The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has formally incorporated the Sahel Community Rating System into its Concept and Detailed Master Plan submission requirements, strengthening the role of accessibility and inclusive design in new developments across the emirate.
Under the updated requirements, project teams must demonstrate how accessibility has been considered from the early planning stages and carried out through design development. The submission process now requires a Sahel scorecard, an accessibility strategy, supporting design evidence and clearly defined responsibilities for implementing the rating requirements.
The updated Concept and Detailed Master Plan guidelines are dated 10 August 2026.
Accessibility embedded from the concept stage
At the Concept Master Plan stage, project teams are required to prepare a preliminary Sahel Community Rating System scorecard identifying the proposed target rating and the approach for achieving applicable mandatory and targeted credits.
Submissions must also include an accessibility vision, strategy, objectives and supporting concept-level information. The project team structure should identify the roles of the Sahel Qualified Professional (SQP), Accessibility Consultant and relevant design disciplines.
Accessibility workshops, project milestones, assigned responsibilities and the process for carrying accessibility requirements into subsequent design stages must also be documented.
At the Detailed Master Plan stage, the preliminary strategy must be developed into a completed scorecard supported by coordinated drawings, project-specific narratives, strategies and other evidence demonstrating compliance.
A comprehensive approach to inclusion
Sahel, meaning ease in Arabic was developed to improve accessibility for residents and visitors across Abu Dhabi.
The system considers the requirements of People of Determination, older people, children, families, pregnant women, people with temporary injuries and others who may experience physical, sensory, cognitive or situational accessibility challenges.
It assesses developments through three categories:
- Sahel Community Rating for communities and master-planned developments
- Sahel Public Realm Rating for public spaces and open areas
- Sahel Building Rating for commercial, public, government and other buildings
Projects are assessed at four progressive levels: Accessible, Adaptable, Inclusive and Exemplar.
Nine areas of assessment
The Sahel Community Rating System addresses accessibility through nine interconnected credit categories:
- Transportation Access
- Interconnectivity and Circulation
- Ergonomic Furniture and Equipment
- Environmental Quality and Comfort
- Hygiene and Care
- Digital Accessibility
- Orientation and Communication
- Emergency Systems and Procedures
- Considerate Maintenance
The framework therefore extends beyond individual accessible features. It examines how transportation, pedestrian connections, public spaces, facilities, information, environmental comfort, emergency procedures and long-term maintenance combine to create a complete and usable experience.
Its implementation will require coordination across master planning, architecture, landscape, transport, infrastructure, wayfinding, ICT, lighting, fire and life safety, facilities management and operations.
New responsibilities for development teams
Developers and lead consultants preparing master plan submissions will need to introduce Sahel requirements at project commencement rather than addressing accessibility immediately before authority submission.
Key actions will include:
- Appointing an SQP and Accessibility Consultant
- Establishing the targeted Sahel rating
- Identifying mandatory and targeted credits
- Assigning credit responsibilities across the design team
- Conducting multidisciplinary accessibility workshops
- Integrating accessibility requirements into consultant briefs
- Maintaining coordinated evidence throughout the project
- Reviewing submission readiness at key design milestones
Projects already in development may also require an early gap assessment to identify missing documentation, coordination risks or design issues before their next submission.