Kitchen Design in Dubai: Layouts, Materials, and Costs

In most Dubai homes, the kitchen has turned into the busiest space, and a design done right pays off around the clock Be it a compact apartment in Business Bay through to a sprawling villa on Palm Jumeirah, the plan you select governs how you cook, entertain, and get around the room Dubai’s weather, building codes, and dependence on imported materials all influence what works here and what silently fails after a couple of summers Ordered the way you should really decide, this guide starts with the layout, moves to the materials that survive local conditions, and closes with the budget Treat each figure below as a 2026 market-level estimate, not a fixed quote, since real numbers swing with brand, finish, and contractor By the end you ought to be able to brief a designer or fit-out firm without feeling lost

Choosing a Kitchen Layout That Works for Your Home

Everything else hangs on the layout, so it merits more attention than the shade of the cabinet fronts The right choice comes down to three things: the footprint you have, how many people are cooking together, and whether the kitchen opens onto a living area In Dubai, it is common to see apartment kitchens that are narrow and closed off, while villas frequently split into a show kitchen and a separate wet kitchen www.interior-designers.ae/services/office-interior-design/ for heavy cooking Before drawing a single cabinet, a good designer will trace your daily routine, charting the route between fridge, sink, and hob called the work triangle A well-judged, compact triangle is the difference between a kitchen that flows and one that never stops annoying you The two parts below cover the layouts that appear most often in local homes

Galley and L-Shaped Layouts in Apartment Homes

With two parallel banks of units along a corridor, galley kitchens are the most efficient option for narrow apartment footprints With everything a step or two away, which suits studios and one-bedroom units in the towers around Dubai Marina and Business Bay Running along two walls, the L-shaped layout leaves room in the corner for a small table or a compact breakfast bar Both plans work well when floor area sits between roughly 60 and 120 square feet, which is typical for apartment kitchens in the city Ventilation is critical here because compact rooms hold onto cooking odours, so a well-ducted extractor is worth putting ahead of a decorative one If you host often, keep at least one run free of appliances so you have genuine prep space rather than a surface lost under gadgets

Island and U-Shaped Kitchens for Villas

Given the space in a villa, an island or U-shaped plan becomes an option, and each changes how sociable the kitchen feels A U-shape runs storage along three walls of storage and counter space, packing in the most cabinetry per square foot for serious home cooks The island, a central block can take a second sink, a hob, or extra seating for family and guests Islands need ample clearance, ideally around 40 to 48 inches of walkway on every side, so they suit kitchens over roughly 200 square feet Many Dubai villa owners match a smart show kitchen with a separate closed wet kitchen, hiding strong-smelling cooking and heavy pans Thinking of a gas hob? Factor in the safety clearances and approvals early, since they influence where the island can sit

Open-Plan or Closed? The Dubai Ventilation Question

The open-plan kitchen looks fantastic in listings, but it comes with a very local caveat around cooking smells and heat Dubai households regularly prepare rich, aromatic dishes, and those aromas seep straight into soft furnishings when there is no wall to stop them This is why the two-kitchen model, a polished open one and a closed practical one, is now so common in villas and larger apartments If your home only has room for a single kitchen, fit a powerful ducted extractor and think carefully before knocking through to the living room Another factor is air-conditioning load, because an open kitchen pushes cooking heat into the very space your AC is already fighting to keep cool Weigh the sociable draw of open-plan against these realities, and be honest about how and how often you actually cook at home

Finishes That Survive Dubai’s Climate

Material choice is where a lot of money is either well spent or quietly wasted, because Dubai’s heat and humidity are merciless Because countertops take the most abuse, engineered quartz and porcelain are now the default for resisting heat, stains, and scratches Cabinet carcasses should be moisture-resistant, since even indoor humidity can swell cheap chipboard over a few summers of non-stop AC cycling Fronts in matt lacquer, acrylic, or PVC last well and hide fingerprints far better than high-gloss in a hard-working family kitchen Flooring is usually porcelain or large-format ceramic tile, which handles spills and stays cool underfoot in a way timber never will The short list below covers the finishes that keep performing in local homes

• Engineered quartz or porcelain countertops to shrug off heat, stains, and scratches.
• Moisture-resistant board or marine-grade plywood carcasses to handle humidity.
• Matt lacquer, acrylic, or laminate fronts that hide fingerprints and clean up fast.
• Porcelain or large-format ceramic flooring in place of solid wood.
• Stainless steel and powder-coated aluminium for sinks, handles, and hardware.
• Soft-close hinges and quality drawer runners, which take the daily punishment.

Kitchen Costs in Dubai in 2026

Because they combine joinery, stone, plumbing, electrics, and appliances in one tight space, kitchens cost more per square foot than almost any other room The figures below are 2026 market estimates and should be read as ranges, not quotes, since brand and finish shift the numbers dramatically As a rule of thumb, joinery and worktops take the biggest share of the budget, followed by appliances and then installation labour At the bespoke end you will find specialist kitchen and joinery firms such as Venezia Designs, ORA Group, and Al Banan Group, while broader fit-out contractors like Bond Interiors run their own joinery production Where you land in the table depends on whether you buy modular units or fully custom cabinetry, and on how imported your appliances are Use these bands to reality-check any quote you get rather than as a promise of a final invoice

Permits, Timelines, and Working With a Fit-Out Contractor

Before any demolition starts, most Dubai buildings demand formal approvals, and skipping them can stop the job or trigger a fine Usually you will need a no-objection certificate from the building owner or management, then a fit-out permit from the relevant authority Most areas fall under Dubai Municipality, some communities and free zones come under the Dubai Development Authority or Trakhees, and Dubai Civil Defence signs off on fire and gas safety Once your drawings are in order, these approvals normally take three to ten working days, so build that window into your schedule Strip-out to snagging, a full kitchen replacement usually takes about four to eight weeks, with bespoke joinery pushing toward the longer end Insist on a written, phased timeline, confirm who lodges the permits, and hold back a portion of payment until snagging is truly finished