If you are leasing office space in Riyadh — in KAFD, along King Fahd Road, in Olaya or in one of the newer business parks — you will hear two terms in almost every lease discussion: Category A and Category B. They describe how finished the space is when you receive it, and what you still need to build before your team can move in. Misunderstanding the difference is one of the most common reasons office budgets and move-in dates go wrong.
This guide explains what Cat A and Cat B fit-out typically include in Riyadh’s Grade A and good Grade B buildings, how they relate to shell and core, who normally pays for what, and how each affects your approvals and programme. If you are planning a move, our office fit-out team can review a landlord’s handover specification with you before you sign.
Three Handover Levels: Shell and Core, Cat A, Cat B
The terms come from the UK commercial property market and are now widely used in the Gulf. There is no Saudi regulation that defines them, which is why the lease and its handover specification matter more than the label.
| Level | What You Get | Usable for Work? |
|---|---|---|
| Shell and core | Structure, façade, lift and stair cores, common areas, toilets on the core, main MEP risers and plant. Bare slab and exposed soffit within the tenant area. | No |
| Category A | Shell and core plus a basic, open-plan, finished floor: ceiling, lighting, HVAC distribution, raised floor or finished floor, fire systems adapted to the open floor. | Not yet — a clean, empty floor with no partitions, furniture or IT |
| Category B | Cat A plus the tenant’s own fit-out: offices, meeting rooms, reception, pantry, IT, furniture, branding. | Yes |
For a wider comparison of shell-and-core and fully fitted delivery models, see our guide to turnkey vs shell-and-core fit-out in Saudi Arabia.
What Cat A Typically Includes in Riyadh
Specifications vary between landlords, but a typical Cat A floor in a Grade A Riyadh building includes:
- Ceilings: suspended ceiling grid with tiles, or a plasterboard ceiling, across the open floor.
- Lighting: a regular grid of LED panels designed for open-plan office lux levels, with basic switching or lighting control.
- Floors: raised access floor in most Grade A towers; in some buildings, a finished screed instead.
- HVAC: secondary distribution across the floor — fan coil units, VAV boxes or VRF indoor units with ductwork and diffusers — designed for an open-plan layout and a standard occupancy density.
- Fire and life safety: sprinklers, smoke detectors, fire alarm devices and emergency lighting laid out for the open floor.
- Power: distribution boards on the floor with capacity allocated per square metre; often floor boxes or a small-power grid in the raised floor.
- Finishes: painted perimeter walls and columns, window blinds in some buildings, and finished core walls.
What Cat A usually does not include: internal partitions, doors, meeting rooms, reception, pantry or kitchen, extra toilets, carpet or vinyl on the raised floor, data cabling, server room cooling, audio-visual, security and access control inside the tenancy, furniture and signage.
What Cat B Includes
Cat B is everything that turns an empty Cat A floor into your office:
- Partitions, glazed meeting rooms, doors and ironmongery
- Reception, joinery, pantry and breakout areas
- Floor finishes — carpet tiles, vinyl, timber or stone in feature areas
- Feature ceilings and decorative lighting
- HVAC modifications: rebalancing, additional FCUs or units for enclosed rooms, and dedicated cooling for server or comms rooms
- Fire alarm and sprinkler modifications to suit the new room layout
- Structured data cabling, Wi-Fi, AV and meeting room technology
- Access control, CCTV and security within the tenancy
- Furniture, branding, wayfinding and signage
- Additional plumbing for pantries, executive washrooms or prayer room ablution
The Cat A Waste Problem
Because Cat A is designed for a generic open floor, a large part of it is often changed in Cat B. Every new cellular office or meeting room means moving lights, adding or relocating diffusers and FCUs, and moving sprinkler heads and detectors. On floors with a high proportion of enclosed rooms, some of the Cat A ceiling and lighting is removed almost as soon as it is installed.
Ways to reduce the waste:
- Negotiate a Cat A contribution instead of Cat A works. Some landlords will provide a cash allowance or rent-free period in place of Cat A, allowing the tenant to build straight to Cat B.
- Integrate the design. If the lease is signed before the landlord starts Cat A, ask for your layout to be considered so that ceilings, lighting and HVAC are not installed where they will be removed.
- Use a single contractor for both. Where the landlord allows it, a tenant’s contractor delivering Cat A and Cat B together avoids double work and double testing.
Who Pays for What?
In the Riyadh market, the general pattern is:
| Item | Usually Paid By | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shell and core | Landlord | Part of the building development. |
| Cat A | Landlord, or tenant with a landlord contribution | Depends on the building and market conditions. In some buildings Cat A is part of the rent; in others the tenant receives shell and core with a fit-out allowance or rent-free period. |
| Cat B | Tenant | The tenant’s capital cost. Sometimes partly offset by rent-free or a landlord contribution. |
| Reinstatement at lease end | Tenant | Lease often requires removing Cat B and returning the floor to Cat A. Check this clause carefully. |
Whatever the label, ask the landlord for the full handover specification and a set of base-build drawings: ceiling and lighting layouts, HVAC design capacity and occupancy density, power allocation, sprinkler and fire alarm layouts. Price your Cat B against those documents, not against the words “Cat A” in a leasing brochure.
Landlord Approvals
Cat B works in a Riyadh office tower need landlord approval before they start. A typical process:
- Read the tenant fit-out guide. It sets rules for working hours, materials, HVAC and electrical limits, approved specialist contractors and insurance.
- Submit design drawings — architectural, MEP, fire, and any structural items such as heavy filing, safes or raised areas — for review by the building’s technical team or consultant.
- Provide contractor documents and insurance: commercial registration, Contractor’s All Risks and third-party liability cover, method statements and a worker list.
- Agree interfaces with base-build systems. Fire alarm and BMS modifications are often reserved for the landlord’s nominated contractor.
- Inspections and close-out: above-ceiling inspection, testing and commissioning, as-built drawings, and a final landlord walk-through before occupation.
Alongside the landlord, Cat B works normally need municipality and Civil Defence approval through the Balady licensing process for the premises. Drawings for submission must be prepared or stamped by an engineering office registered with the Saudi Council of Engineers. Confirm the specific permits your scope triggers early, especially if you are adding structural loads, changing escape routes or installing a commercial kitchen.
Timeline Implications
The handover level has a direct effect on how long it takes to move in. Indicative construction durations for a 1,000 sqm floor, excluding design and approvals:
| Starting Point | Typical Construction Period | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shell and core to full fit-out | 14–22 weeks | All ceiling, HVAC, fire and floor works have to be done, plus the tenant fit-out. |
| Cat A to Cat B (mostly open plan) | 8–12 weeks | Ceiling, lighting and HVAC largely retained; partitions, finishes, IT and furniture added. |
| Cat A to Cat B (high proportion of enclosed rooms) | 10–16 weeks | Significant HVAC, sprinkler and lighting modifications on top of Cat B works. |
Design and approvals typically add six to twelve weeks before construction, and long-lead items — imported furniture, specialist glazing, AV and HVAC equipment — can drive the critical path. Our office fit-out timeline guide for Riyadh breaks down each phase in more detail.
Which Is Right for Your Business?
- Mostly open plan, standard density: a good Cat A floor saves time and money. Focus Cat B on meeting rooms, reception, pantry and IT.
- High density or many enclosed rooms: check the Cat A HVAC capacity and consider negotiating a contribution instead of Cat A works.
- Headquarters with a strong brand brief: you will likely replace much of the Cat A ceiling and lighting; build that into the budget or negotiate shell-and-core with an allowance.
- Tight move-in date: Cat A space is usually the fastest route, provided the specification matches your needs.
An experienced office fit-out contractor can produce a quick test-fit and a Cat B cost plan against the landlord’s handover drawings before you sign. That exercise often changes the negotiation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Cat A mean in office fit-out?
Category A is a basic finished office floor: ceilings, lighting, HVAC distribution, fire systems and a raised or finished floor, designed for open-plan use. It is clean and serviced but not ready to occupy because there are no partitions, furniture or IT.
What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B?
Cat A provides the base finished floor. Cat B is the tenant-specific fit-out that makes it a working office: rooms, reception, pantry, finishes, IT, AV, furniture and branding.
Who pays for Cat B fit-out in Riyadh?
The tenant normally pays for Cat B. Landlords sometimes offset part of the cost with a rent-free period or fit-out contribution, depending on the building and the lease negotiation.
Is Cat A standard in KAFD and Olaya office towers?
Many Grade A towers in Riyadh offer Cat A or shell and core, but the specification differs from building to building. Always ask for the detailed handover specification and base-build drawings rather than relying on the label.
Do I need landlord approval for Cat B works?
Yes. Landlords require design approval, contractor registration, insurance and inspections. Municipality and Civil Defence approvals also apply to the premises.
Dar Anan Contracting has been delivering construction and fit-out work in Riyadh since 2002. Contact us to review a landlord’s Cat A specification, plan your Cat B scope and build a realistic move-in programme.