Rectangular blue skimmer swimming pool beside lawn and a villa garden

Skimmer pools
in Dubai

Skimmer pools

A clear waterline below the coping

A skimmer pool draws surface water through openings in the pool wall. The water sits below the coping and leaves a visible border around the pool. We design the circulation and entry steps with the surrounding deck to suit your property.

Pool layout

The pool shape and depth planned around the space and your intended use.

Skimmers and circulation

The collection points and circulation system are part of the construction plan.

Coping and deck

See how the top row of tile meets the coping and the paving just beyond it.

Blue skimmer pool with a glass safety fence beside a white villa — Pools in Dubai

Modern skimmer swimming pool beside a pergola and lawn stepping stones — A skimmer pool beside a pergola with stepping stones across the lawn.

A rounded pool edge follows the lawn under established trees — A skimmer pool beside a pergola with stepping stones across the lawn.

Understanding the pool edge

Pick the tile you will see above the water

Look along the wall just above the water in a skimmer pool and you can see a strip of the lining. It is a small part of the pool but one you will see every day. When you compare tiles it helps to look at a sample both wet and dry. The coping and the paving beside it will also be in the same line of sight.

Watch where leaves collect on a breezy day. That observation has helped us choose skimmer positions over 24+ years of pool work in Dubai. We plan the wall openings and return fittings together so water can circulate past benches and steps.

Compare with an overflow pool

At the skimmer wall

Details we consider for a skimmer pool

The wall opening is only the part you can see from the water. The drawings should show how to reach its basket from the deck once the coping is laid.

The exposed tile band
Try a waterline tile both wet and dry next to the coping before ordering the lining.
A lid you can lift
Position the basket lid where a lounger or planter won’t have to be moved each time.
Direction of the returns
Mark the wall jets in relation to benches so the seats do not block the intended flow.
Coping at the opening
Check the stone overhang against the skimmer mouth before the coping pieces are cut.

Illuminated blue skimmer pool beside a villa and sunken seating at night — Pool lighting with a sheltered seating area beside the water

White loungers stand beyond a green tiled pool with flowering shrubs at the water's edge — Pool lighting with a sheltered seating area beside the water

More than the waterline

Make the space comfortable after sunset

From your usual evening seat you should be able to see the steps without looking straight into a pool light. Mark that seat on the drawing alongside any bench or pergola. A fitting is much easier to move on paper than after tiling.

A basket that catches leaves is easy to forget if a heavy planter sits over its lid. Keep that spot clear on the deck plan. Ask us to show you the skimmer and the controls at handover. Regular cleaning also covers the strip of tile just above the water and the floor below it.

Comparing quotes

Compare the whole installation

A skimmer pool should be priced against its size and construction requirements. A smaller pool with a complex site can involve different work from a larger pool with open access. The chosen finish and equipment also affect the estimate.

Compare the skimmer option with an overflow design for the same pool size. Look at what each includes at the edge and in the equipment area. That tells you more than comparing two photographs of finished waterlines.

Price a skimmer pool

Skimmer pool gallery