SAS ITThe Challenge
Client: Mid-sized retail chain with 12 outlets across Dubai (Deira, Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Mirdif, Jumeirah, Al Quoz, and DIFC).
Problems identified:
- Each outlet had a different legacy CCTV system installed by different companies at different times
- No central monitoring — each outlet viewed independently
- Four outlets had non-functional cameras
- No mobile access for the security manager
- Footage retention was 7 to 10 days — well below the 30-day SIRA requirement
- Two theft incidents went unresolved due to poor footage quality
Our Approach
Phase 1: Full Site Survey (1 week)
We surveyed all 12 outlets and found: 31 of 67 existing cameras were non-compliant (below SIRA resolution), 8 outlets had no proper cashier coverage, average retention was 9 days, no central monitoring capability.
Phase 2: System Design
- Camera: Hikvision DS-2CD2T47G2-L (4MP ColorVu) for indoor retail
- Camera: Hikvision 4K with spotlight for cashier and entry points
- NVR: Hikvision 16-channel with face detection per outlet
- Storage: 4TB per NVR (32-day retention)
- Central platform: Hikvision HikCentral Professional
- Total: 96 cameras across 12 outlets
Phase 3: Rollout
2 outlets per week over 6 weeks. All work during business hours with minimal disruption. Each outlet: 2 days (cabling day 1, installation and configuration day 2).
Phase 4: Central Monitoring
HikCentral Professional on cloud server: live view of all 96 cameras from single interface, motion alerts to security manager's phone, cross-site search, daily health check report.
Outcomes
- SIRA compliance: 100%
- Retention: 32 days at all outlets
- Coverage: Zero blind spots
- Incident resolution: Within 3 weeks, one theft resolved using new footage (perpetrator identified, footage submitted to Dubai Police)
- Security manager: I can check all 12 stores from my phone in under 2 minutes.
Project Cost
| Item | Total (AED) |
|---|---|
| 96 cameras | 96,000 |
| 12 NVRs + HDDs | 42,000 |
| Cabling and installation | 38,000 |
| HikCentral licence (5-year) | 18,000 |
| Training and documentation | 5,000 |
| Total | 199,000 |
Annual IT AMC (CCTV included): AED 28,000.
Planning a multi-site CCTV rollout in Dubai? Contact SAS IT | +971-526716178
Related: Commercial CCTV Installation Dubai | IT AMC Dubai
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About the Author
Reviewed by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS IT Services, with 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and security — alongside the same engineers who design, install, and support the work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We specialize in Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 vendor product lines we regularly install, configure, and support across networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — hands-on experience that informs the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
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