Short answer: for most Dubai homes the best mosquito net for doors is a custom-made pleated (retractable) screen in an aluminium frame. It fits any door width, folds away when you don’t need it, survives 45°C summers, and starts at AED 800 per single door including installation. Magnetic curtains and velcro nets cost less, but in Dubai’s dust and heat they rarely last a full season.
That is the conclusion after ten years of measuring, building and fitting door screens across Dubai — from Deira apartments to Emirates Hills villas. This guide walks through every type of door mosquito net sold in the UAE, what each one actually costs, which mesh survives the climate, and how to match a screen to your specific door instead of buying the wrong thing twice.
Why doors need a different screen from windows
A window screen is fitted once and mostly left alone. A door screen is opened and closed dozens of times a day, by adults carrying shopping, by children, and by the wind funnelling through a villa hallway. That single difference decides everything about which product survives.
Three things go wrong with door nets in Dubai specifically:
- Heat cycling. A west-facing door can swing between 22°C inside and 48°C on the frame surface in an afternoon. Cheap PVC mesh and adhesive-mounted tracks lose their shape and stop closing flush.
- Fine dust. Dubai’s airborne dust is abrasive and it settles inside bottom tracks. A door track that isn’t self-cleaning starts binding within weeks.
- Traffic. A balcony or garden door is used far more often than any window, so hinges, magnets and pull handles wear out first.
This is why we usually steer people away from the ready-made kits sold online and towards a made-to-measure screen. It isn’t an upsell — it’s the difference between a screen that lasts one summer and one that lasts a decade.
The 6 types of door mosquito net used in Dubai homes
1. Pleated (retractable) door screen — the default choice
The mesh folds like a concertina into a slim side cassette and runs on a low-profile bottom track. Because the pleats hold their own shape, there is no spring tension to fail and no roller to jam. It handles wide openings, and when you don’t want it, it sits flat against the frame at about 6 cm deep. This is what we install on the majority of Dubai doors. See how it works on the single pleated fly screen page.
2. Double pleated screen — for wide and patio doors
The same system but closing from both sides to meet in the middle, which halves the span each panel has to cover. That matters on wide villa patio doors where a single panel would sag. Details on the double fly screen page.
3. Two-way (double-swing) screen — for busy family doors
Opens by pushing from either side and closes itself behind you. If your door is the one everybody uses to get to the garden or the pool, this is the one that survives the traffic. It’s door-only and priced from AED 900 — see the two-way fly screen page.
4. Hinged screen door — where you cannot have a floor track
A framed screen on hinges, opening like a normal door. It’s the right answer for balconies and terraces where a bottom track would be a trip hazard or where the threshold is uneven. More on the hinged fly screen page.
5. Sliding net door — matching an existing sliding system
Where the glass door already slides in a track, a matching screen panel can run alongside it. Good for apartments where the balcony door is a standard sliding unit. See sliding fly net doors.
6. Magnetic curtain and velcro nets — the budget options
A magnetic curtain is two mesh sheets held closed by magnet strips and tacked to the frame; velcro nets are a single sheet stuck around the opening. They are inexpensive and a renter can take them down at the end of a lease. Be realistic about them: the adhesive gives up in summer heat, the magnets weaken, and the mesh sags. They are a stop-gap, not a solution. If a magnetic door screen is genuinely what you need, we cover the good and bad of them in magnetic fly screens for doors.
Which one fits your door? A quick decision table
| Your door | Best screen type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Villa main entrance | Single pleated | Fits standard widths, frame colour-matched, disappears when open |
| Wide patio / garden door | Double pleated | Two panels split the span, no sag |
| The door everyone uses | Two-way | Pushes open both ways, self-closing, no handle to break |
| Balcony with uneven threshold | Hinged | No floor track, no trip hazard |
| Apartment sliding balcony door | Sliding net panel | Runs in a track alongside the glass |
| Short-term rental | Magnetic curtain | Removable, cheap — but expect one season |
If you’re screening balcony doors specifically, we go deeper in fly screens for balcony doors.
The mesh matters more than the frame
Most people choose a screen by looking at the frame. The mesh is what decides whether it works and how long it lasts.
- Fiberglass mesh — flexible, doesn’t crease permanently, the standard for pleated screens. Best all-round choice for Dubai.
- Aluminium mesh — rigid and long-lived, but it dents and holds the dent. Better for fixed frames than for doors that get handled.
- Pet-resistant mesh — a heavier weave that survives claws. Worth it on any door a cat or dog pushes against. We compared them in pet-proof fly screens for UAE homes.
- Mesh count — a standard 18×16 weave stops mosquitoes and flies. A finer weave stops sandflies and midges but cuts airflow, which matters when you’re relying on the screen for ventilation.
Our full comparison is in aluminium vs fiberglass fly screen mesh in the UAE, and if you’re unsure which weave suits your building, choosing the right mesh for Dubai’s climate walks through it.
Mosquito net for doors price in Dubai
These are our real starting prices. Every one includes the frame, the mesh, delivery and installation — there is no separate fitting charge.
| Door screen type | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single pleated door screen | AED 800 | Standard single doors |
| Two-way door screen | AED 900 | High-traffic family doors |
| Double pleated door screen | AED 950 | Wide and patio doors |
| Hinged screen door | On quote | Balconies, terraces, no floor track |
| Roll-up / cassette screen | On quote | Screens that hide completely when not in use |
| Motorised screen | On quote | Oversized or smart-home openings |
What moves the price: the width of the opening, the frame finish you choose, whether the mesh is standard or pet-resistant, and whether the threshold needs levelling. The full breakdown across all eight screen types is on our fly screen price in Dubai page. Window screens, for reference, start at AED 450.
Ready-made or custom-made?
A ready-made kit is cheaper on the day and more expensive over three years. UAE doors are rarely a standard size — villa entrances, apartment balcony doors and kitchen service doors all differ — and a screen that is 4 cm too narrow leaves a gap that mosquitoes find immediately. A screen only works if it seals on all four edges.
Custom also means the frame can be powder-coated to match your joinery, so the screen reads as part of the door rather than something bolted onto it.
Do door mosquito nets actually stop mosquitoes?
Yes — and it is the measure public health bodies list first, ahead of sprays. The US CDC’s mosquito prevention guidance is blunt about it: “Use screens on windows and doors. Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.” The US EPA’s integrated mosquito control guidance lists structural barriers as its own category — “Install window and door screens if they are not already in place” — and the World Health Organization’s dengue fact sheet names window screens among the household measures that lower risk.
The UAE takes vector control seriously too: mosquito control runs as a coordinated national programme, and the government’s communicable disease page lists a National Malaria Control Programme among its health initiatives. A screened door is the household half of that effort. We put the evidence together in do fly screens really stop mosquitoes?
What installation actually involves
- Free measurement visit. We come to you anywhere in Dubai, measure every opening and confirm the price on the spot. No obligation.
- Build. The screen is made to your dimensions at our Deira workshop.
- Fit. Typically 4–7 days after measurement. A single door takes under an hour.
- Warranty. One year on all work.
We install across 21 Dubai communities — the list is on areas we serve in Dubai. If you’d rather fit it yourself, how to install fly screens covers the method and the mistakes.
Keeping a door screen working in Dubai
- Vacuum the bottom track monthly. Dust in the track is the single most common cause of a door screen binding.
- Wash the mesh with plain water. No solvents, no pressure washer — both damage the coating.
- Check the closing edge. If light shows along the closing edge, the screen has drifted out of alignment and needs a five-minute adjustment, not a replacement.
- Don’t leave it extended in a shamal. Retract pleated screens during strong wind.
More in fly screen maintenance for the UAE climate, and if something is already torn, my fly screen is damaged explains what can be repaired versus replaced.
Five mistakes we see repeatedly
- Measuring the door instead of the opening. The screen fits the frame, not the door leaf.
- Choosing the finest mesh available. Finer mesh means less airflow. If you’re screening a door to get a breeze, that defeats the purpose.
- Adhesive-mounted tracks on a sun-facing door. They fail in the first summer.
- Ignoring the threshold. An uneven threshold leaves a gap at the bottom, which is exactly where mosquitoes enter.
- Screening the doors but not the windows. Insects use whichever opening is unprotected. Our window fly screens start at AED 450.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mosquito net for doors in Dubai?
A custom-made pleated screen in a powder-coated aluminium frame. It suits almost any door width, folds away when not needed, and holds up to Dubai’s heat and dust. For very high-traffic doors, a two-way screen is better because it closes itself.
How much does a door mosquito net cost in Dubai?
From AED 800 for a single pleated door screen including installation, AED 900 for a two-way door screen and AED 950 for a double screen on a wide or patio door. Hinged, roll-up and motorised screens are quoted after measurement.
Can I install a mosquito net on my door myself?
Magnetic and velcro nets, yes. Pleated, hinged and sliding screens need the frame fixed square and the track set level, so they are usually fitted professionally — a screen that isn’t square won’t seal, and a screen that doesn’t seal doesn’t work.
How long does a door mosquito net last?
A well-made pleated screen in an aluminium frame typically lasts 8–10 years in Dubai with basic cleaning. Magnetic curtains and velcro nets usually last one to two seasons.
Will a mosquito net block the breeze?
A standard 18×16 fiberglass mesh reduces airflow only slightly — far less than keeping the door shut. Very fine “no-see-um” mesh does cut airflow noticeably, which is why we only recommend it where sandflies are a genuine problem.
Do mosquito nets work on sliding doors?
Yes. Either a matching sliding net panel in its own track, or a pleated screen fitted to the outside of the opening. Which one suits depends on how much reveal depth the frame has, which is one of the things we check at the measurement visit.
Are door screens safe with children and pets?
Pleated and two-way screens have no sharp edges and no spring tension. For pets, ask for pet-resistant mesh — standard mesh will not survive a cat that has decided to climb it.
Do you cover my area?
We install across Dubai, from Deira and Business Bay to Arabian Ranches, Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, JVC and Dubai South. The full list is on areas we serve.
Get the right door screen the first time
The cheapest mosquito net for doors is the one you only buy once. Book a free measurement visit and we’ll measure your doors, show you the mesh and frame options in person, and give you a written price on the spot — from AED 800 per door, installed, with a one-year warranty.
Book a free measurement visit or call +971 58 632 5171. You can also browse the full range on our fly screens for doors page or see every screen type we build on our services.