Bayan Signage builds freestanding directional signs for car parks, internal roads, walkways and forecourts: post-and-panel signs, fingerposts and directional totems. We size each post for wind, weld the galvanised frames in our Ajman factory, set every sign where the sightline actually works, and cover the structure, powder coat and LEDs with a 5-year outdoor warranty.
A freestanding directional sign is a post-mounted or self-supporting sign that points drivers and pedestrians to destinations where there is no wall in the right place. On most UAE sites that means car parks, internal roads, landscaped walkways and the wide forecourts in front of malls, hospitals, towers and labour accommodation. These signs are judged in a single moment: a driver approaches a junction, glances at the panel, and either turns with confidence or brakes and hesitates. Facility managers, developers and contractors order them for new sites and to fix confusing old ones.
Most of what makes a freestanding sign last is below ground and inside the post. A panel sized without regard to wind load leans after its first shamal season. A post without anti-rotation fixings ends up pointing the wrong way after a storm. Mild steel near the sea rusts from the base up. Our draftsmen size posts, base plates and anchor bolt layouts for each panel area and exposure, our welders build galvanised steel frames in our Ajman factory, and the foundation requirement is confirmed with your project team or main contractor at the survey stage, so the base and the sign are planned together.
Bayan Signage has fabricated outdoor signage from its Ajman factory since 2016, as the production arm of Bayan Advertising, with 15 years in the UAE. We have built signs for more than 500 clients, from single car parks to national retail groups with sites across the emirates. Because one team surveys, draws, fabricates and installs, the sign that leaves our factory is the sign that was approved for that exact spot.
Trusted by 500+ UAE businesses, including
We match the format to who is reading and how fast they are moving. These are the types we build most often, and the related signs that sit beside them.
Slim, self-supporting signs listing several destinations with arrows, for forecourts, plazas and campus junctions where a branded look matters as much as direction.
View details →Directionals planned as part of a full site system, with fingerposts, maps and building signs sharing one design family.
View details →Map boards for arrival points, often paired with a directional on the reverse face of the same freestanding structure.
View details →Post-mounted entry, exit and level signs for car parks, sized for drivers and often lit or reflective for night use.
View details →Retroreflective signs for internal roads and private estates, where vehicle directions need to read in headlights after dark.
View details →Temporary freestanding signs on weighted bases for exhibitions, sports events and openings, set out for the event and collected afterwards.
View details →We drive and walk every approach, mark where the sign is first visible, and check for palm trees, lamp posts, kerbs and underground services. The survey is free in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.
Designers set text and arrow sizes for the approach speed, limit each panel to what can be read in about two seconds, and list every sign's message in Arabic and English.
Draftsmen size posts, base plates and anchor layouts for the panel area and site exposure, set out the loads the base must carry, and prepare drawings for any submission to the municipality or developer.
Galvanised steel posts and frames are welded in-house, panels are CNC-routed from aluminium or ACP, and everything is powder-coated to your RAL colour before graphics go on.
Messages are applied in 3M cast vinyl or reflective sheeting, and every sign is checked against the schedule for wording, arrow direction and colour before dispatch.
Our crews set out anchor positions with templates, fix and plumb each sign on its prepared base or slab, tighten the anti-rotation plates, and check the final view from the approach.
This is our starting point for a permanent outdoor directional. We adjust it for coastal sites, panel size and night visibility, with each change shown on the quote.
| Component | Our standard | Upgrade options | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Posts and frame | Welded galvanised steel | Aluminium extrusion posts, stainless trims | Galvanising protects the steel inside the post, where rust starts unseen. |
| Panels | Aluminium or ACP, powder-coated | Double-sided panels, curved or custom profiles | Aluminium will not rust, and powder coat holds its colour in UAE sun. |
| Graphics | 3M cast vinyl | Reflective sheeting, UV print with laminate | Cast vinyl stays put in heat; reflective sheeting works in headlights. |
| Fixings | Galvanised bolts with anti-rotation plates | 316 stainless fixings for coastal sites | Anti-rotation stops panels turning in wind; 316 resists salt air. |
| Base fixing | Galvanised base plate with anchor bolt template | Demountable sockets, shrouded base covers | A base designed around the wind load keeps signs upright through shamal season. |
| Lighting | Unlit | Internal LEDs or external spotlights | Evening traffic is heavy in summer, when people go out after sunset. |
Freestanding directionals succeed or fail on placement and structure. These are the points our site team checks before anything is fabricated.
A driver at 20 to 40 km/h has about two seconds to read a sign. That means 100 to 150 mm cap heights, arrows at least as tall as the text, and no more than three or four destinations per panel. If a junction needs more, split the information across two signs placed in sequence, rather than one crowded panel nobody can read in time.
Vehicle signs should be visible 30 to 50 m before the junction, and pedestrian signs as people approach the decision point, not only when they reach it. A palm tree that looks small on a drawing can hide a sign completely within two years. We always check sightlines on site, and we photograph the view from the driver's seat.
Set signs at least 600 mm back from the kerb edge, so wing mirrors and turning buses do not clip them. Beside footpaths, the underside of the panel should sit at least 2.1 to 2.2 m above ground, and higher where service vehicles pass. A sign that gets hit once a month is not a durability problem; it is a placement problem.
Seasonal shamal winds and sudden gusts load large panels heavily. A 1.5 square metre panel catches far more wind than most clients expect. We size posts and base plates for the panel area and exposure, use anti-rotation fixings, and avoid tall single posts for large panels. Signs that lean or twist after a storm were usually sized by guesswork, so we agree the foundation requirement with your project team at the survey.
If there is a usable wall at the decision point, a wall sign is cheaper, needs no base or post and keeps the ground clear for prams, wheelchairs and people looking at their phones. On public roads, signs must follow road authority standards, so a branded directional is the wrong tool where an RTA-style road sign is required.
We price each sign from its size, structure and position. Send a site plan with the proposed locations, the messages and some photos, and we usually return an itemised quote within 24 hours, with fabrication, graphics and installation listed separately.
Larger and double-sided panels need more material, heavier posts and larger base plates to resist wind load.
A simple single-post sign costs far less than a twin-post panel or a clad totem with internal framing.
Standard cast vinyl is the baseline; reflective sheeting for vehicle signs and printed graphics with laminate cost more.
Fixing to an existing slab is the simplest case; demountable sockets, shrouded bases or nearby underground services add work, which we agree at the survey.
Lit signs need LEDs, drivers and a power supply, which may mean trenching cable from the nearest source.
316 stainless fixings, sealed edges and heavier posts for waterfront and island locations add material cost.
Signs near public roads need authority submissions, and work beside live roads may need traffic management on site.
Directional signs inside a private site often need only the owner's or master developer's approval. Signs close to roads managed by the RTA, or on municipal land, typically need approval and may have to follow road sign standards for size, colour and position. In Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi the relevant municipality applies its own rules, and free zones such as JAFZA or DMCC have their own criteria.
Our draftsmen prepare the sign drawings, structural plans and elevations for each submission and follow them through, and foundation requirements are confirmed with your project team or main contractor. On sites near public roads we check setbacks and visibility splays before fixing positions. Requirements vary by emirate, road and plot, so we confirm the current rules for your site during the survey.
Galvanised steel posts and frames are welded and powder-coated in our Ajman factory, so structure and panels are made to fit each other.
We set out the loads and anchor layout and confirm the foundation requirement with your project team at survey, so the base suits the sign.
Structure, powder coat and LEDs are covered for 5 years, with a warranty document at handover for every outdoor sign.
We survey sightlines from the driver's seat and the footpath, so each sign is visible where people actually make their decision.
Our draftsmen produce drawings for municipalities, RTA-related positions, master developers and free zones, and follow them through.
Fabrication, structure, graphics and installation are priced separately, usually within 24 hours, so you can compare like for like.
The cost depends on panel size, the number of faces, the structure, the base fixing, graphics and any lighting. A single-post pedestrian sign on an existing slab costs far less than a lit, double-sided totem beside a road. Send us the locations, messages and photos, and we will send an itemised quote, usually within 24 hours.
It depends on the number of signs, the structure and whether an authority approval is needed, so we give you a realistic programme with the quote. Fabrication starts once drawings and messages are approved, and installation is timed around the base being ready on site. Where an approval is needed, that step runs first.
Signs inside a private site often need only the owner's or developer's approval. Signs near RTA roads or on municipal land typically need approval and may have to follow road sign standards. Free zones have their own rules. We prepare the drawings, handle the submission and confirm the current requirement for your site.
We size posts and base plates for the panel area and the site exposure, set anchor positions with templates, and fit anti-rotation plates between panel and post. For large panels we use twin posts rather than one tall post. Those details are why our outdoor signs carry a 5-year warranty on structure.
A directional sign is usually a panel on one or two posts, designed purely to point the way. A totem is a self-supporting, clad structure that can carry directions, a brand and sometimes lighting, and it works as a landmark as well. Totems cost more; simple post-and-panel signs are often the better choice at car park junctions.
Yes, with the right materials. Reflective sheeting makes vehicle signs readable in headlights without power. For pedestrian signs we can add internal LEDs or external lights, usually Samsung or Epistar IP65 modules. Lighting needs a power supply at or near each sign, which we plan at the survey.
Yes. For signs we made and installed, we can reface panels with new graphics when tenants or destinations change, replace damaged panels on the original posts, or relocate whole signs. Because we keep the drawings, new panels match the old ones. Our maintenance team also handles straightening, cleaning and refreshing faded graphics on our signs.
Yes. Our crews install across all seven emirates from our factory in Ajman, including Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah. The site survey is free in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.
Send your logo, the fascia size and a site photo. Our estimating team replies with options and an itemised price, usually within 24 hours.