When a dealer opens a new site, the showroom gets the attention, but the project succeeds or fails on the whole building. This car showroom fit-out case study looks at the Haval & Great Wall (GWM) showroom and service center we completed for Al Naboodah in Fujairah, and at why delivering both spaces with one team made the difference.
The Brief Behind This Car Showroom Fit-Out Case Study
Al Naboodah needed a single site in Fujairah where customers could browse the GWM lineup, including Haval, Tank and Poer, and also have their vehicles serviced. That meant two distinct but connected spaces under one roof: a customer-facing vehicle showroom and a fully operational service center.
The scope was full turnkey delivery: design, MEP and in-house joinery. Instead of coordinating several contractors, the client had one team accountable for the entire fit-out. You can see the finished project on our GWM Fujairah project page.
Why a combined showroom and service center is harder than a showroom alone
A showroom is built to sell. A service center is built to work. Putting them on one site means one visit has to feel premium at the display floor and still run efficiently in the workshop, and the two have to connect without one spoiling the other.
Several things have to be right from the start:
- Customer flow. Visitors need a clear path from the entrance to the vehicles, and service customers need a separate, obvious route to reception.
- Technical services. The MEP design for a workshop is very different from a display hall. Power, ventilation and air conditioning must serve both without compromising the showroom’s look.
- Brand standards. Manufacturers set clear requirements for finishes, lighting and display. These need to be met in the showroom and carried sensibly into customer-facing parts of the service area.
How we approached the fit-out
Design. The showroom uses a restrained palette so the vehicles stay the focus. A dark feature wall carries the GWM Tank branding and a large display screen, and warm timber slat panels add contrast against the cooler tones. Continuous linear lighting runs across a bright ceiling plane, which gives even illumination across the floor and guides the eye toward the cars. Light flooring keeps the space open and makes the vehicles stand out.
MEP. Because we delivered the MEP ourselves, services were planned alongside the design rather than after it. Lighting, power and air conditioning were coordinated with the ceiling and wall layouts, which is how the showroom keeps its clean lines and the service center keeps its working capacity.
In-house joinery. The timber elements were produced by our own joinery team. Making them in-house gave us control over finish and fit, and it removed one outside supplier from the programme. For more on this, read about the benefits of in-house joinery in fit-out projects.
The showroom follows the brand’s multi-model range, as described on the official GWM website. Every decision in this car showroom fit-out case study came back to one question: does it help the customer, the vehicle or the service team?
The outcome
The main finding of this car showroom fit-out case study is simple: one accountable team delivered both spaces.The fit-out is complete, and the facility is now open. Al Naboodah now has one site in Fujairah where customers can explore the GWM lineup and have their vehicles serviced, without either experience being compromised.
What this means for other dealers
If you are planning a new dealership in the UAE, consider these points:
- Decide early how the showroom and service areas connect, because that layout drives every other decision.
- Ask your contractor who will handle MEP and joinery. Fewer parties usually means fewer coordination gaps.
- Check the manufacturer’s standards before the design is finalised, not after.
Our choosing a car showroom design company guide covers more questions worth asking, and our Fujairah car showroom page explains how we work in the emirate.
If you want to apply the lessons from this car showroom fit-out case study, start by asking your contractor who owns MEP and joinery.
Planning a showroom or dealership?
River Island Interiors is an ISO 9001:2015 certified fit-out contractor delivering car showrooms across the UAE. Explore our car showroom interior design service, or if this car showroom fit-out case study matches what you are planning, contact us to discuss your project.