Article
Learn how certified products and systems can support safer, more transparent building refurbishment projects across the GCC.
As a senior regulatory engineer at UL Solutions, Ghaith Bakir helps advance safety, compliance and confidence in the built environment. He draws on extensive experience in construction-product certification and GCC regulatory requirements to help industry stakeholders align building design, product performance and certification evidence.
The article presents refurbishment as a strategic priority in the GCC, where existing buildings are being renewed to meet evolving expectations for safety, performance, sustainability and long-term value. It explores how changes to facades, interiors, building services and fire protection systems can alter a building’s risk profile, particularly when legacy conditions, substitutions and system interfaces are involved. The article highlights the role of third-party testing, evaluation and certification in providing evidence of product and system safety and performance within defined conditions. It also emphasizes the need to consider certification and documentation requirements early, evaluate the interfaces between new and existing work, and maintain traceable documentation throughout the project. By connecting design intent, certified scope, installation and inspection, refurbishment teams can make more informed decisions and build greater confidence in completed work.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) built environment is entering a new phase. The region continues to deliver ambitious new developments, particularly in markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, an equally important transformation is taking place within existing buildings. Towers, hotels, malls, offices, schools, healthcare facilities and mixed-use properties are being upgraded, repositioned and adapted to meet evolving expectations.
For asset owners, refurbishment is becoming an increasingly strategic consideration. It can help extend a building’s service life, improve operational efficiency, support sustainability goals, enhance occupant experience and preserve asset value in competitive real estate markets. In some cases, upgrading an existing building may also be faster and more resource-efficient than replacing it. However, refurbishment can also change a building’s risk and performance profile. The question is not simply whether a proposed design appears compliant on paper. It is whether the completed work can be shown to have maintained or improved the building’s safety, quality and performance.
That is why certified construction products and systems can play an important role. Supported by third-party testing, evaluation and certification, they can help project teams move from assumption to evidence. For building owners, asset managers, architects, designers and consultants, that evidence provides a stronger basis for confidence in the completed refurbishment.
Existing buildings rarely offer a clean baseline. Many contain legacy materials, incomplete records, undocumented modifications, repeated tenant fit-outs, aging services, facade changes or systems that have never been assessed together as one integrated system.
These uncertainties matter during refurbishment. A new interior layout can affect evacuation assumptions. New mechanical, electrical and plumbing routes can compromise compartmentation if penetrations are not properly protected. Facade replacement can influence fire performance, air leakage, water penetration, thermal performance and long-term durability. A change in occupancy can also alter the demands placed on fire protection, ventilation, access, egress and building management systems.
These are not unusual issues. They reflect the reality of working with existing properties. The concern is not necessarily that project teams are setting out to reduce safety or performance. Rather, the link between design intent and site delivery can weaken as a project moves through specification, procurement, substitution, installation, inspection and handover.
Consider how the following decisions can accumulate:
Each decision may appear reasonable in isolation. Taken together, however, these decisions can create uncertainty about whether the completed work still reflects the intended performance.
This is why demonstrating the integrity of refurbishment can become difficult after completion — not because no decisions were made, but because there may be no clear, auditable record showing what was selected, why it was suitable, how it was installed, and whether the completed work remained within the tested or certified scope.
Refurbishment in the GCC is no longer limited to repair. It is increasingly a means of transformation. Across the region, owners are repositioning existing properties to remain competitive alongside newer developments.
This pattern is visible across sectors. For example:
Importantly, building code and fire safety requirements in various markets identify minimum expectations for life safety, fire performance, durability and building performance. In the UAE, the Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice remains a key reference for fire and life safety expectations. Similarly, the Saudi Fire Protection Code (SBC 801) addresses fire protection, life safety, property protection, emergency planning and related fire performance.
For owners and design teams, the takeaway is clear: refurbishment requires the same discipline as new construction. In some respects, it may require additional consideration because existing buildings can present greater uncertainty.
Fire and life safety remain central to building confidence in refurbishment projects, but they are only part of the broader concern. In the GCC, factors such as climate, scale of the building, operating intensity and the complexity of modern systems can influence building performance.
Take the building envelope as a good example. Facades in the region may need to address solar heat gain, thermal movement, air infiltration, water penetration, wind loads, condensation risk, durability and, where applicable, fire performance. A facade upgrade is therefore not simply a visual improvement. It is a system-level intervention that can influence safety, energy use, occupant comfort, operating cost and property value.
Independent testing, evaluation and certification can provide evidence of performance under defined conditions. UL Solutions helps teams evaluate envelope and facade performance across areas such as air infiltration, water penetration, wind load, impact, thermal and structural performance. We refer to key standards including American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT), Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group), and European Standards (EN). This evidence can help teams determine whether specified products and systems are suitable for their intended applications and whether installation decisions remain within the applicable tested or certified scope.
Sustainability upgrades also require an integrated approach. Owners may replace glazing, improve insulation, optimize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, introduce smart controls, or select lower-emitting interior materials. Depending on the application, these measures can support operational efficiency and occupant comfort. However, they should be considered alongside safety, durability and compliance with applicable standards.
UL Solutions’ smart and sustainable building services help building owners, asset managers and other property stakeholders address resource efficiency, operational risk, indoor environmental quality and building material sustainability needs.
Effective refurbishment strategies connect fire safety, facade performance, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, durability and long-term maintainability.
One of the most important considerations in refurbishment is that performance often depends on the complete system, not on an individual product.
A fire-resistance-rated wall depends on its construction, penetrations, joints, doors, glazing and installation details. A facade depends on cladding, insulation, cavity barriers, fixings, framing, sealants and interfaces. The performance of a firestop system depends on factors such as the opening, service type, substrate, annular space, material and installation method. Sustainable materials may contribute to healthier indoor environments, but their suitability depends on the intended application and how they are incorporated into the completed building.
This is where third-party certification can provide practical value. Certification information helps project teams understand what has been evaluated or tested, the conditions under which certification applies and the limitations of certified scope. This understanding can help teams look beyond broad descriptions such as “approved,” “equivalent” or “compliant” and examine the scope of those claims.
Searchable certification information can also improve transparency. For example, Product iQ® provides access to information about UL Certified products, components, materials and systems. Users can search and review by product type, file number, category, standard or design and review certification details. For architects, consultants, contractors, building owners and authorities, access to this information can support more informed decisions during specification, procurement, inspection and handover.
This is relevant to refurbishment projects where proposals for substitutions may arise because of product availability, cost, lead times or site constraints. This is particularly relevant to refurbishment projects, where product availability, cost, lead times or site constraints may lead to proposed substitutions. Certification does not eliminate the need to evaluate a proposed alternative. However, certification information can help project teams compare the proposed product or system against the documented scope, conditions and performance characteristics of the originally specified solution, rather than relying only on appearance, product descriptions or assumed equivalence.
Many refurbishment challenges arise at interfaces between building elements and systems. For example:
These details may be concealed after completion, but they can remain critical to building performance.
Firestop systems, joint systems and perimeter fire containment systems are especially relevant in this context. These applications are used to protect breaches and joints in fire-resistance-rated assemblies, helping limit the movement of fire, smoke and associated gases. UL Solutions provides services that include testing, verification, inspection and certification for firestop systems and joint systems. Protecting breaches and joints in fire-resistance-rated assemblies remains an important part of a balanced fire and life safety approach.
For refurbishment teams, the principle is clear: as changes to existing conditions increase, so does the importance of evaluating the interfaces between new and existing work.
Testing and certification can provide greater value when they are considered early in the refurbishment process. If supporting evidence is reviewed only at handover, many important decisions may have already been made. Products may have been selected, alternatives accepted, installation details adapted and original assumptions affected by site conditions.
A more effective approach is to incorporate these considerations early in the refurbishment process. This includes establishing the building’s performance objectives, understanding applicable authority requirements, specifying products and systems with relevant certifications, reviewing the scope and limitations of those certifications, evaluating substitutions, and maintaining records that remain useful after handover.
For owners and asset managers, this is more than a technical exercise. It is part of responsible asset stewardship. Clear documentation, appropriate product and system certifications and traceable installation evidence can support the continued operation, maintenance and future refurbishment of the building. These records may also provide useful evidence during insurance, leasing and ownership transactions.
For architects and consultants, this approach can help preserve design intent. For contractors, it can provide greater clarity around specifications and installation requirements. For authorities and inspectors, it can offer a clearer evidence base for reviewing the completed work. Collectively, these measures can help support safer, high-performing buildings for occupants.
The GCC has been built boldly. Its next phase will also depend on the confidence that owners, designers and authorities can place in renewed buildings.
Refurbishment can help extend a building’s service life, support sustainability objectives, enhance the occupant user experience and preserve long-term value. Achieving these outcomes requires discipline. Existing buildings often present uncertainties, and changes to a facade, interior, service route, fire protection system or sustainability feature can influence how the building performs.
Certified construction products and systems can help narrow the gap between design intent and completed work. Certification information provides evidence of evaluated performance under defined conditions, clarifies the scope and limitations of products and systems. It also supports better decisions at the point where design, procurement and installation intersect. The information can also give owners, designers, consultants and authorities a stronger basis for evaluating the completed refurbishment.
In the GCC, refurbishment is no longer limited to making buildings look new. It is about renewing them in ways that support safety, efficiency, resilience and long-term value. Successful projects will be able to demonstrate not only what changed but also why the selected products, systems and decisions were suitable for their intended applications.
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