Office fit-out cost in Riyadh is the question every tenant asks first and the one most often answered badly. A single "per square metre" figure means little until you know whether it covers Category A or Category B works, whether furniture and IT are included, and what condition the landlord hands the floor over in. This guide sets out 2026 Riyadh market ranges for each of those scopes so you can build a budget that survives the first contractor quotation.
The figures below are drawn from current Riyadh tender pricing, published regional fit-out cost surveys, and the cost benchmarks we use when scoping office fit-out in Riyadh. All figures are in Saudi Riyals (SAR). They are indicative ranges only: every floor plate, lease, and specification is different, and a site-specific quotation is required before you commit to a budget.
Cat A vs Cat B: What You Are Actually Paying For
Most confusion about office fit-out cost comes from mixing two different scopes of work.
Category A (Cat A) turns a shell-and-core floor into a lettable, open-plan space. It typically includes raised access floor, suspended ceiling grid, base HVAC distribution (fan coil units or VAV boxes and main ductwork), general lighting, small power to floor boxes, sprinkler and fire alarm coverage for an open plan, and finished core toilets. In Riyadh's Grade A towers, Cat A is often delivered by the landlord; in older Grade B stock, the tenant may inherit a partially completed or dated Cat A.
Category B (Cat B) is the tenant's fit-out: partitions, meeting rooms, reception, pantry, finishes, joinery, lighting upgrades, modifications to HVAC and sprinklers to suit the new layout, data cabling, access control, AV, and branding. Cat B is where design choices and specification drive the budget.
If your space is handed over in shell-and-core condition, you pay for both. For a full comparison of the lease models, see our guide to turnkey vs shell-and-core fit-out in Saudi Arabia.
What Drives Office Fit-Out Cost in Riyadh
Handover condition. A Cat A floor with modern fan coils and a raised floor in good order saves SAR 600–1,400 per sqm compared with shell-and-core. Inheriting an old fit-out can go either way: reusable ceilings and ductwork save money, but strip-out of a poor fit-out adds cost.
Ratio of enclosed rooms to open plan. Every cellular office or meeting room adds partitions, doors, HVAC zoning, lighting control, and sprinkler relocations. A floor that is 70% open plan costs materially less per sqm than one that is 40% open plan.
Glazing. Full-height frameless glass partitions are one of the most expensive items in a Riyadh office. Specifying acoustic double-glazed partitions to boardrooms raises the cost again.
MEP modifications. Regional cost surveys put mechanical and electrical services at roughly 29% of a Riyadh office fit-out. Adding dedicated cooling for server rooms, extra fan coils for meeting rooms, or upgraded lighting control moves this share up quickly.
Approvals and building rules. Tower management fit-out rules, Civil Defence approval, and municipality permits all carry fees and time. Landlords in KAFD and other managed districts typically require their own design review before work starts.
Office Fit-Out Cost per sqm by Tier (2026 Riyadh Market Ranges)
The Cat B ranges below cover construction works only: partitions, ceilings, flooring, joinery, MEP modifications, data cabling, and finishes. They exclude loose furniture, IT hardware, AV equipment, and professional fees, which are shown separately later in this guide.
| Scope / Tier | SAR per sqm | Typical Total for 400 sqm | Typical Occupier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat A (shell-and-core to open plan) | SAR 600 – 1,400 | SAR 240,000 – 560,000 | Landlord or tenant taking shell-and-core |
| Cat B – Economy | SAR 800 – 1,200 | SAR 320,000 – 480,000 | Back-office, support functions |
| Cat B – Mid-range | SAR 1,200 – 2,000 | SAR 480,000 – 800,000 | Professional services, corporate tenants |
| Cat B – Premium | SAR 2,000 – 3,500 | SAR 800,000 – 1,400,000 | Financial services, technology, international firms |
| Cat B – Flagship / HQ | SAR 3,500 – 6,000+ | SAR 1,400,000 – 2,400,000+ | Regional headquarters, executive floors |
International occupier cost surveys published in 2025 put high-specification Riyadh office fit-out at roughly USD 2,650–3,900 per sqm (about SAR 10,000–14,500). Those benchmarks measure a different scope: Cat A and Cat B together, plus furniture, IT, AV, and professional fees, for multinational occupiers in prime towers. They are useful as a ceiling for a regional headquarters, not as a guide for a typical Riyadh office. The same surveys note that Riyadh now costs more than Dubai and Abu Dhabi for high-specification fit-out, largely because giga-project demand is competing for the same labour and materials.
Cost Line Items: Where the Money Goes
The table below shows typical unit rates for the main Cat B trades in Riyadh. Use it to sense-check a contractor's bill of quantities rather than to build a budget from scratch.
| Item | Unit | Budget Range (SAR) |
|---|---|---|
| Gypsum board partition, insulated, painted | per linear metre (full height) | SAR 350 – 750 |
| Frameless glass partition (single glazed) | per sqm of glass | SAR 650 – 1,300 |
| Acoustic double-glazed partition | per sqm of glass | SAR 1,300 – 2,400 |
| Suspended ceiling (mineral tile or gypsum) | per sqm | SAR 110 – 280 |
| Carpet tile / LVT flooring | per sqm | SAR 90 – 260 |
| Porcelain or stone flooring (reception, pantry) | per sqm | SAR 220 – 900 |
| HVAC modifications (FCU relocation, diffusers, zoning) | per sqm of floor | SAR 180 – 450 |
| Electrical and lighting (LED, controls, small power) | per sqm of floor | SAR 160 – 400 |
| Fire alarm and sprinkler modifications | per sqm of floor | SAR 50 – 130 |
| Structured data cabling (Cat 6A) | per data point | SAR 350 – 700 |
| Reception desk (bespoke joinery) | each | SAR 25,000 – 120,000 |
| Pantry joinery and worktops | per linear metre | SAR 2,500 – 6,000 |
Builders' works — partitions, flooring, finishes, and joinery — typically account for around 40% of a Riyadh office fit-out, with MEP and data making up most of the remainder. If a quotation shows MEP well below a quarter of the total, check that sprinkler, fire alarm, and HVAC modifications have actually been priced.
Worked Example: A 400 sqm Cat B Office
Consider a 400 sqm floor in a Riyadh Grade A tower, handed over at Cat A by the landlord. The brief is a mid-range corporate fit-out: reception, one boardroom, two meeting rooms, four offices, a pantry, a small comms room, and open-plan seating for around 40 staff.
| Cost Element | Indicative Cost (SAR) |
|---|---|
| Partitions and glazing | SAR 130,000 |
| Ceilings and bulkheads | SAR 50,000 |
| Flooring | SAR 70,000 |
| Joinery (reception desk, pantry, storage) | SAR 65,000 |
| HVAC modifications | SAR 95,000 |
| Electrical and lighting | SAR 90,000 |
| Fire alarm and sprinkler modifications | SAR 35,000 |
| Data cabling, access control, CCTV | SAR 55,000 |
| Painting, wall finishes, signage | SAR 40,000 |
| Preliminaries, insurance, building charges | SAR 30,000 |
| Cat B construction subtotal | SAR 660,000 (SAR 1,650 per sqm) |
| Loose furniture (workstations, chairs, meeting tables) | SAR 180,000 |
| AV and IT equipment (screens, conferencing, Wi-Fi) | SAR 60,000 |
| Design, drawings, and authority approvals | SAR 45,000 |
| Contingency (10%) | SAR 94,500 |
| Total project budget | SAR 1,039,500 (about SAR 2,600 per sqm) |
Two points stand out. First, the all-in figure is roughly 60% higher than the construction rate alone, which is why tenants who budget on the per-sqm construction rate run short. Second, if the same floor were handed over as shell-and-core, Cat A works would add a further SAR 240,000–560,000.
Timeline
A 400 sqm Cat B fit-out in Riyadh typically takes 8–12 weeks on site once approvals are in hand, with design and building management approval adding 4–8 weeks before that. Larger floors and headquarters projects run longer. Programme affects cost directly: compressed timelines require night shifts and premium lead times on glazing and joinery. For a phase-by-phase breakdown, read our office fit-out timeline guide for Riyadh.
Hidden Costs Tenants Miss
- Building management charges. Many Riyadh towers charge for fit-out supervision, temporary power and water, after-hours lift use, and protection of common areas. Ask for the fit-out manual before you sign the lease.
- Landlord design review fees. Some landlords appoint their own consultant to review tenant drawings, and recharge the fee.
- Cat A upgrades. Existing fan coils sized for open plan may not cool a boardroom for 16 people. Additional units, condensate drainage, and controls are frequently missed.
- Server or comms room cooling. Dedicated split units or close-control cooling with backup typically add SAR 25,000–80,000.
- Reinstatement at lease end. Many Riyadh leases require the tenant to return the floor to Cat A. Budget for strip-out at the end of the lease, not just the fit-out at the start.
- Civil Defence and municipality fees. Allow for permit fees and the cost of stamped drawings from a licensed Saudi engineering office.
Landlord fit-out contributions offset some of this. In Riyadh's Grade A market, contributions typically range from SAR 500–1,500 per sqm, depending on lease length and the tenant's covenant strength. Negotiate the contribution and the rent-free fit-out period together.
How to Keep Office Fit-Out Cost Under Control
Fix the headcount and the room schedule before design starts. Reuse the Cat A ceiling grid and fan coil layout wherever the plan allows. Limit full-height glazing to client-facing rooms. Order long-lead items — glass, bespoke joinery, imported flooring — as soon as drawings are approved. And appoint a contractor who carries MEP in-house, because most cost overruns on office fit-outs come from MEP coordination failures between trades. Ask every bidder whether MEP is self-delivered or subcontracted, and who carries the design risk for Cat A modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does office fit-out cost per sqm in Riyadh?
In 2026, Cat B office fit-out in Riyadh typically costs SAR 800–1,200 per sqm at economy level, SAR 1,200–2,000 for a mid-range corporate office, SAR 2,000–3,500 for premium, and SAR 3,500–6,000+ for flagship headquarters. Add furniture, IT, AV, fees, and contingency for the full project budget.
What is the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out?
Cat A converts a shell-and-core floor into a basic open-plan space with raised floor, ceiling, base HVAC, lighting, and fire services. Cat B is the tenant's fit-out on top: partitions, meeting rooms, finishes, joinery, branding, and adapted MEP. Cat A costs SAR 600–1,400 per sqm in Riyadh; Cat B is priced separately.
Does the per-sqm rate include furniture?
No. The construction rates in this guide exclude loose furniture, which typically adds SAR 350–700 per sqm for a mid-range office and considerably more for executive floors.
How long does a 400 sqm office fit-out take in Riyadh?
Around 8–12 weeks on site, plus 4–8 weeks for design and approvals. Programme depends on landlord approval speed, lead times for glazing and joinery, and how quickly the client signs off the layout.
Is it cheaper to take a turnkey office?
Up front, yes. Over a long lease, usually not, because the landlord recovers the fit-out through higher rent. For short leases or urgent moves, turnkey can be the better option.
Get an Accurate Office Fit-Out Quotation
Dar Anan Contracting has delivered construction and interior fit-out work in Riyadh since 2002, with MEP, joinery coordination, and authority approvals handled under one contract. To get a scope-based quotation, send us your floor plan, the landlord's handover specification, your headcount and room schedule, and your target move-in date. Our office fit-out team will review the brief and return a priced breakdown that separates Cat A, Cat B, furniture, and fees, so you can see exactly where the money goes. Contact us to arrange a site visit.