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Abu Dhabi ENS MBZ Boys School Air Dome Project — Guangdong Eurasia Freezing Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

The UAE's first air-supported dome gymnasium — the ENS MBZ Boys School air dome of Emirates National Schools — has recently been completed in Abu Dhabi. As the core HVAC equipment supplier for this project, Guangdong Eurasia Freezing Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (brand: OYRR) supplied tent air conditioners that are now running reliably, creating a constant-temperature, constant-humidity and clean indoor sports environment for this 5,451 m² large-span air dome under the tropical desert climate.
Fig.1 Exterior of the ENS MBZ Boys School air-supported dome gymnasium in Abu Dhabi

1. Project Overview: The First Sino-Built Air Dome Sports Venue in the UAE

Located in Abu Dhabi, the air dome gymnasium covers about 5,451 m², measuring 111.2 m long, 49.02 m wide and 18 m high. It is a multi-purpose indoor sports hall integrating basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball and football. The project was invested by ENS MBZ Boys School of Emirates National Schools.

Emirates National Schools is a long-established royal school in the UAE that educates members of the royal family, and is also one of the largest schools in the world authorized for the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). Since its launch, the project has been positioned as a flagship demonstration of new eco-friendly air-supported buildings in the UAE, and a concrete example of Chinese air-dome technology and supporting equipment going global under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Fig.2 The client — Emirates National Schools (ENS)
Fig.3 Multi-sport playing field inside the dome (basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball, football)

2. The Challenge: Cooling a Large Space in the Deser

The UAE lies in a tropical desert climate zone, where summer peak temperatures often exceed 45 °C and air conditioning is relied on year-round. Air-supported buildings are light and fast to erect, but their single-layer membrane offers limited insulation; combined with the 18 m clear height and column-free large span, solar radiation penetrating the membrane easily creates a greenhouse effect indoors. This imposes far higher requirements on air throw, cooling capacity margin and high-temperature stability than an ordinary factory or tent.

On top of that, the hall is densely occupied with high-intensity sports: cooling must be fast but must not blow directly onto athletes; frequent sandstorms outside mean fresh air must be filtered before entering; and the school requires unattended, remotely manageable operation to minimize ongoing maintenance labor.

3. Core Product: OYRR Tent Air Conditioner

To meet these conditions, OYRR supplied its flagship product for this project — the tent air conditioner. The unit integrates the compressor, condenser, evaporator, supply/return fans, filtration section and control system into a single cabinet. Fully charged, leak-tested and commissioned in the factory, it requires no on-site split assembly — it truly works the moment it arrives: "deliver to site, connect power, switch on."

Fig.4 OYRR tent air conditioner outdoor unit

(1) Plug-and-Play, Easy to Install

Unlike traditional split central air conditioning, which requires on-site copper welding, vacuum pumping and secondary refrigerant charging, the unit has already had its entire refrigeration system assembled and leak-tested in the factory. Once delivered to the Abu Dhabi site, the crew only needs two things: position the unit and connect the power supply; connect the supply and return openings to the reserved openings on the dome wall with flexible ducting. Press the start button and the unit runs automatically at the set temperature — eliminating lengthy on-site piping and commissioning.

As the on-site photos show, the unit sits directly on a simple concrete strip foundation outside the dome, with no dedicated machine room and no valuable indoor sports area occupied. The cabinet is marked "Forklift direction," reflecting that the cabinet was designed knowing overseas sites often lack large lifting equipment — a standard forklift is enough to place it. The indoor unit is wall-mounted at the reserved dome opening, sealing tightly against the membrane without breaking the dome's air-tight structure and allowing easy future maintenance. For a client like a school that schedules construction around semesters and requires handover within a holiday break, this fast-install capability directly determines whether the project finishes on time.

Fig.5 OYRR tent air conditioner outdoor unit, set directly on a concrete plinth outside the dome

(2) Extreme Temperature Control

The dome is 111.2 m long, 49 m wide and 18 m high, completely column-free — a typical large space. The unit faces multiple spherical jet nozzles whose angles can be adjusted independently by court height and activity zone, throwing treated cold air straight to the far end of the field. The lower section is a large return-air grille, forming a stable "top supply, bottom return" airflow: cold air does not pool at floor level, and athletes are not hit by direct drafts. Together with the dome's double-layer insulated batting and "no cold bridge" welding, the hall maintains a constant temperature and humidity year-round — even under blazing sun outside, the indoor sports experience stays comfortable.

Fig.6 Indoor unit installed: spherical jet nozzles supply from above, grille returns from below

(3) Stable High-Temperature Operation: Engineered for Middle East Summer Heat

Midday temperatures in the UAE often exceed 45 °C, and exposed surfaces can reach 50 °C or more. Ordinary units easily trip on high-pressure protection or shut down frequently under such extremes. The OYRR tent air conditioner is sized for high-ambient conditions: the compressor, axial condenser fans and electrical controls all carry high-temperature margin, with built-in high-pressure protection and high-temperature derating logic, so the unit keeps cooling through the heat without shutting down or losing capacity. Since the project was completed in 2023, it has already sailed through a full Abu Dhabi summer, delivering stable cooling to students and staff.

4. Beyond Cooling: Clean Fresh Air + Remote Smart Control

Beyond cooling, the OYRR unit works with the dome's five-stage air treatment process to multi-stage filter and UV-sterilize incoming fresh air, capturing PM2.5, dust and bacteria and fending off desert sand — keeping the hall clean, with temperature and humidity controlled throughout the year.
Fig.7 Dome five-stage air treatment diagram (filtration — sterilization — supply)

On the control side, the unit connects to the venue's digital management platform, allowing remote monitoring of wind pressure, temperature/humidity, air quality and equipment status from both PC and mobile — enabling unattended operation and fault warning, and greatly reducing daily maintenance. Electrical components and materials are designed to B1 flame-retardant and public-venue safety requirements, meeting an international school's operational standards.
Fig.8 Venue digital management platform: temperature/humidity, wind pressure, air quality and lighting visible remotely

5. Setting Sail from Abu Dhabi

With its light weight, low energy use and quick replicability, this air dome provides a year-round usable indoor sports space for hot, arid regions — a tangible demonstration of the UAE's push toward green, low-carbon buildings and carbon reduction, and a typical example of Chinese refrigeration equipment going global along the Belt and Road.

Guangdong Eurasia Freezing Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (OYRR) has spent years in industrial and commercial refrigeration, with products covering tent air conditioners, screw water chillers and modular data-center cooling, already serving overseas markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Going forward, OYRR will continue to deliver reliable products and responsive overseas service, providing tailored cooling solutions for large-space ventilation needs across Belt and Road countries — bringing Chinese refrigeration equipment to sports venues, temporary structures and industrial sites in more hot climates.

About OYRR

Guangdong Eurasia Freezing Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (OYRR) specializes in R&D and manufacturing of tent air conditioners, industrial water chillers and modular data-center cooling, exporting to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America and beyond. For more products and case studies, please contact our marketing department.