Guide
Aluminum windows: types, shapes and colours
Aluminum windows (alu windows, or aluminium windows in British spelling) are made to the size of each opening at our factory in Wadi Jalil, Makkah, and they come in five types. What separates them is not the look but how each one opens and the space it needs.
What types of alu windows are there?
Aluminium windows, also sold as aluminium alloy windows, are windows whose glass-holding frame is made from aluminium profiles (often called aluminium sections), custom built to the real size of the opening. There are five main types: sliding, casement, tilt, folding and fixed, the only one that is not openable. The choice starts with two questions: how much space is free in front of the opening, and how tightly must it seal against dust and noise?
| Type | How it works | Strength | Limit | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliding (horizontal slider) | One sash slides behind another in a track | Needs no space in front of the opening | Opens only half the opening | Villas, apartments and balconies |
| Casement (side-hung, hinged) | A sash swings on side hinges | Tighter seal against dust and noise | Needs free space to swing | Rooms that need insulation |
| Tilt (hopper or awning) | The sash leans open for ventilation | Ventilation with more security | Limited, partial opening | Bathrooms, kitchens and upper floors |
| Folding | A run of sashes folds onto itself | Opens almost the whole opening | Highest cost and closer checks | Large openings with a view |
| Fixed (picture window) | Does not open | Lowest cost and tightest seal | No ventilation | Facades that need light only |
Tilt and turn is not a sixth type but one sash that combines tilt and casement: it tilts in at the top for ventilation or swings fully open, depending on the handle position.
Economy, standard or premium: which aluminium window grade?
Aluminium windows start from SAR 325/m², supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah, and the rate rises with the profile wall: SAR 325–370 for economy (1.3 mm), 425–485 for standard (1.5 mm) and 520–740 for premium (1.8–2 mm), the high-end grade and the only one with Gulf-made profiles and double glazing. Complete windows ship with Italian accessories. We install in Makkah, Jeddah and across Saudi Arabia; other cities add 3% to 10% for transport and installation. To compare these rates with other systems before you buy, see our aluminium and glass price guide.
For a house or villa, standard is the most requested grade; a commercial project moves to premium when its consultant asks for a Gulf profile. A high quality window depends on the profile wall, seals and hardware together, so a cheap rate often means a thinner wall. As a rule, economy suits small and medium openings and standard the larger ones, while premium is for the largest openings and high floors.
| Window | Price | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap aluminium windows | From SAR 325/m² | Economy 1.3 mm profile, a sliding or fixed opening and clear glass: our lowest configuration, for small and medium openings |
| Fixed aluminium picture window | From SAR 325/m², level with sliding | Does not open, so it suits openings that need light only |
| Aluminium casement window | Price stays in the same bands as sliding: SAR 325–370, 425–485 or 520–740/m² by grade | Slightly dearer than sliding within its band, and it seals tighter |
| Aluminium bathroom or kitchen window | The same price per m² as any window; a job under 3 m² is charged as 3 m² | Usually a tilt window (hopper or awning), the dearest opening type within each band |
| Aluminium window frames | Price quoted per m² of the complete window | Frame, glass, hardware and installation are priced together |
| Commercial aluminium windows | Premium, SAR 520–740/m², when the consultant asks for a Gulf profile | Premium also suits the large openings and high floors of commercial buildings |
What decides the shape of an aluminium window: arched, corner, bay or French?
Most of what photos call a window shape or design is the result of four decisions, not a separate type: how the sashes are divided, the profile colour and finish, the type of glass, and whether a protective grille is added. The same four decisions explain what is sold as a modern or contemporary aluminium window: the latest aluminium windows in a catalogue differ in these choices, not in how they open. Mullions, the upright members that divide a wide window into panels, are extruded aluminium like the outer frame.
We also make three special shapes, set with the opening size before fabrication: arched aluminium windows whose top follows the arch of the opening itself, grid bars that split each sash into squares for a traditional look, and French windows from floor to ceiling, where safety glass is checked because the glass sits close to the floor. Corner and bay windows are made to order too, priced by quote.
Which colour is best for aluminium windows?
No colour is best in every case. White and mid-grey show less dust and stay cooler in direct sun, while black and dark shades look sharper but heat up more and show dust sooner. Order the colour for the whole job in one batch, and choose it against a sample with the glass, not from a catalogue.
Colour cannot be changed after installation, because repainting on site never matches a factory powder coat. On powder coated aluminium windows, the coat is applied to a treated profile and then baked in an oven, so coloured aluminium window frames leave the factory already finished. The most requested colours for aluminium windows in Saudi Arabia are white, anthracite (charcoal) grey, champagne, burnt brown, black and wood finish, a wood effect laid over the coating. Bronze, off-white or silver aluminium windows are matched from the powder-coat range before fabrication, against a sample. The same applies to aluminium doors, which share the profile and finishing line.
Black, white, grey or wood finish: how do powder-coated aluminium window frame colours compare?
In heat and dust, not in price. Every powder-coat colour costs the same per m²; Super Durable coating, which holds its colour longer in the sun, adds SAR 14/m², and a wood-look finish is priced in the quote.
| Colour | In direct sun | Dust and marks | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | Cooler; suits all-day sun | Hides dust, shows stains | Reads differently behind reflective glass |
| Mid grey | Cooler than dark shades | Shows dust less than black | Practical in dusty cities |
| Champagne, burnt (dark) brown | Mid tones | Hide dust better than black, stains better than white | Popular on villa entrances |
| Black, charcoal (anthracite) grey | Run hottest; handle heat through the glass | Show dust and fingerprints soonest | Super Durable suits them outdoors |
| Wood finish | Dark wood runs hotter than light | Follows its gloss | Heat-transfer layer; profile unchanged |
| Off-white, bronze, silver | Follow their shade | Follow their gloss | Matched from the powder-coat range against a sample |
Choosing the window and glass by location
Which glass goes into aluminium window frames: clear, reflective or tempered?
Glass is chosen with the profile: clear; reflective, which turns back part of the sun's heat; securit, the Saudi market name for toughened or tempered glass; or double glazing, in the premium grade only, so economy and standard windows are single glazed (single pane). Our double glazed unit pairs a tinted outer pane with a clear or frosted inner one; frosted glass, an obscure glazing, keeps a shower window private while letting light through. Where the Saudi Building Code requires safety glass, our technical office specifies it when it checks the sizes.
What is the best aluminium window for a bathroom, kitchen or bedroom?
Usually a tilt window, which refreshes the air without exposing the room and suits small aluminium windows set high in the wall, such as a small bathroom or shower window. A bottom-hung hopper tilts in at the top, while top-hung aluminium awning windows push out at the bottom and take no room inside, so they suit kitchens, above the sink or worktop. For a bedroom, choose a casement or tilt and turn: both keep out more noise than a sliding window.
Which aluminium window suits a large opening?
Sliding or folding, on a thicker profile: thin profiles flex across wide spans, so premium, the grade that carries heavy glass, suits big aluminium windows, large openings and high floors. Glazing that covers a whole facade belongs to glass facades, not windows.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sliding and casement aluminium windows?
The practical difference is space. A sliding window takes no room in front of the opening, while a casement needs clear space for the sash to swing. So sliding suits balconies and rooms with furniture in front of the window, and casement suits rooms that need a tighter seal against dust and noise.
What keeps dust and rain out of an aluminium window?
Not the profile alone. Perimeter gaskets and brush seals in sliding tracks stop dust and noise, drainage slots in the bottom track let rainwater out instead of standing in it, and mechanical fixing with a perimeter seal stops leaks between frame and wall. That is why these items are written into the quote.
What is Saraya aluminium?
Saraya is a locally made aluminium profile widely used in the Saudi market and the most economical choice for windows. It comes in all three grades at the grade's own wall thickness: 1.3 mm economy, 1.5 mm standard and 1.8 to 2 mm premium. Gulf-made profiles are offered in the premium grade only.
How long does an aluminium window order take?
Indicatively 12 to 16 working days from approved shop drawings to handover for an order under 50 m², 17 to 23 for 50 to 99 m², and 22 to 30 for 100 to 149 m².
What are standard aluminium window sizes?
There is no standard size: each window is made to the real size of its opening, measured after the plaster and finishes are complete, because a few centimetres change the profile and the fixing.
Are aluminium windows soundproof?
Not on their own: how much noise an aluminium window keeps out depends on its seal and its glass. A casement seals tighter against noise than a sliding window, perimeter gaskets and brush seals close the gaps, and double glazing, offered in the premium grade, limits sound transfer. For soundproof aluminium windows, combine a casement with double glazing.
What are thermally broken (thermal break) aluminium windows?
Windows whose profile has a thermal break: an insulating barrier between its outer and inner faces, so less heat crosses the frame. We supply and install them too, specified and priced in the quote. For insulated aluminium windows, insulate both the frame, with a thermal break, and the glass, with double glazing.
Can aluminium windows be slim or frameless?
Slim, yes: slimline aluminium windows, with narrow frames for a sleek look, are supplied and installed by quote. Frameless, not quite: even the slimmest frame still holds the glass and its seals, so a frameless aluminium window is slim-framed in practice. Glass with no visible frame belongs to structural glazing.
What are aluminium window sections, frames and mullions?
They are the parts of the window system. Sections, or profiles, are lengths of extruded aluminium alloy: the outer frame is built from them and fixed into the wall opening, the opening leaves that hold the glass sit inside it, and mullions are upright members that divide a wide window. The section's wall thickness sets the grade: 1.3, 1.5 or 1.8–2 mm.
Where can I buy aluminium windows in Saudi Arabia?
Directly from the factory. Qusoor Al-Sultan makes aluminium windows to the size of each opening in Makkah, then supplies and installs them across Saudi Arabia. They start from SAR 325/m² before VAT in Makkah, and other cities add 3% to 10% for transport and installation. Send your opening sizes for a quote.
How much do aluminium windows cost per m² in Saudi Arabia?
From SAR 325/m², supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah. The profile grade sets the band: economy (1.3 mm) SAR 325–370/m², standard (1.5 mm) 425–485 and premium (1.8–2 mm) 520–740, the only grade with double glazing. Jeddah and Taif add 3%, Riyadh and the Eastern Province 8%, and the cost calculator gives a range for your sizes.
Are aluminium windows a good choice for a house?
Yes. Aluminium does not rust or swell with heat and humidity, it holds the glass in slim frames, and every window is made to its own opening. For a house or villa the standard 1.5 mm grade is the most requested, while premium 1.8–2 mm suits large openings and high floors and is the only grade with double glazing.
Related services
For the full route from measurement to installation, see aluminium doors and windows. For balconies and terraces, see sliding glass doors; for darkness and privacy over the window, roller shutters; and to shade a window from outside while air and light pass, aluminium louvers and sun breakers.
Technical review: Eng. Hisham, factory manager at Qusoor Al-Sultan, with more than 20 years of management and technical experience in aluminium and glass. He reviews the technical content of this page. Last updated: 8 October 2026.