UL Solutions New Service for Fire Alarm Control Units in UAE

Note: This article was updated on Nov. 22, 2022.

Regulators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have committed to improving fire safety in residential areas by introducing smart fire detection, alarm and monitoring systems. However, a high rate of false alarms caused by the controlled burning of bakhoor (wood chips soaked in perfume oils) and incense severely stretches the resources of the UAE Civil Defense. To balance cultural practices with safety enhancements, UL Solutions, a global safety science leader, developed a new testing program and a new Certification Mark for the UAE. This program tests residential fire alarm control units to local requirements for additional functions and features to reduce false alarms. Products that demonstrate compliance with the testing protocol earn the all-new UL-AE Certification Mark for household fire alarm control units and accessories for UAE. By applying solid regional insights and deep industry expertise, our new testing program for fire alarm control units inspires greater confidence among UAE residents, opens the market for safer products and maximizes emergency services resources.

In March 2018, the UAE Civil Defense embarked on an initiative to introduce a smart fire detection, alarm and monitoring system to every residential villa in the UAE. This initiative involves designing and installing a fire detection system for early warning of a fire outbreak to inform occupants to evacuate the premises with almost instantaneous alarms.

At the same time, to improve response times, the alarm systems are connected to a signal monitoring center that receives the signal of a fire outbreak and confers with the owner on the current situation before dispatching the necessary fire response resources. This alarm feature helps reduce the possibility of false alarms to prepare civil defense crews on arrival, especially in villa homes with the highest incidence of fire calls in the UAE.

Benefits when working with UL Solutions

• Our UL-AE enhanced Mark helps you demonstrate that your product complies with UAE regulations and the demands of the local marketplace.
• We continue to partner with UAE Civil Defense to meet their goal of reducing false alarms.
• Our dedication to finding opportunities that support our customers with global market access remains a top priority. That's why we introduced our UL-AE Mark for access to the UAE market, specifically for control units and accessories, household system type. 

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security, and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, software products and advisory offerings that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Mark is a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future.