Design before you buy

HVAC design in Al Nakhil

In Al Nakhil, east of Jeddah, modern villas and residential blocks spread across a continuously expanding area. HVAC design here starts with precise heat load calculation before buying any equipment.

  • Accurate heat loads
  • System selection
  • Duct drawings

Clients We're Proud to Serve

Organisations and companies that trusted Alrabih with their projects.

  • Saudi Aramco
  • Ministry of Energy
  • Royal Saudi Land Forces
  • Royal Saudi Naval Forces
  • Al Baik
  • Centro Hotels by Rotana
  • King Abdullah Economic City
  • First Mills
  • Juffali
  • eXtra
  • Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Medical Center
  • Alesayi Motors
  • Abu Zaid
  • Water Desalination
  • Attieh Steel
  • SSCO
  • Creet
  • Emad Rizq
  • Alfaneyah
  • Rawat Alam Al Tasmeem
  • IBI Magix Arabia — Construction Services
  • Midtown for Construction
  • Petra Engineering Industries Co.
  • Hyrmas
  • Batterjee Medical College
  • Advanced Horizons Contracting Company
  • D.Metals
  • Benchbox — Masters of Space
  • Sadafco
  • Umm Al-Qura University
  • Saudi Arabian Drug Store (SADS)
  • Foamco
  • Ahmad A. R. Bin Afif Industries Co. (Sandwich Panel Factory)
  • Namariq
  • ALS

Who needs a considered design?

  1. 1

    Owner planning a new build

    Before walls and ceilings are finished you still have the chance to route ducts and place units correctly. Early design prevents costly surprises during fit-out and delivers rooms that cool evenly from the first day of operation.

  2. 2

    Architect or contractor needing drawings

    The project needs mechanical drawings to co-ordinate with the structure, electrical and plumbing trades. We produce duct layout drawings, equipment positions and installation heights in a format the site can use directly.

  3. 3

    Existing building with uneven cooling

    Some rooms stay hot even with the AC running while others are over-cooled. The cause is usually wrong airflow distribution or uncalculated capacity. A redesign finds the fault and defines what needs changing before any new purchase.

Who it's for

  • Building a villa and want design before fit-out

    We calculate the heat load for every room in the villa and draw duct routes before ceilings are closed, so you avoid breaking the finished work later.

    Ask on WhatsApp
  • Running a commercial building with hot rooms

    We review the current airflow distribution and recalculate loads per space, then identify faults in the ducts or equipment and draw the required changes before any purchase.

    Ask on WhatsApp

What the design covers

  • Heat load per room
  • Right system type selected
  • Equipment from authorised brands
  • Duct distribution layout drawings
  • Equipment schedule for construction
Request a quote

How we work

How we work

  1. 1

    Gather building data

    We ask for the architectural drawings or visit the site to measure spaces and record glazing, orientation and internal loads from people, equipment and kitchens.

  2. 2

    Calculate heat loads

    We calculate the heat load for each space separately, accounting for Jeddah's intense sun, high humidity and exposed facades, so every unit is sized on real load not guesswork.

  3. 3

    Select system and equipment

    Based on loads and building type we choose between splits, ducted systems, central air and chiller, and specify equipment from Carrier, YORK, General, Midea, Gree and Smart Gold to suit the project.

  4. 4

    Draw and deliver

    We draw duct routes, unit positions, diffuser locations and installation heights, and deliver a complete equipment schedule ready for construction or tendering.

Calculated design or buying blind?

AlrabihThe usual way
Unit sizeBased on actual loadGuessed or oversized
Airflow distributionDrawing that achieves even flowDiffusers placed at random
Co-ordinationDrawings before fit-outCostly changes later
System typeSuited to building and budgetWhatever the shop suggests
Humidity and salt airAccounted for in equipment choiceDiscovered after installation

Some of our work

Ductwork, rooftop units and diffusers, from work we've completed in Jeddah.

  • Galvanized rectangular duct trunk with branch takeoffs and round diffusers, hung from a black ceiling, a Carrier unit visible behind — interior finishing stage.
  • Round diffusers and a spiral duct trunk in a tiled stairwell service shaft.
  • Rooftop ductwork and an exhaust fan, with Jeddah buildings in the background.
  • Rooftop packaged AC units with rectangular duct transitions, city buildings behind.
  • Insulated rooftop duct run beside a packaged unit, a warehouse roof in the background.
  • A grid of round diffusers in an open-plan office ceiling, mid-construction.
  • An insulated rooftop duct elbow, against a mountainous backdrop.
  • Large insulated ductwork running along a factory ceiling, with workers visible below.
  • A yellow round diffuser mid-installation, with spiral duct and a suspended ceiling grid.
  • Duct insulation wrap in progress on a construction site, bare duct still exposed.
  • A black-painted duct trunk with round diffusers and track lighting, in a finished retail interior.
  • An indoor AHU unit connected to round ductwork in a mechanical plant room, exposed concrete ceiling.
Similar project? Send us the details

Customer reviews

What our customers say

4.8

From 10 Google reviews

  • Muhammadramzan 2641

    “MashaaAllah. Services are so good. Behaviour and kindness 100/100. Prices are less then Market. Fully recommended”

  • shahzeb armani

    “Wow. Prices are so comfortable. Outstanding services. People are so talented and nice”

  • Tawfik AlyawerLocal Guide

    “U can find all u need for air conditioning”

Read every review on Google

Your satisfaction matters to us! If you had a great experience with us, we'd love a 5-star rating and a kind review.

Worked with us? Leave a review

Service areas

We come to you anywhere in Jeddah

From Al Shiraa and Al Yaqout in the north to Al Thaghr and Al Quraiyat in the south, with our base in Al Aziziyah.

Map of Jeddah by sector, with Alrabih's base in Al Aziziyah
Don't see your district?Message us. We most likely cover it.

What sets this district apart

Al Nakhil is a relatively modern area in the east with diverse villas and residential blocks, continuously expanding with new construction each year. Buildings here are more spaced out than older areas and benefit from better natural airflow. But pre-design is crucial because each villa and building has different size and room count, and sun exposure varies with facade direction and neighbouring construction.

Al Nakhil is in east Jeddah, an expanding area of modern villas and blocks with continuous new construction.

Most modern villas and blocks in Al Nakhil suit central systems or multiple splits depending on size and internal layout.

The AC setup in Al Nakhil

  1. 1

    Central system for new modern villas

    New modern villas in Al Nakhil benefit from one central system with ducts in ceilings and walls.

  2. 2

    Multiple splits for residential blocks and flats

    Multi-unit residential blocks in Al Nakhil need separate splits per flat for independent temperature control.

  3. 3

    Hybrid system with a central plant room

    Some large modern villas use a hybrid with a central plant room housing the cooling units, ducts, pumps and controls.

Before the visit

Before our visit in Al Nakhil

  1. 1

    Provide precise architectural plans for the building

    Bring the architectural plans and ideally the contractor, so we calculate loads precisely and identify the best duct and outdoor unit locations.

  2. 2

    Identify building directions and sun exposure

    Know which sides face the sun (east, west, north, south) so we calculate the additional solar heat for each wall.

  3. 3

    Check ceiling voids, walls and outdoor placement

    Ensure the ceiling has sufficient void space for ducts and insulation, walls can take pipe runs, and the outdoor site is safe for unit placement.

FAQ

Questions about HVAC design

When is a chiller more suitable than split units?

The decision depends on the building area, number of spaces and how it is used. In large commercial and hotel buildings a chiller gives flexible control and simplifies central maintenance. In apartments and smaller villas a split or ducted system usually fits better. The calculated heat load is what determines the right choice for your building.

How does a large glazed facade affect the design?

Large glazing exposed to Jeddah's sun raises the heat load noticeably, especially on west and north-west facades. We calculate solar gain through each facade separately, and this can change the unit type selected for that room or require extra diffusers to handle the higher load.

Can you design for an existing building with no architectural drawings?

Yes. When no drawings exist we visit the site and measure every space ourselves, recording facades, glazing and how each room is used. The survey takes longer than reviewing ready drawings, but the calculations still rest on real measurements rather than estimates, which is what makes the results reliable.

Does the design include diffuser types and dampers?

The drawings specify diffuser types, positions and sizes to match ceiling height and room shape, and show where dampers are needed to balance airflow to each zone. These details matter because a diffuser in the wrong place wastes a large part of the system capacity even when the units are correctly sized.

Does duct design differ between the ground floor and upper floors?

Yes. The top floor typically carries a higher heat load because the roof is directly exposed to the sun, which affects duct sizes and the number of diffusers needed on that level. We design each floor separately based on its own calculated load and show where dampers are needed to balance airflow between floors.

My new villa hasn't been occupied yet, how do we design the AC?

This is the perfect time to design. We calculate the heat load per room based on area, windows and direction, choose the system and draw the ducts before finishing.

New construction around my villa is not finished yet, will it affect the AC design?

Yes, surrounding buildings affect shading and reflected heat. We calculate for the current situation, and if the surroundings change later we adjust the design.

The east gets very hot, how does the villa's direction affect the design?

East and west facades get very high solar heat. We calculate the additional heat load per wall direction and choose higher-capacity units for the hot sides.

I want a separate plant room for the cooling unit and condenser, where should it go?

We survey the site and choose a location away from living areas with good natural ventilation, usually on the north side or near the back garden.

The Jeddah corniche in cool weather

Start with the right design

WhatsApp your building drawings or site photos, or call us to arrange a survey, Saturday to Thursday from eight in the morning to eight in the evening.

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