Our services
Tempered glass and architectural glass installation in Makkah
Tempered glass on this page means architectural safety glass for buildings — partitions, doors, railings and shopfronts — not phone screen protectors. We install tempered glass, mirrors and architectural glass to suit where the glass is used, the system that holds it, and each project's drawings and specifications.
What is tempered glass?
Tempered glass, also called toughened or safety glass, is ordinary (annealed) glass that is heated and then cooled quickly, which makes it considerably stronger. If it breaks, it crumbles into small granules instead of sharp shards. In Saudi Arabia it is widely called securit. It cannot be cut or drilled after tempering, so every size and hole is fixed first.
Like any architectural glass, it is specified by its application, the drawings, the glass schedule, the system that holds it and any safety requirement.
Glass types we install and where each is used
We work with tempered, insulated, laminated and Low-E glass, chosen by application and specification, not by name, and always reviewed with the system that holds it:
| Type | What it is | Where it is used | Execution note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempered (toughened) | Heat-treated for strength; breaks into small granules | Shop doors, partitions and railings | No cutting or drilling after tempering |
| Double glazing | Two panes with a sealed gap | Less heat and sound transfer | Unit thickness sets the aluminium profile |
| Laminated | Two layers bonded by an interlayer that holds when broken | Glass roofs, railings and high facades | Specified where safety requires it |
| Reflective and Low-E | Coated glass chosen by orientation and sun | Facades with solar or privacy requirements | Reviewed with the consultant, not by colour |
Thickness follows the use: 8, 10 or 12 mm in partitions and shower screens, 10 or 12 mm in most shop entrances and 19 mm in frameless doors, each panel clear or sandblasted (frosted) for privacy. Where a project calls for colour, tinted tempered glass or reflective glass is chosen to meet the facade's solar and privacy requirements.
Heat-treated glass: annealed, heat-strengthened or fully tempered?
Flat glass comes in three strengths, set by how fast it is cooled, and only fully tempered glass is a safety glass on its own. Annealed glass cools slowly and can be cut at any time. Heat-strengthened glass cools faster and is stronger, yet still breaks into large pieces. Fully tempered glass cools fastest and crumbles into small granules.
| Glass | How it is made | How it breaks | Safety glass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annealed (ordinary, non-tempered) | Cooled slowly | Long, sharp shards | No |
| Heat-strengthened | Reheated, then cooled faster | Large pieces | Not on its own |
| Fully tempered (toughened) | Reheated, then cooled quickly | Small blunt granules | Yes |
| Laminated | Panes bonded by an interlayer | Cracks but holds together | Yes |
Our partitions, shower screens and frameless doors take fully tempered glass, or laminated glass where a broken panel must stay in place. A toughened laminated panel bonds two tempered panes with an interlayer, a build often chosen for railings.
What is frameless glass, and how much does it cost?
Frameless glass is tempered glass installed with no frame around its edges: partitions and shower screens stand in a slim aluminium U-channel, and frameless doors turn on floor hinges and metal fittings. As a frameless partition it costs from SAR 135/m² with 8 mm glass, and a 19 mm frameless door starts from SAR 450/m², supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah.
Each frameless glass panel is cut, edged and drilled to the measured size before tempering, since the glass carries the whole look and cannot be altered afterwards. Compare frameless glass doors, frameless shower glass and frameless office partitions on their own pages.
How much does tempered glass cost per square metre?
Tempered glass is priced within its system, not as a loose sheet. In a frameless partition the price is the glass itself: 8mm toughened glass costs SAR 135/m², 10mm SAR 162/m² and 12mm SAR 190/m², supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah. Frameless 19 mm glass doors start from SAR 450/m².
| Thickness | Price per m² |
|---|---|
| 8 mm | SAR 135/m² |
| 10 mm | SAR 162/m² |
| 12 mm | SAR 190/m² |
| 13.52 mm laminated | SAR 225/m² |
These figures are the glass alone, as a frameless partition sits in an aluminium U-channel; 13.52 mm laminated glass costs SAR 225/m², an aluminium-framed partition starts from SAR 335/m², and sandblasting adds SAR 32/m². In curtain wall and structural glazing the glass is part of the facade price. See frameless glass doors and the aluminium and glass price guide; outside Makkah, transport and installation add 3% to 10% by city.
How is tempered glass installed?
Because tempered glass cannot be cut or drilled after tempering, installation follows a fixed order: a final site measurement, holes and fittings marked on the approved size, then fabrication, fixing and sealing. Any sizing mistake after tempering means a new panel, so measurements are approved before the order, not after. Every panel is therefore custom tempered glass: as toughened glass suppliers and installers, we cut each one to size for its own partition, door or railing. The same sequence applies to every glass panel installation, from a single mirror or shower panel to a run of shopfront glass.
- Final site measurement once tiling and surrounding finishes are complete.
- Holes, cut-outs and fitting positions marked on the approved size.
- The panel is cut, edged and drilled, and only then tempered.
- Fixing: an aluminium U-channel for partitions and railings, floor hinges and metal fittings for doors.
- Joints sealed with silicone where needed, and doors tested.
Mirrors fitted to measure
Mirrors are fitted to measure too, with polished or bevelled edges and the final size taken after tiling; a bathroom mirror needs a protective coat and fixing suited to constant steam.
Glass by application
Windows and doors
The glass follows the opening, the system and the specification.
Aluminium doors and windowsWe read every project in this order: application → system → glass requirements → specification. The same logic applies to glass partitions in offices and shower glass in bathrooms, while the glass facades page compares building-front systems.
Glass requirements in your project?
Send the specifications, glass schedule or drawings
Add a BOQ if there is one, the project city and its stage.
Frequently asked questions about tempered glass
What is the difference between ordinary glass and tempered glass?
The difference is the treatment, not the material: tempered glass is heat-treated, so it resists more and breaks into small granules instead of sharp shards. In practice it cannot be cut or drilled after tempering, and it usually carries a small permanent mark in one corner.
Can tempered glass break by itself?
Rarely. Tiny nickel sulphide inclusions can cause sudden breakage after installation, and a Heat Soak Test reduces that risk when the specification requires it. A damaged edge or a panel fixed without enough clearance can also cause it.
What are the drawbacks of tempered glass, and what is the alternative?
Three: it cannot be cut or drilled after tempering, so a wrong size means a new panel; it shatters completely; and it can, rarely, break by itself. Where the panel must stay in place after breaking, as in glass railings and glass roofs, laminated glass is the alternative.
Who should install tempered glass: a fitter or a company?
The final size and hole positions are fixed before tempering and cannot change afterwards, so it is safest when one company measures, supplies and installs. Qusoor Al-Sultan does this from Makkah for partitions, frameless doors, railings and mirrors, with 8 years of experience and more than 250 projects.
Is toughened glass the same as tempered glass?
Yes. Toughened glass and tempered glass are the same product: ordinary glass heated and then quickly cooled so that it is stronger and, if broken, crumbles into small granules. It is also called safety glass, and in Arabic it goes by securit or muqawwa glass. Whatever the name, every size and hole is fixed before tempering.
What is the difference between tempered and laminated glass?
Tempered glass is a single heat-treated panel that shatters into granules, while laminated glass is two layers bonded by an interlayer that holds them when broken. Tempered suits shop doors and partitions, while laminated suits glass roofs and railings, where a broken pane must stay in place. In a frameless partition, laminated costs SAR 225/m² against SAR 135 to 190 for tempered.
How much does 10mm tempered glass cost?
SAR 162 per square metre in a frameless partition or shower screen, supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah. With an aluminium frame, a 10mm partition costs SAR 362/m², and sandblasting it for privacy adds SAR 32/m². It is a standard thickness for partitions, shower screens and most shop entrances.
What is the price of 8mm and 12mm toughened glass?
Toughened glass costs SAR 135/m² at 8mm and SAR 190/m² at 12mm, supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah, in a frameless partition or shower screen where the price is the glass itself. An aluminium-framed 8mm partition starts from SAR 335/m². Both are cut to size and priced installed, not sold as loose sheets, and 12mm suits larger panels.
Do you sell custom tempered glass sheets cut to size?
Tempered glass is supplied cut to size and installed within its system, so it is priced per square metre installed rather than as a loose sheet. Each panel is measured on site, then cut, edged and drilled before tempering, and fitted into its partition, door, shower screen or railing. Send the sizes and the location of each panel for a quote.
How thick can tempered glass be, and is thicker glass stronger?
On our projects it runs from 8 mm in partitions and shower screens to 19 mm in frameless doors, with 10 or 12 mm in most shop entrances. Thicker glass carries larger panels and heavier loads, but tempering is what makes it a safety glass. Where a broken panel must stay in place, as in railings and glass roofs, laminated glass is chosen instead.
Is tempered glass available frosted, tinted or coloured?
Yes. Clear tempered glass is the standard, and frosted tempered glass is the same panel sandblasted for privacy, which adds SAR 32/m² in a partition and suits bathroom doors and windows, shower screens and offices. Tinted, reflective and other coloured tempered glass follows the project specification and is chosen on facades for its solar performance, not its looks.
Where is your factory, and do you work outside Makkah?
Our factory is in Wadi Jalil, Makkah, with no branches elsewhere. We fabricate in Makkah, then supply and install across Saudi Arabia, from Jeddah and Riyadh to the Eastern Province; outside Makkah 3% to 10% is added by city for transport and installation only.
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.