Dubai Municipality’s guideline DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ sets indoor limits for existing buildings of 800 ppm CO₂ (8-hour average), 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 and 150 µg/m³ PM10 (24-hour), 0.6 mg/m³ TVOC and 0.01 ppm formaldehyde (8-hour), with 20–60% relative humidity and 22.5–25.5 °C for comfort. Under the guideline, compliance tests must be done by an EIAC-accredited company or laboratory.
What are Dubai Municipality’s indoor air quality limits for existing buildings?
Table 2 of the guideline lists the “common air pollutants in existing buildings”. These are the values most building owners, tenants and facility managers need. They apply in Dubai; our guide to indoor air quality requirements in the UAE and Saudi Arabia covers the other emirates and Saudi Arabia.
| Pollutant | Limit | Averaging time |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ | 800 ppm (short-term reference: 700 ppm above outdoor air) | 8 hours |
| PM2.5 | 35 µg/m³ (100 µg/m³ over 1 hour) | 24 hours |
| PM10 | 150 µg/m³ | 24 hours |
| TVOC | 0.6 mg/m³ | 8 hours |
| Formaldehyde (HCHO) | 0.01 ppm (0.08 ppm over 30 minutes) | 8 hours |
| Carbon monoxide | 9 ppm (25 ppm over 1 hour) | 8 hours |
| Ozone | 0.06 ppm | 8 hours |
| Nitrogen dioxide | 40 µg/m³ (200 µg/m³ over 1 hour) | Annual |
| Total bacteria / fungi | 1,000 CFU/m³ / 500 per m³ | — |
Table 3 adds thermal comfort: a dry-bulb temperature of 22.5–25.5 °C, relative humidity of 20–60% and air movement of 0.2–0.3 m/s, which the HVAC system should deliver for 95% of the year (clause 9-8-5, p34).
What must new buildings meet before occupancy?
Table 1 covers new buildings. It is an optional route: buildings that test before occupancy and comply are awarded an indoor air quality certificate by Dubai Municipality. The limits are TVOC 300 µg/m³ (8 hours), formaldehyde 0.01 ppm (8 hours), PM2.5 35 µg/m³ and PM10 150 µg/m³ (24 hours), lead 0.15 µg/m³, and 500 CFU/m³ each for bacteria and fungi (clause 9-8-3, p32). Separately, the Dubai Building Code requires an indoor air quality test before occupancy in new buildings other than villas: formaldehyde below 0.08 ppm, TVOC below 300 µg/m³ and particles under 10 µm below 150 µg/m³, with the report submitted to the authority (H.4.10.3). Our guide to air quality after an office fit-out covers what to check before moving into a newly fitted-out space.
Is the formaldehyde limit 0.01 ppm or 0.08 ppm?
Both numbers appear, for different averaging times. Dubai Municipality’s guideline sets 0.01 ppm over 8 hours and 0.08 ppm (0.1 mg/m³) over 30 minutes. The Dubai Building Code’s pre-occupancy test for new buildings other than villas uses below 0.08 ppm (H.4.10.3), and Al Sa’fat, Dubai’s green building system, points to that test (401.06). For the existing buildings it lists, Al Sa’fat uses below 0.08 ppm as an 8-hour average (401.07). When you compare a report with “the limit”, check which document and averaging time it uses.
What CO₂ level does Dubai Municipality allow indoors?
800 ppm as an 8-hour average in existing buildings, with 700 ppm above outdoor air as a reference value. Al Sa’fat clause 502.02 requires demand-controlled ventilation to Dubai Building Code H.4.8.3: in spaces over 100 m² designed for 25 or more people per 100 m², a CO₂ set-point below 800 ppm and an alarm above 1,000 ppm, with the CO₂ sensors recalibrated at least every 12 months.
Figures such as “CO₂ below 1,000 ppm”, “humidity 40–60%” or “PM2.5 below 15 µg/m³” are often quoted online as Dubai Municipality limits. They are not the values in DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ: they come from other standards such as RESET, WELL, the WHO guidelines or Dubai’s EIAQI comfort band.
Who is allowed to carry out a compliance test in Dubai?
Under the guideline, testing “must be carried out by an air testing accredited company or laboratory by Emirates International Accreditation center (EIAC)”, and compliant results are submitted to Dubai Municipality (p32–33). Other Dubai documents word this differently: the Building Code’s pre-occupancy test is by “specialized companies or laboratories accredited by the Authority” (H.4.10.3), and Al Sa’fat 401.07 says “specialized companies or laboratories”. Test equipment needs initial and periodic calibration certificates (p32–33), and calibration standards should follow ISO/IEC 17025 (clause 9-8-8, p36).
Continuous monitoring, such as HawaQ provides, is different: it shows how a building performs every day and helps fix problems before a formal test. It is not the accredited compliance test itself.
How often should a building’s air quality be audited?
The guideline recommends (“should”) an audit within six months of the HVAC system starting operation, then at least every two years (clause 9-7, p29–30), without making it a duty for any type of building. Hotels are the exception: Dubai Municipality’s hotels guideline requires a risk assessment six months after the HVAC system starts in a new or renovated hotel, then a comprehensive risk assessment at least every two years (DM-HSD-GU90, section 13). Sampling is done over 8 hours, or as the average of half-hour measurements at four time slots, with the probe 100–200 cm above the floor (clause 9-8-7, p35). The number of sampling points depends on floor area, for example one per 500 m² below 3,000 m².
Does the guideline apply to hospitals and factories?
No. Its scope covers public facilities and occupied buildings such as hotels, residential buildings, offices, malls and education premises, “except those that are exclusively dedicated to industrial and medical sectors” such as hospitals and factories (Scope, p7). Healthcare facilities follow their own requirements, and Al Sa’fat 401.07 lists healthcare facilities among buildings to test.
How do Al Sa’fat and DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ differ?
They overlap but do not match exactly. Al Sa’fat 401.07 (existing buildings) uses TVOC < 300 µg/m³ and bacteria < 500 CFU/m³, and says re-testing “should be within 5 years” of the last compliant test. The Dubai Municipality guideline uses TVOC 0.6 mg/m³ and bacteria 1,000 CFU/m³, and recommends an audit at least every 2 years. If your project is assessed under both, plan for the stricter value.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CO₂ limit in Dubai buildings?
Dubai Municipality’s guideline sets 800 ppm as an 8-hour average for existing buildings.
What is the PM2.5 limit indoors in Dubai?
35 µg/m³ averaged over 24 hours, and 100 µg/m³ over 1 hour, under DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ Table 2.
Can a monitoring company issue a Dubai Municipality IAQ certificate?
Under the municipality’s guideline, results must come from an EIAC-accredited testing company or laboratory. Monitoring helps you prepare for that test.
What humidity does Dubai Municipality recommend?
20–60% relative humidity for comfort, and below 60% (50% if feasible) to control dust mites.
Sources
- Dubai Municipality, Technical Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality for Healthy Life (DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ, Version 4, December 2024): Scope p7; clause 9-7 p29–30; Tables 1–3 p32–34; clauses 9-8-7 and 9-8-8 p35–36; p41.
- Dubai Municipality, Technical Guidelines for Hotels & Resorts Compliance (DM-HSD-GU90, Version 5; English issue December 2024, Arabic issue March 2026): section 13.
- Al Sa’fat – Dubai Green Building System, 2nd edition (January 2023): clauses 401.06, 401.07 and 502.02. Dubai Building Code (2021): H.4.8.3 and H.4.10.3.
This guide explains public standards in plain language. It is not legal advice; check the current version of each document for compliance decisions.