Masdar City is one of the most sustainable communities in the world. Located close to Abu Dhabi International Airport and Masdar City is a great location for businesses concerned with sustainability.
Home to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and a number of start-ups and more developed companies, Masdar City provides access to markets in the Middle East, Asia and Africa – all of which require clean energy and renewable power to maintain government initiatives for sustainable development.
Masdar City offers businesses an environment for development, testing and exploration of new ideas. Furthermore the benefits for businesses setting up in Masdar City extend as far as any free zone and include, no import tax, no currency restrictions and 100% foreign ownership.
At Masdar City, companies can:
• Showcase technologies
• Use the city as a test bed for new ideas
• Undertake research in collaboration with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
• Set up headquarters or regional sales and marketing offices
• Establish research and development facilities
• Offer goods and services for use in designing and building Masdar City
• Tap into the large, lucrative and growing markets for clean tech products and services in the Gulf, wider Middle East and Asia.
Numerous Business Benefits:
• Continuous formal and informal knowledge sharing across the city among the most talented experts in their sectors.
• Advanced laboratories located within the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
• A location with unmatched international exposure from governments, organizations and companies looking to learn from Masdar
City, its partners and suppliers. By locating at Masdar City, companies can benefit from this association.
• The most efficient, state-of-the-art and sustainable buildings provide the ideal working and residential environment for staff.
• All the amenities one would expect from a world-class city.
• All types of commercial space: high-grade offices, research laboratories, testing facilities, assembly, concept stores and retail.
Special Economic Zone Benefits
Masdar City offers all the benefits one would associate with a Special Economic zone, though with a unique focus on clean technology and renewables, in a business-friendly and entrepreneurial environment that offers:
• Quick and easy set up with a one-stop shop for registration, government relations and fast-track visa processing
• Zero percent import tariffs
• Zero percent taxes on companies and individuals
• No restrictions on capital movements, profits or quotas
• 100% foreign ownership
• No currency restrictions
• Hiring of expatriate staff
• Gateway to the vibrant market opportunities of the Middle East and Asia
• Outstanding logistics network incorporating air, sea, road and eventually rail
• A safe, friendly working environment
• A high quality of life
• The opportunity to maximize corporate social responsibility objectives Strong IP protection framework
Areas of Focus
In light of its climate and geography, Masdar City will focus on attracting firms and pursuing research in four primary areas of the clean tech industry: solar, green building, water, and power storage, and secondarily in the areas of smart grids, efficiency appliances, electric vehicles and waste. More specifically, companies and organizations looking to set up in Masdar City should identify which specific sector(s) in which they will operate:
