Trakhees is the planning and development authority under the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation (PCFC). If your unit sits on PCFC, Dubai World or Nakheel-owned land — Palm Jumeirah, the Jumeirah communities, Discovery Gardens, International City, Ibn Battuta, JAFZA or Dubai Maritime City — Trakhees is most likely your permitting authority, and a Nakheel community NOC usually comes first. The Property Masters prepares Blue Code-compliant drawings and manages the Trakhees submissions and the DCD fire interface on your behalf. We are the approvals-management service, not the authority.
What Trakhees Governs and Who Needs It
Trakhees is the Department of Planning & Development under PCFC (established 2008; Decree 22/2009). It runs as a one-stop shop with three arms: CLD (licensing), CED (building control) and EHS (environment, health and safety). Its building regulations are known as the "Blue Code."
Trakhees jurisdiction is plot / ownership-based — it governs land owned by PCFC, Dubai World and Nakheel rather than a fixed map. As a core (verified) guide it typically covers:
- Nakheel and Limitless communities — Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Islands / Park / Village, Discovery Gardens, International City, Jebel Ali Village.
- Dubai Maritime City, JAFZA and Dragon Mart / Ibn Battuta areas.
Because jurisdiction is plot-based, always confirm it per-project against the Affection Plan / project registration — we do this before any submission.
The Trakhees Approval Process (Blue Code)
The Blue Code building-permit workflow runs in three stages, with submissions made as PDFs "in one sequence." For a tenant fit-out in a completed building, the relevant route is the Modification Services module.
- Register and get a Project ID — set up the company back-office (Trakhees ID + PIN) and obtain a Project ID through Project Registration on the e-Permit portal.
- Concept Design — submit the concept design for review.
- Building Permit — submit the detailed design for the building (or modification) permit.
- Revisions — address any review comments and resubmit.
- Modification Services (tenant fit-out) — for fit-out in a completed building, the module covers New Permit, Amendment, Revalidation, Revision, Cancellation and Completion.
Note: Trakhees does not use a literal "Fit-Out Permit" label — its process is built around the Modification / Building Permit and NOCs under the Blue Code.
Pre-Qualification — Consultant & Contractor
Trakhees requires firms and individuals to be pre-qualified before they can submit:
- Company pre-qualification — consultant / contractor pre-qualification with Trakhees.
- Individual accreditation — Accreditation ID cards in Building, Structural and MEP categories.
The Property Masters works with registered consultants and classified contractors so your submission is accepted first time — using an unregistered firm is a leading cause of rejection.
Documents & Drawings Required
The following are typically required — confirm for your project, as Trakhees document lists vary by project type:
- Trade licence and tenancy / ownership documents for the unit.
- Nakheel (or relevant community) NOC — usually required before the Trakhees permit.
- Stamped drawings by a registered consultant — architectural, MEP (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and fire-fighting / alarm in DCD format), and structural where the works affect the structure.
- Contractor appointment letter, contractor and consultant trade licences with Trakhees registration, and insurance / method statement.
The DCD Fire Interface
Trakhees CED issues the building permit and EHS regulates safety, but fire protection follows Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) requirements — Trakhees defers to DCD on fire, rather than replacing it. We treat DCD as a parallel interface on every Trakhees project. See our Civil Defence approval page.
Timelines & Fees
Trakhees does not publish its fit-out / modification timelines, so we never state a day-count as Trakhees-official. Consultant and contractor pre-qualification fees have circulated (for example, third-party consultant registration figures cited as of 2022), but these are unverified and change — we confirm the current figures for your project rather than quote a number that may be wrong. Fees and timelines vary — we confirm the current figures for your specific project.
Official authority links & regulations
Always verify fees, timelines and process details on the live official page before relying on them — authorities update these without notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which areas in Dubai does Trakhees govern?
Trakhees jurisdiction is plot and ownership-based — it covers land owned by PCFC, Dubai World and Nakheel. In practice this typically includes Palm Jumeirah, the Jumeirah Islands / Park / Village communities, Discovery Gardens, International City, Ibn Battuta / Dragon Mart, Jebel Ali Village, JAFZA and Dubai Maritime City. Because it is plot-based rather than a fixed map, we confirm jurisdiction per-project before submitting.
Does Trakhees issue a 'fit-out permit'?
Not under that exact name. Trakhees works under the Blue Code with a Building Permit and Modification Services process plus NOCs, rather than a literally-labelled 'Fit-Out Permit.' For a tenant fit-out in a completed building, the relevant route is the Modification Services module (New Permit, Amendment, Revalidation, Revision, Cancellation, Completion). We map your fit-out to the correct Trakhees process.
Do I need a Nakheel NOC before the Trakhees permit?
For Nakheel communities, yes — the Nakheel Community Management NOC generally comes first, and then the Trakhees permit. This is the two-layer model in action: the community NOC, then the authority permit. We manage both layers and the sequencing.
Does Trakhees handle fire approval, or is that Civil Defence?
Fire is Dubai Civil Defence (DCD). Trakhees CED issues the building permit and its EHS arm regulates safety, but fire protection follows DCD requirements — Trakhees defers to DCD rather than replacing it. We run the DCD fire approval as a parallel interface alongside the Trakhees submission.
How long does Trakhees approval take?
Trakhees does not publish its fit-out / modification timelines, so we won't quote a day-count as if it were official. The realistic timeline depends on your project's complexity, the completeness of the first submission and review feedback. We confirm an expected timeline for your specific project once we have the scope.