Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Sahifah
In Al Sahifah, central Jeddah, restaurants and cafés in older buildings need ventilation that works with modest utilities and tight spaces. We design flexible solutions that work with the existing structure and ensure efficient steam extraction without overwhelming the building.
- Pressure balance
- Make-up air
- Coil protection
Clients We're Proud to Serve
Organisations and companies that trusted Alrabih with their projects.
When your restaurant needs a specialist
- 1
Kitchen smells reaching diners
When the extract hood pulls out more air than is replaced, the kitchen goes negative and draws air from the dining room, bringing smells with it. The answer is calculating the volumes and delivering make-up air close to the hood.
- 2
Dining room stays warm despite the AC
A full dining room in Jeddah's humid summer raises heat and moisture load noticeably. Design must account for peak occupancy, and the right diffuser layout achieves even cooling across tables, not cold near the duct and warm in the corners.
- 3
Repeated breakdowns in kitchen AC units
Grease vapour from the burners settles on evaporator coils and blocks airflow, raising pressure and stressing the compressor. Placing the unit away from grease currents and scheduling coil cleaning reduces this damage significantly.
Who it's for
Opening a new restaurant that needs a full HVAC system
We design the cooling and make-up air system from scratch to match your kitchen and dining layout before you open.
Ask on WhatsAppYour restaurant is running but smells are reaching the tables
We survey the existing system, measure pressure between kitchen and dining, then correct the fault by adding make-up air or adjusting the air balance.
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What the work covers
- Kitchen and dining pressure survey
- Make-up air for hood
- Diffuser layout for dining
- Ductwork to SMACNA standards
- Air balance commissioning
How we work
How we work
- 1
Site and kitchen survey
We visit, measure the spaces, review the existing extract hood and burner positions, and find where negative pressure is occurring before any design work.
- 2
Design and equipment selection
We design the make-up air and cooling systems together, and select units from Carrier, YORK, General, Midea, Gree or Smart Gold to suit the space and the load.
- 3
Duct fabrication and installation
We fabricate ducts in our workshop from G90 galvanised sheet to precise sizes, install the units, and run Mueller copper in runs of up to 30 metres without welded joints, insulated with Armaflex.
- 4
Balancing and handover
We run the system and adjust dampers until the kitchen sits at slight negative and the dining room at slight positive, confirming that doors open easily and no kitchen smell crosses to the guests.
Integrated design or separate units with no balance?
| Alrabih | The usual way | |
|---|---|---|
| Make-up air | Calculated and delivered to the hood | Usually not addressed |
| Dining pressure | Slight positive, no smell transfer | Negative, pulls kitchen air in |
| Coil protection | Unit placed away from grease | Repeated breakdowns |
| Cooling spread | Diffusers sized for full occupancy | Uneven, warm corners |
| Kitchen ductwork | Fabricated in-house from G90 sheet | Off-the-shelf sizes, poor fit |
Everything your AC needs, from one team
From system design and duct fabrication to installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Split AC installation
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Duct installation
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Central AC installation
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Duct fabrication
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Cold room installation
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Electro-mechanical works
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Chiller & AHU installation
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HVAC design
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AC repair & faults
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AC cleaning
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Refrigerant charging
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Central AC maintenance
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Chiller maintenance
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AC removal & refitting
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Duct cleaning & sanitising
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AC servicing by brand
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Operation & maintenance contracts
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AHU maintenance
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Fridge & freezer service
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Cold rooms
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Display fridges & chillers
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Factory HVAC
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Warehouse HVAC
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Villa & home HVAC
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Hotel HVAC
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School HVAC
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Hospital HVAC
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Mosque HVAC
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Mall & retail HVAC
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Restaurant & cafe HVAC
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Some of our work
Ductwork, rooftop units and diffusers, from work we've completed in Jeddah.
Customer reviews
What our customers say
- 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”
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 reviewService 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.

What sets this district apart
Al Sahifah is a relatively old commercial zone in central Jeddah, hosting small shops and restaurants in buildings from decades past. The old buildings are narrow with limited space, and their wiring and foundations are not designed for modern strong ventilation systems. A system sized to the space and existing electrical loads, with flexible ducts that adapt to available infrastructure, works effectively without straining the building.
Al Sahifah lies in central Jeddah in an old commercial zone, with small shops and restaurants in close-packed older buildings.
Most small restaurants here are in old buildings with limited electrical capacity, so they need simple, adaptable ventilation.
The AC setup in Al Sahifah
- 1
Simple extract and slim ducts
In tight old buildings, we use simple fans and slim ducts that do not take much space.
- 2
Gravity-based drainage
Ducts slope naturally by gravity to drain water and grease without needing an extra pump.
- 3
Filters that are easy to clean and replace
Filters are easily cleaned monthly and replaced yearly, extending the system's life in old buildings.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Sahifah
- 1
Send kitchen and building layout
Send a simple sketch showing kitchen location, windows, doors and walls, so we find the best duct route.
- 2
Identify power and water weak points
Tell us about the condition of power and drainage lines, especially if there are regular outages or drainage problems.
- 3
Schedule install during closed hours
Arrange install day and time away from operating hours, to avoid disruption and customer loss.
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FAQ
Questions about Restaurant & cafe HVAC
What is the difference between make-up air and kitchen air conditioning?
Make-up air replaces the volume the hood extracts, its purpose is pressure balance not necessarily cooling. Kitchen air conditioning tackles burner heat and lowers temperature for the staff. Both may be needed, and the site survey determines which your kitchen requires.
Do outdoor seating areas need a different approach in Jeddah?
Yes. In Jeddah's heat and humidity, fans alone are not enough during peak months. The right option depends on whether the space has an open roof or a partial enclosure and how large the area is. We assess the spot and propose suitable units after the survey.
How are AC coils protected from kitchen grease?
The first step is design: we position kitchen units in airflow paths away from the grease rising off the burners. In preventive maintenance contracts we schedule pressure coil cleaning before build-up raises stress on the compressor, because early cleaning is simpler and less costly than a repair.
Can existing ductwork in an operating restaurant be repaired or does it need replacing?
The decision follows a duct inspection: we look for air leaks, grease build-up inside, and sheet corrosion from Jeddah's salty air. If the structure is sound we seal joints with Foster sealants and re-insulate with Kimmco. If not, we fabricate new sections in our workshop and replace the damaged runs.
Does a packed dining room during peak season affect how the AC performs?
Yes, every person in the room adds heat and moisture, and this is significant in Jeddah's summer. Design therefore accounts for full occupancy load, not average attendance, and diffusers are positioned to deliver even cooling across all tables. The exact layout is confirmed after the site survey.
The building is old and space is very tight. How do you fit a system?
We design a flexible system using slim ducts and compact fans that fit the space, running ducts through existing walls where possible.
The building's wiring is weak and old. Can it handle the system?
We check the wiring first, and if the system needs more power we install a safe separate circuit or reduce fan speed.
Humidity and cooking smoke build up fast here. Can the system handle them?
We fit multi-stage filters and precise drainage, trapping smoke and moisture and expelling them effectively.
Will costs be high because the building is old?
We work efficiently with the existing structure, so a simple flexible system in an old building is less costly than upgrading the whole building, and costs depend on kitchen size and materials.












































































