A curtain wall is a non-structural outer skin of aluminium framing and glass that hangs on a building's frame rather than carrying its weight. It is the standard facade for UAE commercial buildings — offices, showrooms, retail and towers — because it delivers light, a clean modern face and a sealed barrier against heat and dust. At Al Taher Group we fabricate and install aluminium-and-glass curtain wall and shopfront systems for commercial projects and contractors.
Here is what a curtain wall is, the main systems, why they suit the Gulf, and how a proper installation runs.
What is a curtain wall?
"Curtain wall" describes the way it works: it hangs like a curtain across the face of the building. The aluminium frame and glass keep weather, heat and noise out, but the building's own structure carries the loads. That separation is what lets towers have continuous glass facades. The same idea, at a smaller scale, gives showrooms and retail units their full-height glazed fronts.
The main curtain wall systems
| System | How it's built | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stick system | Framing and glass assembled piece by piece on site | Low- to mid-rise buildings, irregular facades, tighter budgets |
| Unitised | Large panels pre-assembled in the workshop, then hung on site | Towers and large projects needing speed and consistency |
| Structural glazing | Glass bonded to the frame so little or no aluminium shows outside | A sleek, all-glass appearance |
| Semi-unitised | Frames fixed first, glazed units added after | A balance of site flexibility and factory quality |
Why curtain walls suit UAE commercial buildings
- Daylight — full-height glass brings natural light deep into floors, which tenants value.
- Heat and dust control — a properly sealed, thermally broken system with performance glass keeps cooling loads down and dust out.
- A modern face — a clean glazed facade is the look the UAE commercial market expects.
- Speed on large projects — unitised panels go up quickly, shortening the programme on bigger builds.
"A curtain wall lives or dies on the sealing and the anchoring. The glass is the visible part, but it is the workshop fabrication tolerances and the weather seals that decide whether a facade performs for twenty years."
How a curtain wall installation runs
A clean install follows a clear sequence: a precise site survey and setting-out; fabrication of the aluminium framing (and, for unitised systems, full panels) in the workshop; fixing the anchors and frames to the structure; installing the glazed units; and finally weather-sealing and quality checks. Getting the early survey and fabrication tolerances right is what makes the on-site glazing fast and the finished facade watertight.
Glass and performance
Commercial facades in the UAE almost always use double glazing with a solar-control coating to cut heat gain, and laminated glass where safety or acoustics demand it. The glass spec is chosen against the building's orientation and cooling strategy, so each elevation can carry the right performance.
Share the project details or drawings and we'll advise the right curtain wall system and glass, then prepare a fabrication-and-installation quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a stick and a unitised curtain wall?
A stick system is assembled piece by piece on site, which suits low- to mid-rise and irregular facades. A unitised system uses large panels pre-assembled in the workshop and hung on site, which is faster and more consistent for towers and large projects.
Do you fabricate curtain walls as well as install them?
Yes. We fabricate the aluminium framing — and pre-assembled panels for unitised systems — in our Fujairah workshop, then handle anchoring, glazing and weather-sealing on site, with the survey and tolerances controlled from the start.
What glass is used in UAE curtain walls?
Commercial curtain walls here typically use double glazing with a solar-control coating to reduce heat gain, and laminated glass where safety or acoustic performance is needed. The exact spec is chosen for each elevation and the cooling strategy.
