Sasi Kumar, General Manager at Advanced, discusses how UL and EN solutions meet the diverse safety needs of high-rise and complex sites in the Middle East

Over the past few decades, the Middle East has seen unprecedented development, and as cities expand, the need for reliable fire safety measures to protect people and property expands too.

The Middle East is an exciting unique market where both EN and UL fire safety solutions are used.

Not all companies can fulfil both requirements but at Advanced we are able to help customers to meet both standards with our Axis EN and Axis AX product ranges respectively.

Axis AX

The UAE now boasts more than 325 buildings over 150m in height.

Alongside this new high-rise skyline has come an acceleration in demand for fire alarm systems, with UL fire safety systems gaining significant popularity in the region.

Fire systems are needed to protect both Fortunately, Advanced’s networked systems are fully scalable to suit virtually any application and proven across a range of diverse settings – from high-rise residential projects and shopping centres to schools and hospitals.

A versatile fire alarm system, Advanced’s Axis AX, approved to UL 864 10th Edition exemplifies innovation in fire safety.

This system combines addressable panels, the latest in sensor technology meeting 7th Edition, CO devices, audio systems and command centres delivering high performance, quality and ease of use.

Its powerful networking capabilities, extensive configuration options and comprehensive cause-and-effect programming put end-users in complete control of their fire alarm system.

An impressive feature of the Axis AX is its scalability, delivering fast, reliable, communications whether used for a two-panel network or widespread networks of up to 200 nodes.

Very few manufacturers can offer the capacity to connect up to 200 panels, making the Axis AX ideal for even the largest and most complex of projects.

A standout example of the Axis AX in action is its installation in the Marassi Galleria Shopping Mall in Bahrain.

This large-scale development required a total of 47 Axis AX fire panels to be installed in a network, complete with voice evacuation systems, amplifiers, and firefighter telephones.

This project illustrates the demand for centralised high-performance solutions that ensure easy access and control for firefighters in emergencies, with customers preferring integrated solutions, like the Axis AX, that combine not only fire detection and voice evacuation but smoke control too, all in one system.

As high-rise development accelerates across the Middle East, demand for reliable, integrated fire safety systems has never been higher.

These integrated solutions simplify the work of firefighters since everything is controlled from a single fire panel.

Advanced’s Axis AX meets these demands by combining voice evacuation, fire detection, smoke control, and communication in a single, robust platform.

Providing centralised control and unparalleled customisation, Axis AX is uniquely equipped to support the Middle East’s growing high-rise sector.

Voice evacuation

An emerging trend in the Middle East is the need for high-rise residential buildings to feature voice evacuation as part of their fire alarm systems.

This follows a new wave of tall buildings, that often reach 80 floors or more, which causes unique challenges for firefighters.

Despite the emergence of high-tech fire engines equipped with new taller evacuation ladders, generally ladders only extend to the tenth floor making a robust fire system essential.

The flexible Axis AX therefore offers critical voice evacuation with integrated audio for automatic (and manual) fire alarm signalling and live voice paging during emergencies.

Axis AX voice evacuation allows 16 pre-recorded messages and multiple language variants so the panel can operate autonomously without interaction to evacuate a building if the fire brigade isn’t present.

If the fire brigade is in attendance, Axis AX provides robust telephone communication channels to ensure maximum safety.

The fire and emergency telephone system identifies the location of field telephone users during emergencies since users can plug a telephone into an Axis AX fire panel to communicate the situation on a given floor to aid in evacuation.

However, with voice evacuations, problems can sometimes arise if audio doesn’t sync and people are able to hear multiple messages at once.

To solve this the Axis AX range features PerfectSync which ensures audio synchronisation across the entire network to avoid confusion by a mixed message.

This includes large networks where it is possible to deliver a message from the first panel to the 200th with instantaneous, highly synchronised messaging to help people evacuate faster in case of fire.

This is ideal for high-rise residential buildings, large shopping centres or universities where the clarity it provides helps ensure safer evacuation.

Smoke control

Smoke control has become another vital feature of fire alarm technology, since smoke inhalation is the primary cause of fire-related deaths.

Delivering ultimate peace of mind, Advanced’s Axis AX features an innovative smoke control approach with DynamixSmoke approved to UL864 standards and compliant with UUKL requirements.

Simplifying smoke control design, DynamixSmoke gives complete and active control of fans and dampers from the fire system; it also makes smoke control easier to install, configure and operate.

This is thanks to its simple four-step configuration process.

Featuring an easy-to-use grid format to configure fans and dampers, it saves hours of setup time and gives an at-a-glance view of all settings.

Listed for both dedicated and non-dedicated applications, it provides automatic and manual options for controlling fans and dampers.

Offering quick, clear configuration of smoke compartments across sites, DynamixSmoke also provides auto-configuration of fan and damper interfaces and simple cause and effect programming.

In addition, it offers complete customised control, including post-alarm purge, cascade options, interlocks, sequential fan restart, automatic testing and stairwell pressurisation, helping control smoke and airflow for safe evacuation.

Axis EN

For customers that have large complex applications, like the Wafi Hotel and Mall in Dubai, our Axis EN system is ideal, providing powerful networking capacity.

A network of 19 EN54-approved Axis EN fire panels, including an integrated fire telephone system, and 7,500 devices have been installed across the US$750million Wafi Hotel and Mall development project.

Installed at the hotel, which boasts 501 luxury guestrooms and 86 suites, a ballroom, numerous conference and hospitality facilities as well as a temperature-controlled pool deck, are 14 4-loop, 2-loop and 1-loop Axis EN fire panels and 5,500 devices.

Meanwhile, included in the active fire protection measures for the Wafi Mall, cinema and car park are a further five Axis EN fire panels of 4-loop and 2-loop variants, alongside an additional 2,000 devices.

Like the Axis AX, the Axis EN can also support robust installations of up to 200 panels per network.

Networks can also be combined to create very large fire systems making the Axis EN ideal for complex, large-scale sites.

Whether configuring high-risk sites with complicated cause and effect, remotely monitoring networked sites, or integrating with building management systems (BMS), intuitive software and panel navigation make setup straightforward.

Axis EN is also effective in minimising unwanted alarms thanks to its built-in AlarmCalm false alarm management and reduction software.

Reel Cinemas

Reel Cinemas in Bahrain’s popular Marassi Mall has enhanced its fire safety infrastructure by installing a state-of-the-art Axis AX fire alarm system from Advanced.

The installation was designed to protect both cinema-goers and staff across a wide range of areas, including seven cinema screens, an IMAX theatre, VIP lounges, the kitchen, waiting lobby, and common areas.

This project was spearheaded by Alpha Fire & Safety and used the powerful Axis AX fire system, known for its flexibility, reliability, and compliance with UL 864 10th Edition standards.

With the installation covering such a dynamic environment, including high-ceiling auditoriums and specialised spaces like the IMAX screen, the project posed significant logistical challenges.

However, the scalability and advanced configuration options of the Axis AX system allowed the team to overcome these hurdles seamlessly.

Alpha Fire & Safety chose a 4-loop Axis AX panel, along with a comprehensive range of devices including smoke detectors, heat detectors, sounders, manual call points, and duct detectors.

Advanced at Intersec 2025

To find out more about Advanced’s full range of solutions and view live demonstrations, visit us at Intersec, 14-16 January 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre on stand F22, Hall 4 or visit www.advancedco.com

This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal – to read your FREE digital copy, click here.