Signage Design & Installation
Architectural and illuminated signage across Abu Dhabi and Dubai - from design and shop drawings through landlord and authority approvals, fabrication management, and installation, delivered as one accountable package.
Who commissions this work
Signage sits at the intersection of branding, construction, and regulation. A shopfront sign involves artwork, structural fixing, electrical connection, landlord consent, and an authority permit - and a gap in any one of them stops the whole package. Clients come to us to hold all of it together.
New outlets & rebrands
F&B and retail operators opening a unit or rolling out a rebrand who need fascia, lettering, and wayfinding delivered to an opening date.
Offices & commercial buildings
Reception signage, building identification, and wayfinding schemes coordinated with the building owner and management.
Replacement & upgrade
Existing signage that is dated, damaged, or non-compliant - surveyed, removed, and replaced with the surrounding fabric made good.
One package: design, approvals, fabrication, installation
Specialist works delivered with the planning, coordination, quality control, and commercial discipline expected from a professional fit-out contractor.
We treat signage the way we treat any construction package: it is surveyed, drawn, approved, fabricated to the drawings, and installed under supervision. Your brand guidelines and artwork are the design authority; our shop drawings translate them into something that can be approved, built, fixed to the building, and powered safely.
Approvals are managed in the right order - landlord or mall consent, then the authority signage permit - so fabrication starts against an approved design rather than a hopeful one.
Design & shop drawings
Signage designs developed from your brand guidelines and artwork, with dimensioned shop drawings covering construction, fixing, and illumination details.
Approvals managed
Landlord and mall approval submissions and authority signage permit applications prepared and tracked as part of the package.
Fabrication management
Fabrication placed against approved drawings, with material, finish, and illumination checks before anything leaves the workshop.
Engineered installation
Structural fixing designed for the substrate and sign weight, power coordinated with the building's electrical installation, and at-height access planned and permitted.
Signage types we deliver
Shopfront fascia
Fascia signage for retail and F&B units - illuminated or non-illuminated, coordinated with the shopfront construction and mall criteria.
3D built-up lettering
Built-up letters in stainless steel, aluminium, acrylic, and combinations - face-lit, halo-lit, or non-illuminated.
Lightboxes
Internally illuminated lightboxes and panel signs, fabricated with serviceable access to the illumination.
Wayfinding
Directional and statutory wayfinding schemes for commercial buildings, offices, and hospitality properties.
Window & wall graphics
Applied graphics and vinyl coordinated with the wider signage scheme and landlord requirements.
Signage replacement
Survey, safe disconnection and removal of existing signs, installation of the new signage, and making good the façade or fascia behind.
The approvals are half the job
In the UAE, external and mall signage requires consent before installation - typically from the landlord or mall management and from the relevant authority. Fabricating first and asking later is how signs end up removed at the operator's cost. We sequence the package so that never happens.
Landlord & mall submissions
Drawings and specifications prepared to the landlord's or mall's design criteria and submitted for consent, with comments closed out formally.
Authority signage permits
Permit applications compiled and submitted to the relevant municipality or authority, with the approved documents retained for your records.
Power & structural coordination
Electrical supply, isolation, and control coordinated with the building installation; fixings designed for the substrate, exposure, and sign weight.
Installation logistics
At-height access, road or walkway protection where required, out-of-hours installation in trading environments, and commissioning of illumination.
Suitable projects and what you receive
Single-unit shopfronts, multi-outlet rebrand programmes, building identification, and wayfinding schemes - as standalone signage packages or within a wider NASH fit-out.
Survey & shop drawings
A site survey of the fascia or mounting location, followed by dimensioned shop drawings for approval and fabrication.
Approval documentation
Landlord submission packages and authority permit applications, tracked to approval before fabrication commits.
Installed, commissioned signage
Supervised installation, electrical connection and testing of illuminated signs, and handover with the approval records.
Signage - common questions
Who obtains the signage permit?
We do, as part of the package. Authority requirements vary between emirates and between locations - street-facing units, malls, and free zones each have their own process - so we prepare the application with the drawings and documents that jurisdiction expects, submit it, and track it to approval. You receive copies of the approved documents for your records.
What artwork files do you need?
Vector artwork of your logo and lettering - typically AI, EPS, or vector PDF - plus your brand guidelines if you have them, covering colours and clear-space rules. Vector files matter because signs are fabricated at full scale; a low-resolution image cannot be enlarged cleanly. If you only have raster files, tell us - artwork can usually be redrawn, and we will confirm the redraw with you before fabrication.
What makes illuminated signage cost more than non-illuminated?
Illumination adds fabrication complexity (translucent faces or halo returns, internal LED modules, serviceable access), an electrical scope (power supply, drivers, isolation, connection, and testing), and usually more demanding approval documentation. Size, letter construction, mounting height, and access also drive cost in both cases. We set the options out qualitatively in the proposal so you can compare them on a defined scope, not a guess.
How does mall or landlord approval work?
Most malls and managed buildings publish signage design criteria - permitted zones, maximum dimensions, illumination rules, and material requirements. We prepare the submission to those criteria, respond to comments from the landlord's design team, and only release fabrication once consent is issued. Where the criteria conflict with your brand standard, we flag it early and agree the compliant option with you.
Can you replace existing signage?
Yes. Replacement packages start with a survey of the existing sign, its fixings, and its electrical supply. The old sign is safely isolated, disconnected, and removed; the fascia or façade behind is made good; and the new signage is installed against approved drawings. Where the existing permit needs updating for the new design, that is handled within the same package.
Discuss your signage package
Tell us what the signage needs to do and where it is going. We will review the details, confirm the approval route, and come back to you with a clear next step.
Opening a new outlet, not just hanging a sign?
NASH delivers complete F&B, retail, and commercial fit-outs across the UAE - signage included. Put the whole opening under one accountable partner.
Start a Project