Short answer: Glass entrance door installation in Abu Dhabi is planned around the opening, the traffic, the escape route and the building owner, in that order. Decide whether you need an automatic sliding door, a swing door or a revolving door, confirm headroom for the operator, choose how it behaves in a power cut and a fire alarm, and agree the glass and finish with the landlord before you ask a glass door company for a written quote.
New towers in Masdar City, Al Maryah Island and Saadiyat, hotels on the Corniche and clinics in Al Bateen all have the same problem at the design stage: the entrance is the most visible part of the building, and it is also the part people ask to change late. This guide is for developers, fit-out managers, architects and tenants who are specifying a glass entrance and want to know what a supplier needs to hear, what to compare and what a good installation process looks like.
Pick the door type by how people use the entrance
| Door type | Best for | Points to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic sliding glass door | Clinics, retail, offices, hotels with luggage and trolleys | Needs wall or glass space beside the opening and a header |
| Automatic swing door | Narrow openings, accessible entrances, side doors | Needs clear floor space for the swing |
| Revolving door | Large lobbies in hot weather, high traffic, controlled air | Needs a bypass door for wheelchairs and luggage |
| Manual door with a motor on the closer | Low-traffic side doors | Slow, not for high use |
For revolving options and the usual lobby layouts, read revolving doors for Abu Dhabi office lobbies, and for sliding entrances the page on automatic sliding glass doors. A combined entrance often uses a revolving door in the middle with an automatic sliding or swing door beside it for accessible access. The range of automatic revolving doors is on its own page.
Information a supplier needs from you
The opening
- Clear width and height, and whether the floor is finished or still concrete.
- Structure above the opening: beam, slab, curtain wall or suspended ceiling.
- Where the header will sit and what it can be fixed to.
- Position of power and data points.
The traffic
- Peak flow at opening time and closing time.
- Trolleys, wheelchairs, stretchers or luggage.
- Whether the door sits between air-conditioned and open areas.
The safety and access rules
- Is the door on an escape route, and what should it do when the fire alarm sounds?
- Is access controlled, with a card reader or intercom?
- Does the building have a door register? The article on door and gate register for tower facility managers shows what facility teams track.
Glass, finish and thermal comfort
Glass specification is usually set by the architect or the facade consultant, not the door supplier. What the supplier needs is the thickness and the type, because the operator and the hanging hardware are sized to the leaf weight. Tinted or laminated glass is heavier. Frameless leaves look clean but the clamps and floor guides carry the weight, so they need care. Aluminium frames in a powder-coated finish are more forgiving of knocks and easier to repair. In the Abu Dhabi climate, direct sun on a west-facing entrance can heat the header and the sensors, so ask about heat tolerance of the electronics. For coastal sites such as the Corniche and Saadiyat Beach, ask about corrosion-resistant hardware as well; the notes in coastal humidity and salt air corrosion apply.
Power cuts, fire alarms and safety
Decide early what the door does in each of three situations: the power fails, the fire alarm sounds, and someone leans on a leaf. Options include a battery that opens or closes the door once, breakaway panels that swing outward under pressure, a release that lets the leaf slide freely, and an interface with the building alarm. A door that locks in a fire alarm is a different design from one that opens. Relevant safety standards for automatic pedestrian doors, such as EN 16005 in general terms, require sensing and force limits so the door does not injure users. Ask the supplier to describe the safety sensors on the leaf edge and in the opening, and how they are tested at handover.
Operating modes and accessibility
A selector on or near the door lets staff choose how it behaves. Typical modes are automatic two-way, one-way exit only, partly open for ventilation, fully open, and locked. Decide who may change the mode, because a receptionist who sets the door to exit only at noon and forgets it will cause complaints by one o'clock. For accessibility, the opening should be wide enough for a wheelchair and a person beside it, the hold-open time long enough for slower walkers, and the push plate or contactless switch within reach from a seated position. Thresholds should be flush or ramped, since a raised floor guide catches small wheels and walking sticks.
Daily care for facility teams
- Wipe sensor lenses weekly with a dry cloth, and keep stickers and posters off them.
- Brush the floor channel when mopping, and do not flood it with water.
- Report any rubbing, clicking or hesitation the same day rather than waiting for the door to stop.
- Keep a log of who holds keys and release tools, and where the isolator sits.
These habits are the same ones described for small entrances in automatic sliding doors in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and they matter more in a busy lobby because small faults show up in front of visitors.
Where glass entrances are being planned
- Masdar City: offices and research buildings where energy use and air leakage matter.
- Al Maryah Island: hospital, hotel and office lobbies with strong access control.
- Saadiyat Island and Saadiyat Cultural District: galleries and hotels where the door is part of the architecture.
- Al Bateen and Al Khalidiyah: clinics, banks and retail entrances in older towers being refitted.
- Yas Bay and Yas Island: leisure and retail entrances with heavy visitor flow.
- Al Reem Hills and Shams Abu Dhabi: residential lobbies and gyms.
From survey to handover
- Survey. Dimensions, structure, power, escape route and floor finish are recorded.
- Quote. A written quote lists the door type, glass, operator, sensors, finishes and exclusions.
- Approvals. Landlord, building manager and, where needed, fire authority approval; see what a handover should include for the paperwork to ask for.
- Manufacture and delivery. Glass is the long item; confirm who orders it.
- Installation. Often out of hours. Protect floors and adjacent finishes.
- Commissioning. Speed, hold-open time, sensor range and force are set and tested.
- Handover. Keys, remote switches, release instructions and a maintenance plan.
What affects the cost of a glass entrance
We do not publish figures. The things that change a quote are the width and number of leaves, the glass type and thickness, the operator size, the number of sensors, any access control or fire interface, the finish, work at height or out of hours, and whether the structure above the opening needs reinforcing. A free site visit clarifies each one, and the written quote breaks them down so a company supplying glass doors can be compared fairly with another.
Questions to ask a glass door company
- Can I see a similar entrance you have maintained, with the operator type named?
- What happens to the door during a power cut and a fire alarm?
- Who orders the glass and who is responsible if it arrives damaged?
- How are sensors protected from sun and cleaning water?
- What maintenance schedule do you suggest, and what does it include?
Frequently asked questions
How do I find an automatic glass door supplier near me in Abu Dhabi?
Share photos of the entrance and the building name, then book a free site visit. A supplier should measure the opening, check the structure and describe the safety behaviour before issuing a written quote.
Can an existing swing door be converted to automatic?
Often yes, using a swing operator on the frame, but the door must be sound and the hinge side strong enough. For heavy glass leaves a full door replacement may be better.
Is a revolving door suitable for a small lobby?
Only if the diameter fits and a bypass door is available for wheelchairs and luggage. Small lobbies often do better with an automatic sliding door and a draught lobby.
How are glass doors secured at night?
Options include a floor lock, an electric lock, a night shutter or a locking mode on the operator. Choose by the risk and the escape requirements.
What does a glass door maintenance visit include?
Cleaning of the track and sensors, checking of belts, wheels and clamps, testing of safety sensors, and adjusting speed and hold-open time. See the maintenance plans page.
Can you install during opening hours?
Some work can be phased, but most installations need the opening clear. Tell us your trading hours and the team will plan an out-of-hours or phased approach.
Do you provide the glass?
Discuss this at the survey. In some projects the facade contractor supplies the glass, in others we coordinate it, and the quote states clearly who is responsible.
Does a glass door need Civil Defence approval?
Doors on escape routes or fire compartments may need approval. See Civil Defence approval for doors, gates and shutters and ask the building manager early.
Talk to the team
Call +971 50 494 8667 or message 971504948667 with photos of the entrance. You can also request a written quote, send a photo of the opening or book a free site visit. The service overview is on the revolving and sliding glass doors page.
Want this done properly?
Send a photo of your door or gate and we will tell you what we see.