Warehouse and High-Rack Fire Protection: ESFR and Cold Stores
Mordor Intelligence estimates the Saudi warehousing and storage market at about USD 3.88 billion in 2025 and expects it to reach USD 5.20 billion by 2030, with refrigerated warehousing growing slightly faster. This sits alongside the logistics centers master plan launched in 2023: 59 logistics centers covering more than 100 million square meters by 2030.
What the numbers say
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Warehousing and storage market, 2025 | USD 3.88 billion (Mordor Intelligence) |
| Forecast for 2030 | USD 5.20 billion, a 6.04% compound annual growth rate |
| Refrigerated warehousing | The fastest-growing segment, at 6.32% a year to 2030 |
| Logistics centers | 59 centers covering more than 100 million square meters by 2030 |
High-rack storage and ESFR sprinklers
Early suppression fast response (ESFR) sprinklers are storage sprinklers, and each model has specific listing limits for ceiling height, storage height, roof slope and system type; most are listed for wet systems only. The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) describes them as particularly sensitive to obstructions, so their positions should be coordinated with lighting, ductwork and racking from the design stage.
Cold stores and freezers
NFPA 13 calls for freeze protection where piping is exposed to freezing, typically a dry pipe or preaction system. Earlier editions of NFPA 25 set 30 September 2022 as the deadline for replacing antifreeze in existing systems with a listed solution; the 2023 edition lets some legacy solutions stay in service within concentration limits. Because standard ESFR sprinklers are listed for wet systems, freezer storage needs a specifically engineered solution based on the listing of the sprinkler used.
Practical steps now
- Define the commodity, storage arrangement and height before selecting sprinklers, because the design is built on them.
- Check the listing limits of the selected ESFR sprinkler, and coordinate its positions with racking, lighting and HVAC.
- In freezers, use a dry pipe, preaction or other listed solution, and follow the manufacturer’s requirements.
For more detail, see our warehouse and high-rack storage guide and cold storage fire protection guide.
Designing a warehouse or cold store? AZEIDK provides fire fighting systems and sprinklers with engineering design and calculations. See our projects. Contact the AZEIDK team
