MEP is the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work of a fit-out: air conditioning, ventilation and extract; power, lighting and distribution boards; water supply and drainage. In a fit-out it runs from the landlord's connection points to the outlet in the room, and fire and low-current systems usually travel with it. It does not include the building's central plant or the utility supply, which belong to the landlord, nor the equipment the operator buys.
What does an MEP fit-out include?
| System | Usually included | Usually excluded; check the contract |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | Ducts, diffusers, fan coils or indoor units, controls, balancing | Chillers, cooling towers, central plant |
| Ventilation and extract | Fresh air, toilet extract, kitchen extract and its duct | The building's main risers, unless extended |
| Power | Sub-distribution boards, circuits, sockets, equipment connections | The utility meter and supply to the unit |
| Lighting | General, feature and emergency lighting, switching | Decorative lamps bought by the owner |
| Water and drainage | Supply, hot water, sanitary fittings, drainage, grease trap | The building's main stacks and the municipal connection |
| Fire | Detection, alarm, sprinklers extended to the layout, kitchen suppression | The building's fire pumps and main panel |
| Low current | Containment, cabling and outlets for data, CCTV, access control | Switches, servers, cameras, licences |
Where does the fit-out MEP start and stop?
At the points of connection the landlord provides: a chilled-water or refrigerant connection, a supply to the unit's distribution board, a water valve, a drainage point, a fire main. Everything upstream is the building's. Everything downstream is the fit-out's. Survey these points before design: a unit whose drainage point is on the wrong side from the kitchen changes the plan, not the price alone.
Why does MEP decide whether a fit-out works?
Because it is what the guest never sees and always feels: a room that is too warm at the window, a kitchen that smokes, a meeting room where the next call can be heard through the ceiling. It is also where the clashes live. Ducts, cable trays, sprinkler mains and drainage share a few hundred millimetres above the ceiling, drawn by different disciplines.
MEP is not a subcontract at Artline. Our own engineers draw it and our own teams install it, so the duct and the ceiling are coordinated by the same people. The in-house page sets out the trades.
What is tested before the ceiling closes?
- Pressure tests on water, drainage and sprinkler pipework.
- Insulation and continuity tests on every electrical circuit.
- Air balancing, so each diffuser delivers the air it was designed for.
- Commissioning of controls, the thermostats and the extract speed.
- Fire alarm and suppression tests, witnessed before the inspection.
Each test produces a certificate. They belong in the handover file, with the as-built drawings that show where every pipe really went.
What does MEP leave to the owner?
The application for a new or larger electricity supply is made in the owner's or landlord's name to the Saudi Electricity Company; the contractor prepares the load schedule it needs. Kitchen equipment, IT equipment, audio-visual systems and the building's central plant are bought or owned elsewhere. The contract should draw the line, in writing, at each of them.
Questions owners ask
Is fire part of MEP?
Often it is priced and managed with MEP, because it shares the ceiling void and the coordination. It has its own approvals through civil defence, and its own installer classification.
What is low current?
The systems that carry signals rather than power: data, telephones, CCTV, access control, audio. The fit-out builds the containment and cabling; the equipment usually comes from a specialist.
Can MEP be changed after the ceiling closes?
It can, at the cost of opening the ceiling. That is why the layout is fixed and the services are tested before it closes.
Why is the MEP defects period longer than the rest?
Because MEP faults can take a season to appear, a full summer of cooling, for instance. Ours runs 24 months.
