existing buildings — Regulation 401.07 on indoor air quality, 503.02 on re-commissioning of building services, and 502.14 requiring that in "all new and existing air-conditioned buildings" systems are serviced and maintained regularly (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition). The three renewable energy regulations are not among them: 504.01, 504.02 and 504.03 are each framed around new buildings (Practice Guide).
So what moves retrofit decisions on Dubai's existing stock is not a mandate. It is:
Tariff exposure and payback. The commercial case stands on its own arithmetic — see our commercial solar in Dubai guide.
Emirate-level strategy. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy targets clean energy at about 36 per cent of Dubai's energy mix by 2030, rising to 100 per cent of total energy consumption by 2050 (The Official Portal of the UAE Government).
Demand-side targets. The DSM Strategy 2050 aims for savings "of at least 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2050 compared to business as usual in electricity, water and transport fuel consumption" (Dubai Supreme Council of Energy).
Capacity headroom for large users. Beyond Shams Dubai, DEWA's D33 Solar PV Initiative states that "eligible companies can deploy captive solar PV generation capacity up to their total required load (maximum demand)" (DEWA).
Zero-capex structures. Where balance sheet is the constraint rather than the business case, a solar PPA or lease shifts the capital burden.
How Abu Dhabi compares
Abu Dhabi's equivalent is Estidama's Pearl Rating System, stricter at the entry point. An Executive Council Order of May 2010 requires that "all new buildings must meet the 1 Pearl requirements starting in September 2010, whilst all government funded buildings must achieve minimum 2 Pearls" (Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport).
Its baseline energy credit, RE-R1 Minimum Energy Performance, is "a requirement" with "no Credit Points awarded," and its performance route asks for "a minimum 12% performance improvement compared to the baseline building performance" per ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Appendix G. Critically for solar: "Energy generated through onsite renewable technologies … may be subtracted from the proposed building energy consumption" (Estidama Information Bulletin #8, DMT). The pattern is the same in both emirates: PV is a lever within an energy performance calculation, not a standalone mandate at the baseline tier.
One operational difference must not be blurred. Dubai runs net metering through Shams Dubai, where surplus is exported and DEWA "will offset the customer's bill accordingly" (DEWA). Abu Dhabi operates a self-supply framework under the Department of Energy's PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems for Self-Supply Policy (Abu Dhabi Department of Energy). That is not net metering, and export compensation should not be assumed — confirm treatment with the DoE or your distribution company. The two regimes are compared in our Abu Dhabi self-supply versus Dubai net metering guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Al Sa'fat require solar panels on all new buildings in Dubai?
No. The explicit on-site solar generation requirement is Regulation 504.03, which applies to Golden and Platinum Sa'fa — the voluntary higher tiers (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition). A building targeting the mandatory Silver Sa'fa is not obliged by that clause to install PV, though 504.01 governs how PV must be done if it is.
How much solar does Golden Sa'fa require?
Regulation 504.03 requires on-site generation equal to 10% of the building's electrical load, excluding fire extinguishing system loads, air conditioning units and air conditioning system pumps. Where space is insufficient, the fallback is 30% of the common-area lighting load, with panel capacity not less than 20 kWp (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition).
Do villas have to install solar water heaters in Dubai?
Regulation 504.02 is a Silver Sa'fa mandatory requirement, and the practice guide states that new villas, labour accommodation, hotels, mosques and educational facilities must use sustainable water heaters for total hot water demand (Practice Guide). The 2023 regulation text is worded more generally and allows two exceptions (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition). Confirm current scope with Dubai Municipality for your typology.
Does Al Sa'fat apply to an existing building I want to retrofit with solar?
Al Sa'fat contains obligations touching existing buildings, such as 401.07 and 503.02, but its three renewable energy regulations are framed for new buildings (Al Sa'fat 2nd edition). A retrofit PV project is principally a DEWA Shams Dubai process.
Does Al Sa'fat compliance mean DEWA will connect my system?
No. They are separate approvals. DEWA's connection procedure runs in three stages and is submitted by an enrolled consultant or contractor acting as the customer's agent (DEWA FAQ). Regulation 504.03's completion submissions expressly include DEWA approval (Practice Guide).
What to do next on a live project
Three questions settle most of the ambiguity, and you can ask them in a single email to your design consultant.
Which Sa'fa are we targeting? If it is Silver, 504.03 is off the table and any PV in the budget is a commercial decision, not a compliance one.
How is 504.02 being satisfied for our typology, and under which edition? Get the answer referenced to the January 2023 text, not a 2021 summary.
Who is submitting the DEWA application, and when? It should be a DEWA-enrolled consultant or contractor, and the timing should sit inside the construction programme rather than after it.
Nothing here requires you to become an Al Sa'fat specialist. Design consultants prepare these submissions routinely, and enrolled solar contractors run the DEWA process every week. Knowing the regulation numbers does something narrower and more useful: it lets you tell a correctly scoped proposal from an inflated one.
Sizing a compliant system? Compare free quotes from installers working across Dubai and Abu Dhabi — one form, no markup, no obligation, and responses come straight from the contractors themselves.
