Controlled Environment Agriculture Facility - Phase 1

Industrial & CEA

PMC & Owner's Engineerin

32,500 sqm vertical farming and processing complex at Dubai Industrial City. ELITECH led as Owner's Engineer and PMC - coordinating Archetype Group (industrial design) and Salimus Consultancy (LEED Silver + commissioning) under a single accountability structure.

Time Engagement

Pre-FEED through handover

DM Permit

Industrial A classification

Total GFA

3 functional zones

Project context

The Challenge

New asset class. No GCC delivery precedent.

A UAE sovereign-backed entity mandated to advance domestic food security required a large-scale controlled environment agriculture facility — the first of this type and scale on mainland Dubai. The project combined industrial process engineering, precision climate control, HACCP-regulated processing, and cold chain logistics under a single building envelope.

No local DM precedent for CEA at this scale - industrial classification required special DM engagement
Three specialist disciplines (process, MEP, sustainability) had to be coordinated as one programme
LEED Silver mandatory from client mandate - to be integrated from Pre-FEED, not retrofitted
Aggressive 30-month target from FID to first harvest-ready operation

ELITECH's Role

One contract. One reporting line. Three disciplines.

ELITECH was appointed Owner's Engineer and PMC provider from Pre-FEED. The engagement covered technical leadership of the Archetype Group design programme, integration of Salimus Consultancy's LEED and commissioning workstream, and full PMC across procurement, construction and handover. The client had one interface — ELITECH only.

"Appointing ELITECH as single point of accountability meant we never had to manage the interface between the design team, the sustainability consultant and the contractor ourselves. That coordination risk sat with ELITECH — and they managed it."

Project Director, Sovereign Development Fund - identity withheld at client request

How the team was structured

Project partners

ELITECH Engineering: Owner's Engineer · PMC · Accountability

Single point of client accountability
Pre-FEED verification and CAPEX review
Programme and cost management
DM Building Permit management
Procurement support and bid evaluation
HSE oversight and monthly reporting

Salimus: Industrial & Process Engineering · Design

Process flow design and equipment layout
Structural and civil engineering
MEP engineering — climate control systems
LED grow system integration design
BIM coordination (LOD 350, ISO 19650)
Shop drawing support during construction

Archetype Group: Sustainability · LEED Silver · Commissioning

LEED BD+C Silver certification management
Energy modelling and optimisation
GHG emissions accounting (Scope 1+2)
Water efficiency modelling (CEA context)
Commissioning management - all systems
Building envelope testing (ATTMA method)

Project at a glance


Client	Confidential - UAE Sovereign Fund Subsidiary
Location	Dubai Industrial City, UAE
Sector	Industrial · CEA / Vertical Farming
Total GFA	32,500 sqm
ELITECH role	Owner's Engineer · PMC · Permit Management
Duration	30 months - FID to handover
DM Permit	12 weeks · Industrial A
Certification	LEED BD+C Silver - Salimus Consultancy
Peak load	11 MW · DEWA HV connection
HSE record	Zero incidents

PMC

Owner's Eng.

Pre-FEED

FEED oversight

DM Permitting

Procurement

BIM / ISO 19650

Specialist partners

LEED · Commissioning · GHG

Industrial & Process Engineering

Discuss a similar project

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Adress

UAE, Dubai

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PO Box number

451696

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Phone number

+971504000895

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Email

info@elitechengineering.com