External shading in aluminium
Louvers and sun breakers in aluminium for facades and windows
Louvers, also called sun breakers, are shading blades fixed in front of a facade or window that block direct sun while air and light pass between them. We make them as fixed aluminium louvers with horizontal or vertical blades, from SAR 380/m² supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah.
What are louvers and sun breakers?
Louvers are external shading elements made of parallel blades at regular spacing, mounted in front of a building’s facade or windows. They intercept direct sunlight before it reaches the glass and leave a path for air and light. With blades of aluminium tube they are sold as aluminium louvers, aluminum louvers in American spelling, or simply a sun breaker.
The brise soleil entry on Wikipedia describes the same element, also spelt louvres in British English: a feature that cuts heat gain by deflecting sunlight, used to keep large glazed facades from overheating. In architecture, sun breakers like these are also called architectural louvres.
How do sun breakers work?
Through external shade: each blade casts a shadow on what lies behind it, so less direct sun reaches the glass and less heat passes through, unlike an internal blind that acts after the heat is in. Blade width and spacing set the depth of shade, while the opening stays ventilated and keeps much of its view.
Horizontal or vertical: which suits which sun?
Horizontal blades work best against high sun, as on south-facing facades at midday; vertical blades, often called aluminium fins or fin cladding, work best against low sun on east facades in the morning and west facades in the afternoon. On a curtain wall, the same fins act as vertical sunshades outside the glazing. We build both, which is why we ask which way each elevation faces before pricing.
Fixed aluminium louvers: what we build
Our facade and window louvers are fixed, with blades set at an angle that does not change and no moving parts, so installation is simple and upkeep is low. Each blade is a hollow aluminium tube, and five design choices define an order: blade direction, tube size, wall thickness, blade shape and coating. These are custom louvers: every order is cut to the approved sizes at our factory in Makkah.
| Option | What it gives | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal blades | Shade from above, against high sun | South facades and window canopies |
| Vertical blades | Side shade, against low sun | East and west facades |
| 50×100 mm tube | A slim, light blade | Windows and small openings |
| 50×150 mm tube | Balance of shade and looks | Villas and low-rise buildings |
| 50×200 mm tube | Deeper shade, fewer blades | Large and west-facing facades |
| 1.2, 1.5 or 2 mm wall | From lightest to stiffest against wind | Short sheltered blades up to long blades on high floors |
| Rectangular or aerofoil blade | Straight lines, or a curved section that sheds dust | Clear-cut volumes, or exposed sites |
| Powder or Super Durable coat | Wide colour range, or longer colour life in sun | Everyday use, or dark exterior colours |
Our aluminium louver price list starts from SAR 380/m² with powder coat and SAR 394/m² with Super Durable, supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah. For other systems, see the aluminium and glass price guide.
Where are louvers used?
Wherever direct sun falls on glass or a wall that should stay cooler without being closed: in front of sunny facades on homes and commercial buildings, outside windows as external window louvers, and around air-conditioning units on a facade, hiding them while letting air move freely.
Window canopies and privacy screens
A window canopy, also called an aluminium louvre awning, is a small projection of horizontal aluminium slats above a window that shades the glass from midday sun; the same slats make aluminium privacy screens on roof edges and boundary walls. Both are made to measure and priced by quote. On glass facades, louvers are a separate service fixed in front of the glass.
Aluminium louvers for building elevations across Saudi Arabia
On a building elevation, aluminium louvers shade the glass and set the lines of the front at the same time. Horizontal blades run across south-facing elevations against high sun; vertical blades, or fins, suit east and west elevations against low sun. A rectangular box-section blade gives crisp edges, while an elliptical aerofoil blade gives a softer line and sheds dust.
Before pricing, our technical office reads the elevation drawings for orientation, floor levels and wind exposure, and for what each blade fixes to: wall, slab or an existing frame. Blades are cut and prepared at our factory in Makkah and installed on projects across Saudi Arabia, from SAR 380/m² before VAT in Makkah, with only transport and installation added in other cities.
What do we need to price louvers?
Size and location are enough for a first estimate. A firm offer needs the area to shade, photos from outside or the facade drawing, the orientation, floor level and wind exposure, and the fixing surface, because these decide the tube size and wall thickness. Measurements do not need to be final at the start.
How sun breakers are installed, in five steps
Installing louvers starts with your photos and ends with fixing on site; a site survey and shop drawing approval come before any blade is made.
- Send the size and photos The area to shade, photos from outside with the orientation, and what the louvers will fix to.
- Site survey Checks the fixing surface and exposure to sun and wind, and sets blade direction, tube size, thickness and shape.
- Shop drawing approval Our technical office ties the facade measurements to fabrication data; fabrication starts on approval.
- Fabrication in Makkah Aluminium tubes are cut and prepared as blades at our factory in Wadi Jalil, in the agreed thickness, shape and coating.
- Installation on site Louvers are fixed to the wall, slab or existing frame, blades are set to the approved angle, and alignment is checked before handover.
Frequently asked questions
Do you build moving louvers?
Not for facades and windows. The louvers we build for them are fixed, with horizontal or vertical blades to suit the facade. Fixed blades keep one angle after installation, with no motors or hinges, so installation is simpler and upkeep lower. A roof whose aluminium louvers open and close with an electric motor is built as a bioclimatic pergola, priced by quote.
Where do fixed louver prices start?
From SAR 380/m² with powder coat and SAR 394/m² with Super Durable coating, which holds its colour longer in the sun, supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah. The final figure is set in the quote after the measurements and fixing method are reviewed.
What is the difference between louvers, curtain wall and cladding?
A curtain wall is a glass facade that closes the building, aluminium cladding covers solid wall, and a louver is a shading layer in front of a facade or window that never closes it. Each is priced separately: cladding from SAR 180/m², louvers from SAR 380 and curtain wall from SAR 470.
Do louvers need much upkeep?
Very little: wash the blades with water when dust builds up and check the fixings after strong dust storms. Aerofoil blades collect less dust, aluminium does not rust, and Super Durable coating keeps its colour longer than standard powder coat.
What types of aluminium louvers do you build?
Our facade louvers are fixed, or stationary, aluminium louvers, and their types are set by five choices: horizontal or vertical blades; a 50×100, 50×150 or 50×200 mm tube; a 1.2, 1.5 or 2 mm wall; a rectangular box-section or elliptical aerofoil blade; and powder or Super Durable coating.
What colours do aluminium louvers come in?
Our powder-coated aluminium louvers come in a wide colour range, and light shades such as white suit everyday use. For dark exterior colours such as black or brown, Super Durable coating fades more slowly in the sun, from SAR 394/m² against SAR 380/m² for powder coat. A wood-grain finish is also available, priced in the quote.
Can aluminium louvers be fitted on a balcony?
Yes. Balcony louvres are the same fixed aluminium blades, set vertically or horizontally along the balcony edge, so the balcony is shaded and screened from neighbours while air still passes. They are made to measure at our factory in Makkah and priced once the balcony has been measured.
Do louver prices change outside Makkah?
Only by transport and installation, because fabrication is in Makkah: add 3% for Jeddah and Taif, 5% for Madinah, 8% for Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 10% for Abha, Tabuk and Qassim.
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.