Road and traffic signs in Dubai: street, parking and site signs made to order

Road and traffic signs we make

We make regulatory, warning, direction, street name and parking signs on aluminium with reflective sheeting, plus illuminated, LED and solar-powered versions, and we supply and install the posts and foundations. Signs are made to the same shapes, colours and symbols drivers know from Dubai's public roads.

We also print custom signs that aren't in any manual: your logo with a speed limit, a compound's own rules, a named reserved bay, or a school drop-off instruction in three languages.

Public road or private land: who can install what

Signs on Dubai's public roads are owned and controlled by the Roads and Transport Authority, and only the RTA and its approved contractors install them. Signs on private land, such as car parks, private estate roads, compounds, warehouses and sites, are the owner's responsibility, and that is the work we do.

The scale of the public system shows why it's controlled. The RTA has installed about 210,000 traffic signs across Dubai, in regulatory, warning and directional categories, to its Traffic Control Devices Manual, as reported by Gulf News in November 2025. Even the supplementary information signs that point to a hotel, a hospital or a mall from the public road are regulated: a 2021 resolution allows only authorised entities to design, make, install and remove them, to the RTA manual, with Arabic taking at least half of the text area and no promotional content (Khaleej Times).

In practice:

• On the public road or its verge and footpath. Apply to the RTA. This includes a direction sign to your premises, a sign at your entrance that stands on the road reserve, and any temporary sign for works that affect the road. We don't install on public roads.
• Road works by a contractor. Temporary signs follow an RTA-approved traffic management plan. We make signs for contractors to the sizes and sheeting grades their approved plan specifies, and the contractor's approved team sets them out.
• Inside your plot boundary. Car parks, internal roads, service yards, drop-off areas, private estate roads. You decide the layout, and we make and install the signs.
• Master-planned communities and free zones. Internal roads may be private but still controlled by the master developer or the zone authority, which often has its own sign standards. Check before ordering, and send us the standard.

On private land, nobody forces you to copy the public road signs. You should anyway. Drivers react to shapes and colours they already know, and a familiar red octagon or red-ringed circle works in a car park for the same reason it works on Sheikh Zayed Road. Home-made designs get ignored, and after an accident a non-standard sign is harder to defend.

The types of traffic sign, by shape and colour

Traffic signs fall into five groups: regulatory signs that give orders, warning signs that alert to hazards, guide signs that give directions, information signs, and temporary signs for works. Each group has its own shape and colour, so a driver knows what kind of message it is before reading it.

UAE road signs follow the British-derived system used across much of the region, with both Arabic and English and internationally recognised symbols. For guide signs on public roads in Dubai, the background colour carries meaning. As the RTA describes it, blue is used for roads connecting the emirates, green for roads within Dubai, white for street and area names, and brown for tourist and commercial destinations.

On private land, direction signs don't need to follow that colour code, and it's often better that they don't mimic an official route sign. A common approach is to keep regulatory and warning signs strictly standard, and to design direction signs in the site's own colours with clear arrows and bilingual text. Our wayfinding signs page covers direction signs for people on foot.

Signs by type of site

Each kind of site has a typical set of traffic signs. The lists below are starting checklists, and your own traffic plan or risk assessment should decide the final set.

Car parks, surface and basement

• Entrance: "Entrance", height limit, speed limit, "Residents only" or tariff information.
• Inside: one-way arrows, "No entry", give way or stop at crossings and junctions, pedestrian crossing and walkway signs, level and zone signs.
• Bays: reserved, visitor, people of determination, EV charging, loading, motorcycle.
• Exit: "Exit" direction signs, stop sign at the road, "Give way to pedestrians".
• Basements need reflective or lit signs, because the lighting is low and headlights do the work.

Residential communities and compounds

• Gate: speed limit, "Residents and visitors" lanes, "Stop for security".
• Internal roads: speed limit repeaters, speed hump warnings, "Children playing", pedestrian crossings, give way and stop signs at junctions, "No through road".
• Street name signs at each junction, and villa or cluster numbers. See house signs for individual villa numbers.
• Parking: visitor parking, "No parking" on fire access routes, tow-away notices.
• Amenities: direction signs to the clubhouse, pool, mosque, school and exits.

Warehouses, factories and logistics yards

• Gate: speed limit, "All drivers report to security", weighbridge and delivery directions.
• Yard: one-way system, "Forklift trucks operating", pedestrian walkway and crossing signs, "No pedestrians", loading bay numbers, reversing areas, truck parking.
• Limits: height, width and weight limits at canopies, doors and ramps.
• Segregation of people and vehicles is the main safety aim, and signs support painted walkways and barriers. See safety signs for the workplace signs inside the building.

Schools and nurseries

• "School", "Children crossing" and speed limit signs on the approach roads inside the plot.
• Drop-off and pick-up zone signs with times, "No stopping", "No parking", bus bay signs.
• One-way arrows through the drop-off loop, "No entry" at the exit.
• Staff, visitor and bus parking signs.
• Clear, friendly wording in Arabic and English, and often a third language for drivers.

Malls, hospitals and business parks

• Direction signs from each entrance to car parks, drop-offs, emergency department, deliveries and valet.
• Car park signs as above, with level and zone identification.
• Taxi, bus, ambulance and delivery bay signs.
• Pedestrian crossings between car park and entrance.
• Larger sites often add a pylon or totem sign at the entrance.

Petrol stations, drive-throughs and car washes

• "Entry", "Exit" and "No entry" signs, one-way arrows, height limits under canopies.
• Lane signs, queue instructions and "Stop here" signs.
• "Switch off engine", "No smoking" and "No mobile phones" at pumps.

Labour accommodation and staff housing

• Speed limits, bus parking and pick-up points, pedestrian crossings, block numbers and street names, assembly points.

Construction and event traffic

• Site entrance, speed limit, "Construction traffic", banksman signs, pedestrian diversions, and temporary signs to an approved plan where the public road is affected. See construction site signs.

Parking signs

Parking signs tell drivers who may park in a bay, for how long, and what happens if they ignore the sign. We make standard and customised parking signs on reflective aluminium, for posts, walls, columns and chains, with names, numbers, logos and wording in Arabic and English.

Common parking signs

• Reserved bays: by name, job title, company, flat or villa number, or number plate.
• Visitor parking, with a time limit if you apply one.
• People of determination: the wheelchair symbol on blue, at each accessible bay, high enough to be seen over a parked car.
• EV charging only, with a time limit while charging.
• Loading and deliveries, with permitted times.
• Drop-off and pick-up, "No waiting".
• Motorcycle, taxi, ambulance, bus and valet bays.
• No parking: fire access routes, hydrants, gates, turning areas, bin stores.
• Tow-away and enforcement notices.
• Bay numbers and level or zone signs.
• Car park entrance signs: "Parking", tariffs, opening hours, height limit, "Full" indicators.

Making a parking sign that works

• Use the symbol. The blue "P", the wheelchair symbol and the red "no parking" circle are understood at once in any language.
• Say who and when. "Reserved, Flat 204" or "Loading only, 7 am to 6 pm" is clearer than "Private".
• State the consequence if you enforce: "Unauthorised vehicles will be towed at owner's expense". Make sure you have the right to tow or clamp before you promise it, and check your community's or landlord's rules.
• One sign per bay or a sign per row. For individually reserved bays, a sign at each bay avoids arguments. For a row of visitor bays, a sign at each end with arrows is enough.
• Fix it where a parked car won't hide it. On the wall or a post at the head of the bay, with the lower edge above bonnet height.
• Add ground markings. Painted symbols and numbers on the bay support the sign and work when the sign is blocked.
• Plan for change. Tenants and staff change. Numbered bays with a separate allocation list, or signs with a changeable name strip, save remaking signs.

Accessible parking

Dubai's accessibility code sets requirements for accessible bays, including their signs and markings, in public and commercial buildings. If you're fitting out a new car park, your consultant will give the required number, size and sign for these bays, and we make the signs to that specification.

Street name and number signs

Street name signs and number signs help visitors, deliveries and emergency services find an address inside a community, compound or estate. We make them as reflective plates on posts or walls, and as internally illuminated signs for main junctions and entrances.

• Street name signs. A plate at each junction, usually double-sided on a post or fixed to a boundary wall, with the name in Arabic and English and often the community's logo or a district number. On public roads in Dubai, street and area names are shown on white signs; private communities usually choose their own colours to match their branding.
• Finger posts. A post with several arms pointing to streets, clusters and amenities, useful at roundabouts and main junctions inside a community.
• Cluster, block and building signs. Larger signs naming a group of villas or a building, readable from a car.
• Villa and unit number signs. Consistent number plates for every villa in a community, ordered as a set by the developer or the owners' association.
• Makani numbers. Dubai's 10-digit Makani number identifies each building entrance. Adding it to building and gate signs helps couriers and emergency services.

A few rules for readable street name signs:

• Lettering size. A driver needs to read the name in time to turn. As a guide, use capital letters of about 100 mm or more on internal roads, and larger on wider or faster roads.
• Mixed case. Names in upper and lower case are recognised faster than names in capitals.
• Both sides of the junction for wider roads, and at a consistent height and position throughout the community.
• Reflective sheeting or lighting, so the name can be read at night.
• Agree the names and spellings in both languages with the developer or the authority before ordering. Changing a name after 60 signs are up is expensive.

Illuminated, LED and solar road signs

Reflective signs depend on a vehicle's headlights. Illuminated signs carry their own light, so they can be read by pedestrians, from side angles, and before headlights reach them. We make internally illuminated street name signs, LED traffic signs, solar-powered signs and lit parking signs for private sites.

Internally illuminated street name signs

A slim aluminium cabinet with translucent faces and LEDs inside, usually double-sided, mounted on a post, a bracket arm or a gantry. The name glows evenly at night and looks like a normal sign by day. They suit community entrances, main internal junctions, hotel and resort roads, and anywhere street lighting is low. They need a mains supply, normally taken from the street lighting circuit, and sealed construction to keep out dust and humidity.

Illuminated street number and address signs

Lit number signs for buildings, blocks and villas, either as small light boxes or as halo-lit or face-lit numbers. They make an address findable at night, which matters for deliveries and for ambulances. Solar-powered versions avoid cabling on boundary walls.

LED traffic signs

Standard reflective signs with LEDs added:

• LED-bordered signs: a stop, pedestrian crossing or speed limit sign with LEDs around the edge or within the symbol, steady or flashing.
• Flashing beacons: amber lights above or below a warning sign.
• Vehicle-activated signs: a sign that lights up or shows the driver's speed when a vehicle approaches too fast. These are effective at community gates and near schools.
• Lit crossing signs: an illuminated sign above or beside a pedestrian crossing inside a site.

Flashing lights draw attention, which is the point, but they should be reserved for the places that need it. If every sign flashes, none stands out.

Solar-powered signs

A solar panel and battery on the post power the LEDs, so the sign needs no cable. Dubai's sunshine makes solar a practical choice for:

• Remote parts of large sites, yards and farms.
• Temporary layouts and events.
• Retrofits, where trenching for a cable would cost more than the sign.

Solar signs need the panel to face the sun without shade from trees or buildings, an occasional clean to remove dust from the panel, and a battery replacement every few years. Ask for the expected battery life in summer heat, because batteries age faster here.

Lit parking signs

• Car park entrance signs: an illuminated "P" or "Parking" sign, often with "Entrance" and a height limit.
• "Full" and space-count signs linked to a counting system.
• Lit level and zone signs in basements.
• Illuminated bay signs for valet, VIP or EV charging areas.

For changing text, such as tariffs, event messages or "Car park full, use level 2", see our LED scrolling message boards.

Reflective sheeting: which grade do you need?

Reflective sheeting is the film on a traffic sign's face that sends headlight beams back towards the driver. It comes in three main grades: engineer grade for car parks and slow private roads, high intensity prismatic for estate roads and site entrances, and diamond grade for the highest visibility. The grade decides how far away the sign can be seen at night and how long it lasts.

The visibility and service life figures are from a US traffic sign maker's guide (Dornbos Sign & Safety), converted to metres. Treat the service life as an upper guide. Dubai's sun is harder on sheeting than most climates, and south- and west-facing signs fade first.

How to choose:

• Lit car parks and walking-pace areas: engineer grade is enough.
• Unlit or dim car parks and basements: move up to high intensity, because headlights do the lighting.
• Roads where vehicles reach 40 km/h or more: high intensity as a minimum.
• Stop signs, crossings and anything safety-critical: use the better grade. The difference in cost is small compared with the sign's job.
• Signs for road works or an authority's project: the specification names the grade, and the sign must match it.
• Long-term value: a higher grade costs more at the start and lasts longer, so over ten years it's often the cheaper choice.

Sheeting also comes in fluorescent yellow-green and orange for extra daytime visibility, used for school, pedestrian and road works signs.

Non-reflective signs

A printed sign without reflective sheeting is fine indoors and in well-lit areas where it's read on foot. Don't use non-reflective signs for anything a driver must see at night.

Sizes, materials and build

A traffic sign is an aluminium plate with reflective sheeting on its face and the symbol printed or applied over it. The size is chosen for the speed of the traffic: faster traffic needs larger signs, because the driver has less time to see and react.

Sizes

Sizes for round signs are the diameter, and for triangles the side length. These are the sizes in common use on private sites. For signs made to an authority's manual or an approved traffic plan, the document gives the exact size for each road speed, and we follow it.

Materials

• Plate. Aluminium sheet, typically 2 to 3 mm thick, which doesn't rust and takes sheeting well. Large signs have stiffening channels riveted to the back. Aluminium composite panel is used for large direction signs on private sites.
• Face. Reflective sheeting in the chosen grade, in the standard colours.
• Symbol and text. Screen-printed or digitally printed with inks made for reflective sheeting, or cut from transparent coloured film, then protected with a clear overlay film that resists UV and graffiti.
• Edges and back. Rounded corners for safety, and a grey or plain back. A label on the back with the maker and date helps you plan replacement.
• Temporary signs. Lighter plates, roll-up fabric signs or plastic signs on folding frames, for works and events.

What makes a sign last in Dubai

• Sheeting of the stated grade from a known manufacturer, with matched inks and overlay. Mixing brands shortens life.
• A UV-protective overlay.
• Aluminium, not steel, for the plate, and stainless or galvanised fixings.
• Sealed edges, so dust and moisture don't lift the film.

Posts, heights and fixing

How a sign is mounted matters as much as the sign. It needs to be at a height drivers see, clear of pedestrians' heads, firmly founded, and fixed so it can't be turned or stolen. We supply posts and brackets, cast foundations and install.

• Posts. Galvanised steel round posts, commonly 60 to 76 mm in diameter, or square and channel posts. Larger signs use two posts or a frame. Posts can be powder-coated in your site's colour.
• Foundations. A concrete footing sized for the sign and post. On paved areas, a base plate bolted to the slab is an alternative where the slab is thick enough. Before digging, check for cables and pipes.
• Height. Where people walk beneath a sign, keep its lower edge at least 2.1 to 2.2 metres above the ground. Dubai's accessibility code asks for 2,200 mm of clear headroom on walking routes. Beside a road with no footpath, the lower edge is usually between 1.5 and 2 metres.
• Setback. Keep the sign's edge back from the kerb or road edge, typically by half a metre or so, so mirrors and high vehicles don't strike it.
• Brackets and clips. Purpose-made clips hold the sign to the post without drilling the face. Anti-rotation fixings stop wind or tampering turning the sign.
• Walls and columns. In car parks, signs are often fixed straight to walls and columns, or hung from the soffit where headroom allows.
• Existing poles. Signs can be banded to lighting columns you own. Don't fix anything to RTA or DEWA poles.
• Movable bases. Weighted rubber or water-filled bases for temporary signs.
• Vehicle protection. In yards and car parks, a bollard or kerb protects a post that would otherwise be hit regularly.

Where to place a sign:

• Before the point it applies to, far enough for a driver to react at the site's speed.
• On the driver's side of the road where possible, and repeated on both sides at wide entrances.
• Clear of trees, parked vehicles and other signs. Check sightlines from a car, not on foot.
• Not too many on one post. Two signs on a post is a sensible limit. A stack of five is not read.

Arabic and English on traffic signs

Traffic signs in Dubai carry Arabic and English, with standard symbols doing most of the work. On the public network, English is set in the Transport typeface and Arabic in a Naskh style, and signs on private land look most credible when they follow the same pattern.

• Arabic above or to the right of English, in the same weight and visual size.
• Symbols first. A speed limit or no-entry sign needs no words.
• Numerals. Speed limits use Western numerals, as on public roads.
• Short wording. "Residents only", "Visitors", "Deliveries": two or three words per language.
• A third language where your drivers need it, on instruction signs at gates and loading areas. Keep regulatory signs standard.
• Checked Arabic. We have the wording checked by a native reader before printing.

How much do road and traffic signs cost in Dubai?

Road and traffic signs are priced by size, sheeting grade and quantity, with posts, foundations and installation priced separately. Illuminated and solar signs cost several times more than reflective ones. The ranges below are typical Dubai prices before VAT and are a guide only.

What changes the price

• Sheeting grade. Diamond grade costs more than high intensity, which costs more than engineer grade.
• Size. Area and plate thickness both rise with size.
• Quantity. Batches of the same sign cost much less each.
• Custom artwork. Standard symbols are ready to print; custom wording and logos need a proof.
• Lighting and power. Cabling to lit signs can cost more than the sign.
• Installation. Ground conditions, paving reinstatement and working hours.

To compare quotes fairly, ask each supplier to state the sheeting brand and grade, the plate thickness, the overlay, the post size and whether foundations are included.

Care, replacement and common mistakes

Reflective signs need little care, but they don't last for ever. Clean them, check them at night once a year, and replace them when the reflection or colour has faded, usually well before the sign looks worn in daylight.

• Clean with water and mild detergent and a soft cloth. No solvents or abrasive pads, which damage the sheeting.
• Check at night. Drive the site after dark with dipped headlights. Signs that look dull or patchy need replacing.
• Look for fading, especially red, which turns pink and then white in strong sun. A faded stop or no-entry sign has lost its meaning.
• Straighten and tighten posts and clips after impacts and strong winds.
• Cut back planting that has grown across signs.
• Keep a record of what was installed and when, so replacements can be budgeted.

Mistakes we see often:

1. Non-reflective printed boards used where drivers need to see them at night.
2. Home-made designs in place of standard symbols.
3. Signs too small for the road's speed.
4. Signs fixed too low, where a parked car hides them or a pedestrian walks into them.
5. Too many signs on one post.
6. Speed limits that change from one sign to the next on the same road.
7. English-only signs.
8. Signs placed on the public verge without RTA approval.
9. Steel plates and fixings that rust and stain.
10. No sign on the far side of a wide entrance.

How to order

1. Send a site plan or photos with the locations marked, or ask us to visit.
2. We list the signs, with sizes, sheeting grades, posts and positions, and note anything that needs the RTA's or the developer's approval.
3. You approve the artwork, including custom wording in Arabic and English.
4. We make the signs and prepare posts and fixings.
5. We install, with foundations, and reinstate paving.
6. We hand over a schedule of what was installed, for your maintenance records.

Typical lead time is 3–5 working days for reflective signs and 10–15 working days for illuminated signs.