Masdar FreeZone

Masdar City, celebrated as one of the most rousing eco-developments in the world, is a free zone that is located near the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The Masdar City free zone empowers resident companies take off into not only local, but also regional and international markets. And that’s not all — the city is also home to a substantial concentration of sector proficiency as well as expertise.

The fDi Magazine bestowed Masdar Free Zone with the title of Best Free Zone for R&D Partnerships in 2016 and also recognized it as among the Best Middle East Free Zones for Start Ups and Large Companies.

Masdar City Free Zone offers an abundance of benefits, including:

– One-stop channel for setting up a business
– 100 per cent foreign ownership without any partner in the United Arab Emirates
– Transfer of capital as well as profits outside the UAE without hindrance
– No currency limitations
– No corporate taxes, individual taxes, or import tariffs
– Solid constitution for intellectual property security

The One-Stop Shop in Masdar City takes care of all facets of registration, licensing, and leasing for entities that want to set up in the free zone. The shop also manages government services like customs clearance, driving licences, and visas. Other than enabling companies to engage with Masdar City departments and local government, the One-Stop Shop also offers a wide variety of office and business support services for all categories of organisations. These services include travel and translation facilities, office fit-out and facilities management services, reception services, on-site access to utilities, banking services, and technology support.

Businesses operating in a large variety of segments can acquire a license to operate in the Masdar City Free Zone. These segments include

• Clean Tech & ICT
• Marketing and Events
• Renewable Energy
• Energy Industry
• Healthcare Services
• Human Resources Development
• Property Development Services
• Regional Head Quarters, Trading and Holding Companies
• Service Providers
• Community Services (Retail, Food and Beverage outlets)
• Oil and Gas Services
• Business Centre and Data Centres

Companies can also avail a variety of licensing tariff options, based on their financial plan and activities.

The cost of getting the ball rolling in the Masdar City Free Zone is based the license package and lease package the company opts for.

The following license packages are offered:

Package              No. of Activities               Annual License Fee

Start Up               2                                           10,000

Mid – Range        5                                           15,000

Wide – Range     10                                         20,000

UAE Nationals

& Khalifa Fund   5                                           10,000

As far as lease packages go, the prices start at AED 1800/sqm for commercial office and go all the way up to AED 2,400/sqm for an executive office.