Lobby building directories
Large wall panels near the entrance or lifts listing every tenant with floor and unit, usually with a frame that holds removable name strips.
Best for Office towers and mixed-use buildings
Who is where
Directory & Tenant Signs in Dubai and the UAE
Lobby, floor and mall directories that tell visitors where to go, built so your facilities team can update tenant names without calling a sign maker every time.
- Update method
- Slide-in strips, magnetic slats or software
- Mounting
- Wall, freestanding, or outdoor pylon
- Materials
- Acrylic, aluminium, stainless steel, brass, glass
- Languages
- Arabic and English, bilingual listing
Quick answer
What is the best type of building directory for a multi-tenant building?
For most multi-tenant buildings, a lobby directory with changeable name strips works best, backed by smaller floor directories at each lift lobby. Strips slide out when a tenant moves. Buildings with frequent turnover, or many tenants, often choose a digital directory screen that the facilities team updates from a computer.
A directory board looks simple until the first tenant leaves. In office towers and business parks, names change every few months, and a board with one blank slot or a taped-over name makes the whole lobby look neglected. The real question is who will update it, how often, and whether they can do it without tools. Answer that first and the design follows.
We build directories in our Ajman factory, from wall-mounted lobby boards and reception panels to freestanding mall directories and outdoor pylon directories for business parks. Name strips can be printed acrylic, printed or engraved aluminium, engraved brass or vinyl on interchangeable slats. We also supply digital directory displays where content changes often. Everything is made bilingual, with Arabic and English sorting agreed with you before production.
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Directory & Tenant Signs we make
Floor-by-floor directories
Smaller panels at each lift lobby showing the companies or departments on that floor, with arrows to left and right wings.
Best for Multi-tenant floors and long corridors
Shopping mall directories
Freestanding units with a store list by category and a floor map, often lit, placed at entrances, escalators and junctions.
Best for Malls and retail centres
Multi-tenant pylon directories
Outdoor freestanding signs at a site entrance listing tenants on replaceable panels, built for heat and sun.
Best for Business parks and warehouse compounds
Reception and department directories
Compact panels at a reception desk or inside one company's office listing departments, meeting rooms or key staff by floor.
Best for Corporate offices, clinics and schools
Digital directory displays
Screens or kiosks running directory software that staff update centrally, with search, maps or rotating tenant lists.
Best for Buildings with frequent tenant changes
Choosing well
How to plan a directory that stays accurate
Agree who owns updates
Usually the landlord or facilities manager controls the directory, not individual tenants. Decide who orders new strips, who approves the wording and who keeps spare blanks, before choosing the system.
Leave room to grow
Plan slots for the maximum number of tenants the building could hold, plus a few spare. Splitting a floor into smaller units later is common, and a full board cannot take extra names.
Decide the sort order in both languages
Alphabetical order in English does not match Arabic order. Most buildings sort by floor, then by unit, so both scripts sit side by side on one strip without reordering the board.
Keep a strip template
Fix the font, size, colours and logo rules once. When a new tenant arrives, a matching strip can be made from the template so the board never looks patched.
Static or digital
Static boards suit buildings where tenants change a few times a year. Digital screens make sense with many tenants, frequent changes or a need for maps and search, but require power, data and content updates.
Plan it
Which directory system suits your building?
How often do tenant names change in your building?
Fixed panel or printed plates
A fixed directory with engraved or printed metal plates, or vinyl on a panel, gives a premium look at a lower cost. Changes are made by a fitter when needed.
Slide-in strip directory
Changeable acrylic or aluminium strips let the facilities team swap names without tools. Keep a strip template and a few spare blanks on site.
Digital directory display
A screen with directory software lets building management update names in minutes. Plan power and data at the location and decide who manages the content.
Multi-tenant pylon directory
A freestanding pylon with replaceable tenant panels suits business parks. It is an outdoor sign, so approvals and UV-stable materials need planning.
Specifications
Directory update systems compared
| System | How names change | Who can update it | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slide-in acrylic or aluminium strips | Old strip slides out, new one slides in | Facilities staff, no tools | Office lobby and floor directories |
| Magnetic name slats | Slats lift off a steel backing panel | Facilities staff | Reception and department boards |
| Vinyl on fixed panel | Vinyl peeled and replaced by a sign fitter | Sign contractor | Buildings with very stable tenants |
| Engraved or printed metal tenant name plates | Plate unscrewed and replaced | Facilities staff with a screwdriver | Premium lobbies and unit doors |
| Replaceable pylon panels | Panel unbolted from the frame | Sign contractor | Outdoor multi-tenant pylons |
| Digital directory screen | Content edited in software | Building management or IT | Malls and high-turnover towers |
UAE conditions
Bilingual listings and building rules
Arabic and English names
Tenant names are usually shown in both Arabic and English. Some companies have an official Arabic trade name that differs from a direct translation, so we ask each tenant to confirm their Arabic spelling.
Landlord and FM standards
Many towers and malls have a signage manual covering directory design, fonts and whether tenant logos are allowed. We work to the building standard and get FM approval on the layout.
Outdoor pylon approvals
A multi-tenant pylon at a site entrance is an outdoor sign and typically needs Dubai Municipality, local municipality or free-zone approval. We confirm the current requirement for your site.
Heat on outdoor directories
Outdoor directories face strong sun. We use UV-stable prints, light colours and sealed panels so tenant names do not fade unevenly as new strips sit beside old ones.
How we work
From brief to installed directory & tenant signs
- 1
Tenant list and survey
We collect the current tenant list, floors and units, and measure the lobby, lift lobbies or pylon site.
- 2
Layout and system choice
We propose the update system, slot count and bilingual layout, matched to the building's signage standard.
- 3
Tenant confirmation
Each tenant name, logo and Arabic spelling is confirmed in writing before any strip is produced.
- 4
Production
Frames, strips and panels are made in Ajman, with spare blanks and a strip template supplied to the FM team.
- 5
Installation and handover
We install, check alignment and show facilities staff how to change strips, or hand over software access for digital units.
FAQ
Directory & Tenant Signs: common questions
How do you update a building directory when a tenant moves out?
On a strip directory, the old name strip slides out and a new strip slides in, usually without tools. We supply a template so new strips match the rest. Screw-fixed engraved or printed name plates are unscrewed and replaced, while digital directories are updated in software. Order replacement strips when a lease is signed, so the board never shows a gap.
Who is responsible for the directory sign, the landlord or the tenant?
In most UAE multi-tenant buildings the landlord or facilities manager owns and controls the lobby directory. Tenants supply their name and logo, and the building orders the strip to its standard. Floor directories and tenant name plates at unit doors usually follow the same rule, though some leases put the cost on the tenant.
Should we choose a digital or static directory?
Choose static if tenants change only a few times a year and you want a low-maintenance board. Choose digital if names change often, if you have many tenants, or if you want maps and search. Digital screens need power, data, software licences and someone to manage content, which should be part of the decision.
How do you sort tenant names in Arabic and English?
Most buildings sort by floor and unit number, which works in both languages on the same line. Strict alphabetical order in English would put Arabic names out of order, and the reverse is also true. Malls often sort by store category instead. We agree the sort rule with you before designing the layout.
Can you make an outdoor directory for a business park?
Yes. We build multi-tenant pylon directories with a steel frame, aluminium cladding and replaceable tenant panels, often lit for night use. They are made from UV-stable materials for the UAE sun. Because they are outdoor signs, they typically need municipality or free-zone approval, which we confirm and handle for your site.
What affects the cost of a directory board?
Cost depends on the size, the number of tenant slots, materials, the update system and whether the unit is lit or digital. Freestanding mall directories and outdoor pylons cost more than wall boards. Replacement strips are usually a small, repeat cost. Send us your tenant count and a lobby photo for a quote, usually within 24 hours.
Related
Often ordered with directory & tenant signs
Products in this family
4 types of directory & tenant signs we make
Building Directory BoardsBuilding directory boards for Dubai lobbies, made in our Ajman factory: slide-in tenant strips, bilingual layouts, matched headers. Free site visit and quote.Read the guide →Shopping Mall DirectoriesMall directory signs built in our Ajman factory: backlit map totems, heads-up maps for every position, swappable faces and night installation. Get a quote.Read the guide →Tenant Name PlatesTenant name plates for UAE office and mixed-use buildings, made in batches in our Ajman factory, with changeable inserts and secure fixings. Free site visit.Read the guide →Digital Directory DisplaysDigital directory displays for UAE lobbies and malls: commercial screens in enclosures built in our Ajman factory, touch or non-touch, installed and tested.Read the guide →
Free quote
Need a directory that is easy to update?
Send us your tenant list and a photo of the lobby, and we will suggest a directory system with a free quote.
- Call or WhatsApp +971 56 637 2656
- Workshop: Alam Square, Industrial Area 2, Ajman
- Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 to 18:00