Not All Cameras Are Created Equal

Walk into any electronics shop in Deira and you will find CCTV cameras ranging from 50 dirhams to 5,000 dirhams. The price difference is not random. It reflects real differences in image quality, durability, features, and most importantly, whether the system will actually work reliably for your specific use case.

We have been installing CCTV systems for businesses across Dubai for over a decade, and the biggest mistake we see is people buying based on megapixel count alone. A 4K camera sounds impressive on paper, but if it is installed in the wrong location with poor lighting and no proper storage backend, it gives you worse results than a well-placed 2MP camera.

What Matters More Than Megapixels

Sensor quality and low-light performance

Dubai offices often have areas with mixed lighting. Glass facades flood some zones with sunlight while server rooms stay dim. Your camera needs to handle both without blowing out highlights or losing shadow detail.

Look for cameras with WDR (Wide Dynamic Range), especially for entrances where people walk in from bright outdoor light into darker lobbies. The difference between a camera with proper WDR and one without it is the difference between a clear face capture and a white silhouette.

Storage and retention

Here is a rough calculation that surprises most clients: a single 4K camera recording continuously generates about 30 to 40 gigabytes of footage per day. Multiply that by 16 cameras across a medium-sized office and you are looking at 500 to 600 GB daily. That is over 15 terabytes per month.

If you need to keep footage for 30 days, which is common for compliance reasons in the UAE, your storage requirements add up fast. This is why we always discuss retention policies before recommending camera resolution.

AI analytics: worth it or marketing hype?

Modern IP cameras from brands like Hikvision and Dahua come with built-in AI features: person detection, vehicle counting, line crossing alerts, and even facial recognition.

From our experience, the basic analytics like person detection and intrusion alerts are genuinely useful and worth enabling. They dramatically reduce false alarms compared to traditional motion detection, which triggers every time a shadow moves or a cat walks by.

Facial recognition, on the other hand, requires very specific conditions to work reliably. Controlled lighting, narrow corridors where people face the camera directly, and a well-maintained database. For most standard office environments, it is not practical yet.

SIRA Compliance in Dubai

If your business operates in Dubai, your CCTV system must comply with SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency) requirements. This is not optional. SIRA mandates specific standards for camera placement, recording duration, and even the installation company you use.

All our engineers are SIRA certified, which means we handle the approval process as part of the installation. We have seen companies get fined for non-compliant systems, and the cost of fixing an installation that was not done right the first time always exceeds what a proper installation would have cost.

Our Recommendation for Most Dubai Businesses

For a typical office of 200 to 500 square meters, we usually recommend a mix of 4MP dome cameras for indoor coverage and 4MP bullet cameras for outdoor or parking areas. This gives you excellent detail for identification while keeping storage costs reasonable.

Pair that with a proper NVR (Network Video Recorder) with enough capacity for 30-day retention, and you have a solid, compliant system that actually works when you need it.

Curious About What Your Space Needs?

Every environment is different. A warehouse has completely different requirements than a retail showroom or a corporate office. The best way to figure out exactly what you need is a professional site survey.

We do these for free, and there is no obligation. Our engineers walk your premises, identify blind spots, recommend camera positions, and give you a clear quote. That way you know exactly what you are getting before you commit to anything.