A pet door Al Shamkha owners ask us for is usually fitted to a house that still feels new. Al Shamkha and Al Falah are among Abu Dhabi’s newer villa communities — modern homes, modern double-glazed sliding doors, young families, and very often a first dog or a first cat arriving not long after the family does. The question these owners ask is a fair one: the doors are new, the glass is under the developer’s finish, and nobody wants to be the person who cut a hole in either.
Nobody has to. Nothing is ever cut into your original glass. The flap arrives in a panel of its own or in a newly fabricated unit, your original glass is kept whole, and the whole fitting reverses in around 30 minutes. This guide explains how the two routes suit new-build doors, what changes between owning and renting in these communities, and how to size for a pet that may still be growing. For the complete service across the capital, see our page on pet door installation Abu Dhabi.
Pet door Al Shamkha: fitting modern double-glazed doors
Newer villas in Al Shamkha and Al Falah typically run wide, well-sealed double-glazed sliders in standard frame colours — an easier starting point than most, because tracks and profiles are consistent. Two routes cover them, as everywhere.
The sliding track insert
A made-to-measure panel slots into the sliding door’s track with the flap built in. The door continues to slide and lock on its existing hardware, and the original double-glazed unit is not touched at all. In standard white aluminium with clear glass, booked before 10 AM, the insert is our fastest fitting — our Abu Dhabi teams work daily, and where the day’s route allows we will fit the same day, with the slot confirmed when you book. Where frames are grey or another finish, custom RAL powder-coating matches the insert; allow two to three days for that finish before fitting.
The replacement glass panel
For a fixed panel or a more built-in look on the main garden door, a new double-glazed unit is fabricated to match yours, with the flap opening formed before the glass is tempered and the flap fitted at fabrication. Your original unit is removed whole and stored, and can be swapped back in around 30 minutes. One honest note for new-build glass, especially on sunnier elevations: where panes are tinted or reflective, we match the shade as closely as fabrication allows, but a 100% identical shade cannot be guaranteed.
Owned, rented and everything between
These communities hold a real mix: families who have bought their first villa, and tenants in identical houses across the street. The glass routes serve both, for the same reason — nothing permanent changes. No landlord NOC is needed for inserts or replacement panels, and a tenant’s deposit position stays exactly as it was, because the house can be returned to its original state in about half an hour. The permanent options exist — a flap cut into an interior wooden door, or a through-wall fitting — and we fit them for owners who want them, but we always state first that those cut the material and do not reverse. For owners planning to stay for years, there is a quieter benefit to the glass routes too: tastes and circumstances change. A replacement panel that can be swapped back means the pet door never has to be explained to a future buyer or worked around by a future tenant. The house keeps every option open, which suits communities where many families are still deciding whether this home is for five years or for good.
Sizing for young pets and desert summers
First pets in new communities are often young pets, so size for the adult animal, not the puppy or kitten in front of you. Dog doors run Medium 23 × 35 cm, Large 28 × 45 cm and XL 36 × 65 cm; check the breed’s adult chest width and shoulder height before choosing. Cats over 4 kg need a Large flap — many family cats pass that weight comfortably. For keeping the house sealed against the summer, dog doors from Hakuna Pets close on a magnetic seal. For keeping other animals out, SureFlap and PetSafe microchip models read your pet’s own 15-digit ISO FDX-B vet chip and open only for them. Where you would rather control a flap entirely by hand, Closer Pets makes a manual four-way locking model with settings you set yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Will fitting a flap affect our new-build doors?
No. Your original glass is never cut or altered. The flap sits in a track insert or in a separately fabricated unit, and your original door and glass remain exactly as the developer handed them over.
Can tenants in Al Falah have a pet door fitted?
Yes. Both glass routes are fully reversible, the original glass is stored, and the swap-back takes around 30 minutes — no landlord NOC is needed for the glass routes.
Our puppy is still growing. What size should we choose?
Size for the adult dog. Use the breed’s typical adult chest width and shoulder height against Medium 23 × 35 cm, Large 28 × 45 cm and XL 36 × 65 cm, and size up if between — a door fitted for the puppy will be outgrown within the year.
Can you match the tinted glass on our rear doors?
We match shades as closely as fabrication allows, but on tinted or reflective glass a 100% identical shade cannot be guaranteed. We will talk through the match before anything is fabricated.
How quickly can a fitting be arranged in Al Shamkha?
Our Abu Dhabi teams work daily. A standard white insert booked before 10 AM can be fitted the same day where the day’s route allows; we confirm the slot at booking, and powder-coated finishes need two to three days first.
Book an Al Shamkha or Al Falah fitting
Send us a photo of the door and your pet’s measurements on WhatsApp 0524432655 or email admin@petdoorfix.com, and we will confirm the route, the finish and the fitting day. A pet door Al Shamkha and Al Falah homes can be fitted with confidently is one that respects how new these houses are — everything reversible, nothing cut, and the original glass kept safe from day one. For Al Shamkha and Al Falah villa homes, see our dedicated pages for cat flap installation in Abu Dhabi and dog door installation in Abu Dhabi.
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