The IT checklist for a new Dubai office
What to decide before the fit-out starts — so the network is live on day one.
Decide IT before the fit-out, not after
The most expensive IT mistakes in a new office are made before a single cable goes in — by not making decisions at all. Cable routes get poured into concrete, the rack ends up in a cupboard with no cooling, and Wi-Fi is left to whatever the ISP router can manage.
The fix is simple: treat IT as a workstream of the fit-out with its own owner and its own dates. Cabling and containment happen early; equipment, accounts and testing happen in the final two weeks; the internet line is ordered the day the lease is signed.
Below is the short list we walk through with every client moving into a new space in Dubai.
Decide these before the fit-out begins:
- Headcount now and in three years — it sets the number of data points and access points.
- Rack location: a ventilated, lockable space with power, not a storage cupboard.
- Internet: which ISP, what speed, and a second line for failover.
- Where meeting rooms and printers sit, so they get wired connections.
- Who owns Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace and email accounts from day one.
The payoff
Offices that plan IT alongside the fit-out open on schedule with a network that lasts the lease. Offices that do not spend the first quarter fixing it.
Frequently asked questions
As soon as the lease is signed. Cable containment, rack location and power need to be in the fit-out drawings, and internet lines in Dubai can take two to four weeks to install — ordering late is the most common cause of a delayed opening.
A practical rule is two data points per desk plus points for printers, meeting-room screens, access points and CCTV, with 20–30% spare capacity for growth. A site survey confirms the exact count.
Most small and mid-size offices need only a ventilated, lockable rack space — not a full server room — because email, files and applications now run in the cloud. A wall or floor rack with proper cooling and power is sufficient.
Published Aug 28, 2026 · Last reviewed September 8, 2026
